Dietary mulberry-leaf flavonoids improve the eggshell quality of aged breeder hens

• Published in: Theriogenology Vol. 179; pp. 177 - 186
• Main Authors: Huang, Zhenwu, Dai, Hongjian, Jiang, Jingle, Ye, Nanwei, Zhu, Shanli, Wei, Quanwei, Lv, Zengpeng, Shi, Fangxiong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.02.2022
• Subjects: Aged hen; Animal Feed - analysis; animal reproduction; Animals; Antioxidant; antioxidant activity; apoptosis; blood serum; calcium; caspase-3; Chickens; Diet - veterinary; Dietary Supplements - analysis; Egg Shell; egg shell thickness; eggs; Eggshell quality; epithelium; flavonoids; histology; Morus; Mulberry-leaf flavonoids; Plant Leaves; Polyphenols; protein synthesis; shell gland; The shell gland; uterus; The shell gland; Antioxidant; Eggshell quality; Aged hen; Mulberry-leaf flavonoids
• ISSN: 0093-691X; 1879-3231; 1879-3231
• DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2021.11.019

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. •Dietary Mulberry-leaf flavonoids (MF) can enhance the antioxidant capacity by activating Nrf2.•Dietary MF can alleviate aging-induced injury in the shell gland.•Dietary MF can enhance Ca ion transport in the shell gland of aged breeder hens.•Dietary MF improve eggshell quality of aged breeder hens.