AUTHOR=Guo Shiwei , Ma Jiaxin , Xing Yuanyuan , Shi Lulu , Zhang Linghui , Xu Yuanqing , Jin Xiao , Yan Sumei , Shi Binlin 

TITLE=Artemisia annua L. Aqueous Extract Promotes Intestine Immunity and Antioxidant Function in Broilers

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Veterinary Science

VOLUME=Volume 9 - 2022

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/veterinary-science/articles/10.3389/fvets.2022.934021

DOI=10.3389/fvets.2022.934021

ISSN=2297-1769

ABSTRACT=This study was conducted to investigate the effects of Artemisia annua L. aqueous extract (AAE) on intestinal immune and antioxidative function of broilers. A total of 200 one-day-old Arbor Acre broilers were randomly allotted into 5 dietary treatment groups, with 5 replicates per treatment and 8 broilers per replicate. The 5 treatment diets were formulated by adding, respectively, 0 (control group), 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0 g/kg AAE in the basal diet. The results showed that dietary inclusion of AAE quadratically decreased interleukin (IL)-1β content, linearly decreased IL-6 content in the small intestine through regulating the nuclear factor-kappa B signal pathway, and quadratically increased immunoglobulin (Ig)M and sIgA content in ileum and jejunum. Besides, there was quadratic decrease the gene expression of IL-1β, IL-6 and toll like receptor 4 (TLR4) in ileum on d 21, and the gene expression of IL-6 and TLR4 in duodenum on d 42, thereby improving small intestinal immune function in broilers. Additionally, dietary inclusion of AAE improves antioxidative function through the nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) signal pathway in the small intestinal mucosa of broilers, especially, quadratically increased catalase (CAT) and superoxidase dismutase activity in ileum, and total antioxidant capacity and glutathione peroxidase activity in duodenum, and quadratically deceased malondialdehyde concentration in ileum, besides, linearly increased heme oxygenase-1 and Nrf2 gene expression in jejunum and ileum on d 42, quadratically increased CAT gene expression in the small intestine. Furthermore, regression analyses of the above parameters showed that the optimal dose range of AAE in the diet of broilers was 1.12 – 1.38 g/kg.