Dietary honokiol supplementation improves antioxidant capacity, enhances intestinal health, and modulates cecal microbial composition and function of broiler chickens.

Honokiol is a multifunctional polyphenol present in Magnolia officinalis. The effects of honokiol as a supplement in broiler chicken diets, and the underlying mechanisms, remain unclear. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of honokiol on the growth performance, antioxidant capacity, and intestinal histomorphology of broiler chickens and to explore the underlying mechanisms. In total, 240 one-day-old broilers were randomly allocated to 5 dietary treatments, with 6 replicate pens and 8 birds per pen. Birds were fed a basal diet supplemented with 0 (blank control, BC), 100, 200, or 400 mg/kg honokiol (H100, H200, and H400), or 200 mg/kg bacitracin zinc (PC) for 42 d. The results showed that H200 and H400 increased body weight gain (BWG) and decreased feed conversion ratio (FCR) during the starter period (P < 0.05). H100 and H200 increased total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) activity in the serum and decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) amount in the jejunum on d 42 (P < 0.05). Moreover, H100 increased villus height-to-crypt depth ratio in both the jejunum and ileum on d 21 (P < 0.05). PCR analysis showed that honokiol upregulated intestinal expression of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and downregulated intestinal expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) on d 42 (P < 0.05). The Shannon index, which represents the microbial alpha diversity, was reduced for the PC, H200, and H400 groups. Notably, honokiol treatment altered the cecal microbial community structure and promoted the enrichment of several bacteria, including Firmicutes and Lactobacillus. Higher production of short-chain fatty acids was observed in the cecal digesta of H100 birds, accompanied by an enriched glycolysis/gluconeogenesis pathway, according to the functional prediction of the cecal microbiota. This study provides evidence that honokiol improves growth performance, antioxidant capacity, and intestinal health of broiler chickens, possibly by manipulating the composition and function of the microbial community.

Maternal Magnolol Supplementation during Pregnancy and Lactation Promotes Antioxidant Capacity, Improves Gut Health, and Alters Gut Microbiota and Metabolites of Weanling Piglets.

Maternal nutrition exerts a profound effect on the postnatal performance of offspring, especially during the weaning period. The multifunctional bioactive component magnolol (MAG) has shown promise as a dietary supplement. This study aimed to explore the effects of maternal MAG supplementation on the antioxidant capacity, gut health, gut microbiome, and metabolome composition of weanling piglets. Fifty pregnant sows were randomly divided into two equally sized groups, the control group and the group supplemented with 100 g/t MAG during the gestation and lactation periods, and 7 days postweaning, the pups were euthanized. The microbiome and metabolome features of weanling piglet colons were compared. Our results revealed that maternal MAG supplementation modified the serum redox status of weanling piglets by decreasing malondialdehyde concentration and increasing superoxide dismutase activity and total antioxidant capacity. Moreover, the decreased indicators of diarrhea were accompanied by improved gut barrier function, in which serum diamine oxidase concentration was decreased, and expressions of zona occludens-1, claudin-1, and intestinal alkaline phosphatase were increased in the colon of weanling piglets from sows supplemented with MAG. Further analysis of the gut microbiota indicated that maternal MAG supplementation significantly increased the relative abundance of beneficial bacteria in the colon of weanling piglets, including Faecalibacterium prausnitzii and Oscillospira. Metabolome analysis identified 540 differential metabolites in the colon of piglets from MAG-fed dams, of which glycerophospholipid classes were highly correlated with progeny gut health and key beneficial bacteria. Our findings indicated that maternal MAG supplementation can improve the oxidative status and gut health of weanling piglets, possibly due to alterations in the gut microbiota and metabolites.

Effects of Chitosan Oligosaccharide on Production Performance, Egg Quality and Ovarian Function in Laying Hens with Fatty Liver Syndrome.

This study aimed to investigate the role of chitosan oligosaccharide (COS) as an additive in the feed of laying hens with fatty liver syndrome (FLS). Effects on production performance, egg quality as well as ovarian function were determined. A total of 360 Lohmann Pink-shell laying hens (28 weeks old) were randomly assigned to 5 groups (6 replicates × 12 birds). Hens were fed with a basal diet and a high-energy low-protein (HELP) diet supplemented with 0, 200, 400 and 800 mg/kg COS. COS reversed the lowered laying rates, increased feed-to-egg ratios and decreased albumen heights and Haugh units induced by the HELP diet. Additionally, COS improved the ovarian morphologies damaged by the HELP diet. Furthermore, COS enhanced antioxidant enzyme activities, reduced malonaldehyde levels and downregulated the mRNA expressions of nuclear factor kappa B, pro-inflammation cytokine genes and pro-apoptosis-related genes, while it upregulated the mRNA expression of anti-apoptosis-related genes in the ovaries of HELP-diet-fed hens. These findings suggested that dietary COS supplementation could improve production performance and egg quality in laying hens with FLS, and these beneficial effects were linked to improved ovarian morphology, which was attributed to decreased oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis in the ovaries.

Effects of magnolol and honokiol blend on performance, egg quality, hepatic lipid metabolism, and intestinal morphology of hens at late laying cycle.

Magnolol and its isomer honokiol are polyphenols with anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory activities. We evaluated the effects of magnolol and honokiol supplementation alone or in combination with hen diets during the late laying cycle. A total of 540 Jingfen pink-shell laying hens (50 weeks old) were randomly assigned to six treatments: a control diet and diets supplemented with 300 mg/kg magnolol (M300), honokiol (H300), or 300 mg/kg total phenols with a magnolol/honokiol ratio of 2:1 (M200H100), 1:2 (M100H200), and 1:1 (M150H150). Compared with that of the control, all supplementation groups had higher laying rates and the M300, M100H200, and M150H150 groups showed comparatively lower feed conversion ratios. Magnolol and honokiol supplementation increased the Haugh units of fresh eggs at week 62 and alleviated the decline of the Haugh units of eggs stored for 14 days. Compared with that of the control group, the serum total antioxidant capacity of the M100H200 and M150H150 groups significantly increased, and all supplementation groups had higher total antioxidant capacity and lower malondialdehyde content in the liver. With respect to lipid metabolism, the M200H100 and M150H150 groups had lower total and relative liver weights compared with those of the control and H300 groups. The mRNA expression levels of CCAAT enhancer binding protein alpha, sterol regulatory element binding protein-1, fatty acid synthase and stearyl coenzyme A desaturase 1 involved in lipogenesis; microsomal triglyceride transfer protein and apolipoprotein B involved in fatty acid transport; and the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-1 beta were lower in all supplementation groups compared with those in the control. With respect to gut health, the heights of the jejunum and ileum villi significantly increased in all supplementation groups compared with those of the control, and the jejunum villus heights of the M300 and M150H150 groups were higher than those of the H300 and M100H200 groups. The H300 and M150H150 groups had higher mRNA expression levels of zonula occludens-1 in the ileum compared with those in the control and M300 groups, whereas all supplementation groups had higher mRNA levels of claudin-1 than that of the control group. In conclusion, magnolol and honokiol improved hen performance and the albumen quality of fresh and stored eggs by improving the antioxidant capacity, liver lipid metabolism, and intestinal health of laying hens. The combination of magnolol and honokiol at a 1:1 ratio may be an optimal choice for hen diet supplementation.

Effects of diets with various levels of forage rape (Brassica napus) on growth performance, carcass traits, meat quality and rumen microbiota of Hu lambs.

BACKGROUND: Apart from being an oil crop, forage rape (Brassica napus) can be used to feed ruminants. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of pelleted total mixed ration (TMR) diets with various levels of forage rape on growth performance, carcass traits, meat quality, meat nutritional value and rumen microbiota of Hu lambs, which was important for the efficient utilization of forage rape and alleviating the shortage of high-quality forage in China. RESULTS: Lambs fed on diets with 200-400 g kg-1 forage rape had greater average daily gain (ADG) and lower feed conversion ratio (FCR) than those fed on diets with 0-100 g kg-1 of forage rape (P < 0.05). As dietary forage rape levels increased, the content of intramuscular α-linolenic acid and a variety of amino acids in the muscle increased linearly (P < 0.05). No difference was found in carcass traits or meat quality among the dietary treatments (P > 0.05). However, the inclusion of forage rape increased the relative abundance of cellulolytic bacteria and short-chain fatty acid producers, including Succiniclasticum, Fibrobacter and members of the Lachnospiraceae. Besides, Succiniclasticum was found to be positively correlated with the final body weight of lambs. CONCLUSION: TMR diets that included 200-400 g kg-1 forage rape could improve the growth performance of lambs, and elevated the content of intramuscular α-linolenic acid and a variety of amino acids in the muscle, accompanied by increased abundance of cellulolytic bacteria in the rumen.

Supplemental magnolol improves the antioxidant capacity and intestinal health of broiler chickens.

Magnolol is a multifunctional polyphenol rich in Magnolia officinalis. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of magnolol on growth performance, carcass traits, antioxidant capacity, and gut health of broiler chickens. A total of 240 1-day-old broilers were randomly allocated into five dietary treatments: control (Ctrl); control diet supplemented with 100, 200, or 300 mg/kg of magnolol (M100, M200, and M300); and control diet supplemented with 200 mg/kg of bacitracin zinc (PC). The results showed that magnolol linearly decreased the feed conversion ratio between d 0 and d 14, linearly decreased the amount of malondialdehyde and increased the activity of total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) in both serum and ileal mucosa on d 42 with increasing magnolol levels (p < 0.05). Moreover, the ileal villus height, the ileal villus height to crypt depth ratio, and the jejunal gene expressions of SOD1, glutathione peroxidase, and Claudin1 were linearly up-regulated with increasing magnolol levels (p < 0.05). The supplementation of magnolol had no effect on carcass traits or cecal short chain fatty acids (p > 0.05). The results indicated that magnolol could be applied in the diet of broiler chickens to benefit their antioxidant capacity and intestinal health.

Maternal magnolol supplementation alters placental morphology, promotes placental angiogenesis during mid-gestation and improves offspring growth in a pregnant mouse model.

The placenta is the organ that determines the growth of the fetus and the outcome of pregnancy. Magnolol is a multifunctional polyphenol with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer and neuroprotective functions. However, there is less knowledge of the effects or complications in the placenta and the mechanism underlying the effect of magnolol when used during pregnancy. The aim of this study was to explore the effects of maternal magnolol supplementation on pregnancy outcomes and placental alterations in a pregnant mouse model. A total of 128 pregnant mice were randomly divided into 4 groups supplemented with 0, 40, 80 and 160 µM magnolol from gestational day 0 (GD0) to delivery. Our results revealed that the number of large-for-gestation-age fetuses on GD13 and the weaning weight of offspring were increased in the magnolol treatment groups. Moreover, maternal magnolol supplementation increased superoxide dismutase (SOD), decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) in maternal serum, and promoted the expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in the placenta. Furthermore, magnolol significantly increased the area of the junctional zone and decidua in the placentas and increased the expression of interferon-γ (INF-γ), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), chemokine (CC Motif) Ligand 3 (CCL3), chemokine (CXC motif) ligand 10 (CXCL10), insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and T-box transcription factor 21 (T-bet) in the placenta during GD13 in pregnant mice, while suppressor of cytokine signaling 1 (SOCS1) was reduced. Moreover, the ratio of blood space in the labyrinth area, hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were all increased in the magnolol treatment groups on GD13. Taken together, these results indicate that magnolol can improve the growth of offspring, which might be due to the alteration of placental morphology and the promotion of placental angiogenesis during mid-gestation.

