Dietary mulberry-leaf flavonoids improve the eggshell quality of aged breeder hens.
- 2021-11-24
- Theriogenology 179
- Zhenwu Huang
- Hongjian Dai
- Jingle Jiang
- Nanwei Ye
- Shanli Zhu
- Quanwei Wei
- Zengpeng Lv
- Fangxiong Shi
- PubMed: 34883395
- DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2021.11.019
Study Design
- Type
- Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT)
- Sample size
- n = 270
- Population
- 270 (60-week-old) Qiling breeder hens
- Methods
- randomly assigned to 3 treatments with supplemental dietary MF doses (0, 30, and 60 mg/kg)
- Funding
- Unclear
- Animal Study
Eggshell quality is subject to a significant decline in the late laying period, which results in huge economic losses. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of dietary mulberry-leaf flavonoids (MF) on the eggshell quality of aged breeder hens. A total of 270 (60-week-old) Qiling breeder hens were randomly assigned to 3 treatments with supplemental dietary MF doses (0, 30, and 60 mg/kg). The results showed that dietary MF improved the eggshell thickness and strength, following the reduced broken egg ratio (P < 0.05). Histological analysis showed that dietary MF increased glandular density and luminal epithelium height in the shell gland (P < 0.05). MF treatment reduced the apoptotic index of the shell gland, following by improved antioxidant capacity (P < 0.05). The protein expression of Caspase 3 was down-regulated, and Nrf2 was up-regulated by dietary MF (P < 0.05). Furthermore, calcium (Ca) content in the serum and shell gland, as well as the activity of Ca2+-ATPase in the shell gland were increased by dietary MF (P < 0.05). Ca transport-related genes (ESRα, ESRβ, KCNA1, OPN, CABP-28K and CDH6) in the shell gland were upregulated by dietary MF treatment (P < 0.05). In conclusion, dietary MF could ameliorate the eggshell quality of aged hens by improving antioxidative capability and Ca deposition in the shell gland of uterus.