Curcumin alleviates cecal oxidative injury in diquat-induced broilers by regulating the Nrf2/ARE pathway and microflora.

This study evaluated the alleviative effect of curcumin (CUR) on the diquat (DQ)-induced cecal injury in broilers. A total of 320 one-day-old Cobb broilers were selected and randomly divided into 4 treatments, namely control, DQ, CUR 100, and CUR150 groups. The control and DQ groups were fed a basal diet, while the CUR 100 and CUR150 groups were fed the basal diet supplemented with 100 and 150 mg/kg CUR, respectively. Each group had 8 replicates, with 10 broilers per replicate. On day 21 of the experiment, 1 broiler was selected from each replicate and intraperitoneally injected 20 mg/kg body weight of DQ for DQ, CUR 100, and CUR 150 groups. Broilers in control group received equivalent volume of saline. Broilers were euthanized 48h postinjection for tissue sampling. The results showed that DQ injection could cause oxidative stress and inflammatory reactions in the cecum, affecting the fatty acid production and flora structure, thus leading to cecum damage. Compared with the DQ group, the activity of superoxide dismutase, the level of interleukin 10, acetic acid, and total volatile fatty, and the abundance of nuclear factor E2-related factor 2, copper and zinc superoxide dismutase and catalase mRNA in the cecal mucosa of broilers in the CUR group increased significantly (P < 0.05). However, the levels of malondialdehyd, reactive oxygen species, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and the expression of cysteine-aspartic acid protease-3 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha decreased significantly (P < 0.05) in the CUR group. In addition, CUR treatment alleviated the damage to the cecum and restored the flora structure, and Lactobacillus and Lactobacillaceae promoted the alleviative effect of CUR on DQ. In summary, CUR could alleviate the cecal injury caused by DQ-induced oxidative damage and inflammatory reactions by regulating the Nrf2-ARE signaling pathway and intestinal flora, thus protecting the cecum.

Quercetagetin alleviates zearalenone-induced liver injury in rabbits through Keap1/Nrf2/ARE signaling pathway.

Introduction: This study aimed to assess the alleviative effect of quercetagetin (QG) on zearalenone (ZEN)-induced liver injury in rabbits. Methods: Ninety 41-day-old healthy Hyla rabbits were randomly assigned into three groups, including a control (fed with basic diet), ZEN addition group (fed with basic diet + 600 µg/kg ZEN), and ZEN + QG addition group (fed with basic diet + 600 µg/kg ZEN + 100 mg/kg QG), with 30 rabbits per group. The duration of the experiment was 28 days. Results: The results revealed no significant differences in the average daily gain, average daily feed intake, the gain to feed ratio and the liver, kidney and spleen organ indexes (p > 0.05) between the rabbits across the three groups. However, the sacculus rotundus index of the rabbits in the control group was significantly higher than that in the ZEN + QG group (p < 0.05). The intake of ZEN-contaminated diet also significantly increased the activities or levels of alanine transaminase, alkaline phosphatase, total bile acid (TBA), total bilirubin, malondialdehyde, and interleukin-4 (IL-4) and enhanced the abundance of kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1), heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) and cysteine-aspartic acid protease-3 (Caspase-3) mRNA in the blood or liver tissue in ZEN group, compared to the control group (p < 0.05). On the contrary, the activities or levels of immunoglobulin A, complement 3, total antioxidant capacity, glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), superoxide dismutase, interleukin-10, and the abundance of nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) mRNA were significantly decreased (p < 0.05). Supplementing the diet with QG still maintained significantly higher levels of TBA and IL-4, and the abundance of GSH-Px, HSP70, IL-4, and Caspase-3 mRNA in the blood and liver of rabbits in the ZEN + QG group than in the control group (p < 0.05). At the same time, the other indicators were restored to levels in the control group (p > 0.05). Discussion: In conclusion, QG alleviated the ZEN-induced oxidative damage and liver injury caused by inflammatory reaction through the Keap1-Nrf2-antioxidant response element (ARE) signal pathway, which protected the liver. This study revealed the alleviative effect of QG on the hepatotoxicity of ZEN in rabbits for the first time, providing a new perspective for applying QG and developing a ZEN antidote.

Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity of ursolic acid: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: There is currently evidence suggesting that ursolic acid may exert a favorable influence on both anti-inflammatory and antioxidant impact. Nevertheless, the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities of ursolic acid have not been systematically evaluated. Consequently, this study aims to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis regarding the impact of ursolic acid on markers of inflammatory and antioxidant activity in both animal models and in vitro systems. Methods: The search encompassed databases such as PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and ScienceDirect, up until May 2023. All eligible articles in English were included in the analysis. Standard mean difference (SMD) was pooled using a random-effects model, and the included studies underwent a thorough assessment for potential bias. Results: The final review comprised 31 articles. In disease-model related studies, animal experiments have consistently shown that ursolic acid significantly reduced the levels of inflammatory parameters IL-1ß, IL-6 and TNF-α in mouse tissues. In vitro studies have similarly showed that ursolic acid significantly reduced the levels of inflammatory parameters IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α. Our results showed that ursolic acid could significantly elevate SOD and GSH levels, while significantly reducing MDA levels in animal tissues. The results of in vitro studies shown that ursolic acid significantly increased the level of GSH and decreased the level of MDA. Discussion: Findings from both animal and in vitro studies suggest that ursolic acid decreases inflammatory cytokine levels, elevates antioxidant enzyme levels, and reduces oxidative stress levels (graphical abstract). This meta-analysis furnishes compelling evidence for the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of ursolic acid.