Modulating the Growth, Antioxidant Activity, and Immunoexpression of Proinflammatory Cytokines and Apoptotic Proteins in Broiler Chickens by Adding Dietary Spirulina platensis Phycocyanin

Anaam E Omar; Hanan S Al-Khalaifah; Ali Osman; Ahmed Gouda; Shimaa I Shalaby; Elshimaa M Roushdy; Samar A Abdo; Sozan A Ali; Aziza M Hassan; Shimaa A Amer

doi:10.3390/antiox11050991

Modulating the Growth, Antioxidant Activity, and Immunoexpression of Proinflammatory Cytokines and Apoptotic Proteins in Broiler Chickens by Adding Dietary Spirulina platensis Phycocyanin

Antioxidants (Basel). 2022 May 19;11(5):991. doi: 10.3390/antiox11050991.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Nutrition and Clinical Nutrition, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44511, Egypt.
² Environment and Life Sciences Research Center, Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, P.O. Box 24885, Safat, Kuwait City 13109, Kuwait.
³ Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44511, Egypt.
⁴ Animal Production Department, Agricultural & Biological Research Division, National Research Center, Dokki, Cairo 11865, Egypt.
⁵ Physiology Department, Veterinary Medicine Faculty, University of Zagazig, Zagazig 44511, Egypt.
⁶ Animal Wealth Development Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44511, Egypt.
⁷ Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagazig, Zagazig 44511, Egypt.
⁸ Department of Histology and Cytology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44511, Egypt.
⁹ Department of Biotechnology, College of Science, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia.

Abstract

This study investigated the dietary effect of Spirulina platensis phycocyanin (SPC) on growth performance (body weight (BW), body weight gain (BWG), feed intake (FI), feed conversion ratio (FCR)) at starter, grower, and finisher stages, intestinal histomorphology, serum biochemical parameters, inflammatory and antioxidant indices, and proinflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-α and caspase-3) immune expression in broiler chickens. In total, 250 one-day-old chicks (Ross 308 broiler) were randomly allotted to five experimental groups (5 replicates/group, 10 chicks/replicate) and fed basal diets supplemented with five levels of SPC (0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, and 1 g kg^-¹ diet) for 35 days. Compared with SPC0 treatment, different SPC levels increased the overall BW and BWG without affecting the total feed consumption. However, the FCR decreased linearly with an increase in supplementation level. The serum levels of total proteins, albumin, globulins, and growth hormone increased linearly by increasing levels of SPC supplementation. Further, SPC supplementation increased the thyroxin hormones without affecting serum glucose and leptin levels. Serum total cholesterol (TC) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) values decreased in broilers fed SPC0.250 and SPC1 diets. Triglycerides (TG) decreased in SPC0.25-, SPC0.75-, and SPC1-treated groups. Though antioxidant enzyme activities (total antioxidant capacity, catalase, and superoxide dismutase) increased linearly and quadratically, malondialdehyde (MDA) decreased linearly by increasing the SPC level. There was no effect on serum proinflammatory cytokines IL1β levels. Immunolabelling index of caspase-3 and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were downregulated by SPC supplementation. The intestinal histomorphology is represented by increased villus height, the villus height to crypt depth ratio, and numbers of goblet cells in different sections of the small intestine. In conclusion, SPC supplementation is beneficial in broiler chicken diets due to its growth-promoting, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties.

Keywords: broiler chickens; growth performance; gut histology; phycocyanin; proinflammatory cytokines.

Grants and funding

Taif University Research Supporting Project number (TURSP-2020/76), Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabia.