Effects of bamboo leaf extract on energy metabolism, antioxidant capacity, and biogenesis of small intestine mitochondria in broilers.

The intensive breeding model of broilers exposes broilers directly to oxidative stress, which is associated with mitochondrial dysfunction. Some researches have shown that bamboo leaf extract (BLE) exhibited antioxidant capacity both in vitro and vivo. However, few researches have been conducted to explore the effects of BLE supplementation on small intestine mitochondrial functions in broilers. The study aimed to evaluate whether BLE can improve energy metabolism, antioxidant capacity, and biogenesis of broilers' small intestine mitochondria. All broilers were randomly divided into four groups. The control (CTR) group was fed a basal diet, and the three experimental groups of BLE1, BLE2, and BLE3 were fed the basal diet supplemented with 1.0, 2.0, and 4.0 g of BLE per kg of feed between 1 d and 42 d of age, respectively. Based on our results, we obtained interesting evidence that BLE supplementation enhanced metabolic efficiency of small intestine mitochondria in broilers.