Dietary Artemisia ordosica extract alleviating immune stress in broilers exposed to lipopolysaccharide

Abstract

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of Artemisia ordosica extract (AOE) on broilers challenged with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). 96 one-day-old Arbour Acres broilers were assigned in 2 × 2 factorial design, including two dietary treatments (0 or 1000 mg/kg AOE) and two immunological challenge (saline or LPS). on d 14, 16, 18 and 20, broilers were injected intra-abdominally with LPS solution (the LPS was dissolved in sterile saline at a concentration of 100 μg/mL) at 500 μg/kg of base weight, or an equivalent amount of sterile saline. Blood samples were collected on d 21 and 28. During LPS-challenged periods (days 15–21), AOE alleviated the compromised average daily gain and average daily feed intake (p < .05) in broilers challenged with LPS. On day 21, the LPS challenge increased (p < .05) serum adrenocorticotropic hormone, corticosterone, interleukin-1, interleukin-2, interleukin-6, immunoglobulin G and immunoglobulin A, decreased (p < .05) the content of serum growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor-1. However, diet supplemented with AOE reduced the elevation of serum corticosterone (p = .054), interleukin-2 (p < .05), immunoglobulin A (p < .05) and immunoglobulin G (p = .079) caused by LPS on day 21. After a week’s recovery, on d 28, AOE reduced the serum interleukin-6 content (p < .05). It may be that AOE exert its beneficial effect on broilers challenged with LPS by lessening the inflammatory cytokines and stress hormone, weakening the over activated immune system and finally, improving the growth performance.

Keywords

• Artemisia ordosica extract
• immune stress
• growth performance
• blood parameter
• broiler