Effects of maternal hawthorn-leaf flavonoid supplementation on the intestinal development of offspring chicks

作者：Hongjian Dai, Zhenwu Huang, Fangxiong Shi, Simeng Li, Yi Zhang, Haoze Wu, Zengpeng Lv · 发表于：Poultry Science · 年份：2024 · DOI：10.1016/j.psj.2024.103969 · 被引用次数：14 · 研究领域：Botanical Studies and Applications、Medicinal Plant Pharmacodynamics Research、Nutrition, Genetics, and Disease

Metabolic disorders in maternal generation during the late egg-laying period have adverse effects on neonatal development. The study was conducted to clarify the effects of maternal feeding of hawthorn-leaf flavonoid (HF) on the microbial community and intestinal development of chicks. Breeder hens were fed a basic corn-soybean diet, while the treatment groups were supplemented with 30 or 60 mg/kg HF. The offspring chicks were divided into CON, LHF, and HHF groups according to the maternal treatments. Maternal HF supplementation at 60 mg/kg increased the average daily gain and decreased the feed conversion rate of chicks (P < 0.05), but did not affect the average daily feed intake. HF treatments increased the villus height to crypt depth ratio and up-regulated the protein expressions of PCNA, IGF-1R, PI3K and p-mTOR in the jejunum (P < 0.05) of 1-day-old and 14-day-old chicks. Additionally, maternal HF treatment up-regulated the mRNA expression of tight junction transmembrane proteins (occludin) and scaffolding proteins (ZO-1 and ZO-2) in the jejunum of 1-day-old chicks (P < 0.05). Moreover, the maternal effects of HF on ZO-1 expression could last for 14 d (P < 0.05). Interestingly, dietary HF supplementation altered the vertically transmitted microbial community from breeder hens to chicks, especially increased the relative abundance of probiotics (i.e., Clostridium_sensu_stricto_1) in the meconium of chicks (P < 0.05), which may help with early gut microbiota colonization a...