Puerarin Enhances Eggshell Quality by Mitigating Uterine Senescence in Late-Phase Laying Breeder Hens

Abstract

The deterioration of uterine calcium transport capacity induced by aging is a common problem for late-laying period hens, causing decline in eggshell quality. This study aimed to investigate the effects and possible regulatory mechanisms of dietary puerarin (PU) on calcium transport and eggshell quality in aged hens. Two hundred eighty-eight Hubbard Efficiency Plus broiler breeder hens (50-week-old) were randomly allocated to three dietary treatments containing 0, 40, or 200 mg/kg puerarin (PU), with 8 replicates of 12 birds each, for an 8-week trial. The results demonstrated that dietary PU ameliorated the eggshell thickness and strength, which in turn reduced the broken egg rate (p p Nrf2, HO-1, and GPX1 mRNA expression in the uterus (p p Caspase3 and BAX and the rate of BAX/BCL-2. Additionally, calcium content in serum and uterus, as well as the activity of Ca2+-ATPase in the duodenum and uterus, were increased by dietary PU (p ERα, KCNA1, CABP-28K, and OPN in the uterus were upregulated by PU supplementation (p Bacteroidota within the uterus (p < 0.05). Overall, dietary PU can improve eggshell quality and calcium transport through enhanced antioxidative defenses and mitigation of age-related uterine degeneration.

Keywords

• puerarin
• antioxidant
• aged breeder hen
• uterus
• calcium transport