Effect of chlorogenic acid on intestinal inflammation, antioxidant status, and microbial community of young hens challenged with acute heat stress.

Heat stress in poultry is deleterious to productive performance. Chlorogenic acid (CGA) exerts antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary supplemental CGA on the intestinal health and cecal microbiota composition of young hens challenged with acute heat stress. 100-day-old Hy-line brown pullets were randomly divided into four groups. The control group (C) and heat stress group (HS) received a basal diet. HS + CGA300 group and HS + CGA600 group received a basal diet supplemented with 300- and 600-mg/kg CGA, respectively, for 2 weeks before heat stress exposure. Pullets of HS, HS + CGA300 , and HS + CGA600 group were exposed to 38°C for 4 h while the control group was maintained at 25°C. In this study, dietary CGA supplementation had effect on mitigate the decreased T-AOC and T-SOD activities and the increasing of IL-1ß and TNFα induced by acute heat stress. Dietary supplementation with 600 mg/kg CGA had better effect on increasing the relative abundance of beneficial bacterial genera, such as Rikenellaceae RC9_gut_group, Ruminococcaceae UCG-005, and Christensenellaceae R-7_group, and deceasing bacteria genera involved in inflammation, such as Sutterella species. Therefore, CGA can ameliorate acute heat stress damage through suppressing inflammation and improved antioxidant capacity and cecal microbiota composition.

Supplemental magnolol or honokiol attenuates adverse effects in broilers infected with Salmonella pullorum by modulating mucosal gene expression and the gut microbiota.

BACKGROUND: Salmonella pullorum is one of the most harmful pathogens to avian species. Magnolol and honokiol, natural compounds extracted from Magnolia officinalis, exerts anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and antibacterial activities. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary supplemental magnolol and honokiol in broilers infected with S. pullorum. A total of 360 one-day-old broilers were selected and randomly divided into four groups with six replicates: the negative control group (CTL), S. pullorum-infected group (SP), and the S. pullorum-infected group supplemented with 300 mg/kg honokiol (SPH) or magnolol (SPM). RESULTS: The results showed that challenging with S. pullorum impaired growth performance in broilers, as indicated by the observed decreases in body weight (P < 0.05) and average daily gains (P < 0.05), along with increased spleen (P < 0.01) and bursa of Fabricus weights (P < 0.05), serum globulin contents, and the decreased intestine villus height and villus/crypt ratios (P < 0.05). Notably, supplemental magnolol and honokiol attenuated these adverse changes, and the effects of magnolol were better than those of honokiol. Therefore, we performed RNA-Seq in ileum tissues and 16S rRNA gene sequencing of ileum bacteria. Our analysis revealed that magnolol increased the α-diversity (observed species, Chao1, ACE, and PD whole tree) and ß-diversity of the ileum bacteria (P < 0.05). In addition, magnolol supplementation increased the abundance of Lactobacillus (P < 0.01) and decreased unidentified Cyanobacteria (P < 0.05) both at d 14 and d 21. Further study confirmed that differentially expressed genes induced by magnolol and honokiol supplementation enriched in cytokine-cytokine receptor interactions, in the intestinal immune network for IgA production, and in the cell adhesion molecule pathways. CONCLUSIONS: Supplemental magnolol and honokiol alleviated S. pullorum-induced impairments in growth performance, and the effect of magnolol was better than that of honokiol, which could be partially due to magnolol's ability to improve the intestinal microbial and mucosal barrier.

Effects of magnolol on egg production, egg quality, antioxidant capacity, and intestinal health of laying hens in the late phase of the laying cycle.

Magnolol is a multifunctional plant polyphenol. To evaluate the effects of magnolol on laying hens in the late laying period, 360 (50-week-old) laying hens were randomly assigned to 4 dietary treatments: a non-supplemented control diet (C), and control diets supplemented with 100, 200, and 300 mg/kg of magnolol (M100, M200, and M300), respectively. Each treatment had 6 replicates with 15 hens per replicate. Results showed that dietary supplementation of 200 and 300 mg/kg of magnolol increased the laying rate and the M200 group had a lower feed conversion ratio (P < 0.05). Magnolol supplementation (200 and 300 mg/kg) could linearly increase albumen height and Haugh unit of fresh eggs in the late phase of the laying cycle (P < 0.01). And magnolol linearly alleviated the decline of the albumen height and Haugh unit of eggs stored for 14 d (P < 0.01). The total superoxide dismutase activity in the ovaries of M100 group was greater than that in the other treatments (P < 0.05). As dietary magnolol levels increased, villus height of jejunum and ileum linearly increased (P < 0.01). M200 and M300 groups had higher expression level of occludin in the ileum compared with group C (P < 0.01). The level of nitric oxide production and inducible nitric oxide synthase expression in the ileum of M200 group were lower than that in the C group (P < 0.05). In conclusion, dietary supplementation of 200 and 300 mg/kg magnolol can improve hen performance, albumen quality of fresh and storage eggs, and hepatic lipid metabolism in the late laying cycle. Also, magnolol has a good effect on increasing villi and improving the intestinal mucosal mechanical barrier function.

Effects of ramie at various levels on ruminal fermentation and rumen microbiota of goats.

With the shortage of high-quality forage in southern China, it is urgent to develop local unconventional forage resources, such as ramie. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of dietary ramie levels on ruminal fermentation and rumen microbiota of Boer goats. A total of 60 Boer kids were allocated into four dietary treatments with 0, 10%, 20%, and 40% ramie, respectively. The results showed that the ruminal fermentation parameters were unaffected by the inclusion of 0%-20% ramie (p > .05). However, the ruminal concentration of total short-chain fatty acids, acetate, and butyrate increased linearly with increasing ramie proportions (p < .05). Notably, ramie at 40% level improved the production of butyrate compared with the other dietary treatments (p < .05). Increasing the dietary ramie proportion did not affect the alpha or beta diversity of the rumen microbial community, and the relative abundances of the microorganisms at phylum level and most of the identified microorganisms at genus level remain unchanged (p > .10) even though the relative abundance of Asteroleplasma and Treponema was increased respectively when 10% and 20% ramie was included (p < .05). Overall, the result of this study demonstrated that up to 40% ramie had no impairment in the ruminal fermentation or rumen microbiota of goats.

Effects of dietary ramie level on growth performance, serum biochemical indices, and meat quality of Boer goats.

This study was conducted to evaluate the use of ramie as forage on growth performance, serum biochemical indices, and meat quality of Boer goats. For this, 60 Boer lambs were divided into four groups fed the TMR with 0%, 10%, 20%, and 40% (control, and groups I, II, III, respectively) ramie. The experiment lasted for 90 days with a pretest for 15 days. Venous blood and longissimus dorsi (LD) muscle samples were collected after 24 h fasted at the end of the experiment. The results showed that ramie seems no significant changes in average daily gain (ADG) and other parameters for growth performance, only 40% ramie in TMR significantly reduced average daily feed intake (ADFI) (P < 0.05). Compared to the control, group II (20%) showed significant increases in total protein (TP) and globulin (GLB) levels, and decreases in albumin/globulin level (P < 0.05) in serum. Meanwhile, serum total cholesterol (TC) (P < 0.05) and free thyroxine (FT4) level were significantly reduced with up to 20% or more ramie in TMR. Moreover, the total amino acid and flavor amino acid levels in LD muscle were not affected by ramie. However, significant increases (P < 0.05) were observed in linoleic acid, polyunsaturated fatty acid, and polyunsaturated fatty acid/saturated fatty acid levels in group II. Overall, these results indicated that up to 20% ramie in TMR have no impairment in growth performance, health and meat quality, whereas high level ramie might have a negative effect on feed intake.