Response of laying hens fed diet supplemented with a mixture of olive, laurel, and rosemary leaf powders: Metabolic profile, oxidative status, intestinal histomorphology, and egg quality

Angela Gabriella D'Alessandro; Salvatore Desantis; Giuseppe Fracchiolla; Riccardo Porrelli; Roberta Savina Dibenedetto; Alessio Di Luca; Giovanni Martemucci

doi:10.1016/j.rvsc.2024.105294

Response of laying hens fed diet supplemented with a mixture of olive, laurel, and rosemary leaf powders: Metabolic profile, oxidative status, intestinal histomorphology, and egg quality

Res Vet Sci. 2024 May 10:174:105294. doi: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2024.105294. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Angela Gabriella D'Alessandro¹, Salvatore Desantis², Giuseppe Fracchiolla³, Riccardo Porrelli⁴, Roberta Savina Dibenedetto⁵, Alessio Di Luca⁶, Giovanni Martemucci⁷

Affiliations

¹ Department of Soil, Plant and Food Sciences (DiSSPA), University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70126 Bari, Italy. Electronic address: angelagabriella.dalessandro@uniba.it.
² Department of Precision and Regenerative Medicine and Ionian Area (DiMePRe-J), University of Bari Aldo Moro, S.P. 62 per Casamassima Km 3, 70010 Valenzano (Bari), Italy. Electronic address: salvatore.desantis@uniba.it.
³ Department of Pharmacy-Drug Sciences, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70126 Bari, Italy. Electronic address: giuseppe.fracchiolla@uniba.it.
⁴ DVM, Azienda Sanitaria Locale (ASL), Barletta (BA), Italy.
⁵ Department of Soil, Plant and Food Sciences (DiSSPA), University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70126 Bari, Italy. Electronic address: roberta.dibenedetto@uniba.it.
⁶ Department of Soil, Plant and Food Sciences (DiSSPA), University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70126 Bari, Italy.
⁷ University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70126 Bari, Italy.

PMID: 38744020
DOI: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2024.105294

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a mixture of olive, laurel, and rosemary leaf powders, on the oxidative state, biochemical, immune, intestinal morphophysiological parameters, and egg quality of laying hens. One hundred Lohmann Brown hens (28 weeks old) were equally assigned to two groups (n. 50) corresponding to a basal control diet (CON) or the diet supplemented with 6 g/kg feed of leaf powder mixture (LPM) containing olive, laurel, and rosemary leaves (1:1:1), for 60 days. Oxidative status, biochemical indices, immune response, cecal short chain fatty acids (SCFAs), intestinal morphological characteristics, and some egg traits were evaluated at the end of the experiment. The results indicated that LPM improved (P < 0.05) the oxidative status (TOS, ROMs), the immune system (IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α), the total protein and HDL cholesterol content, whereas it decreased (P < 0.05) total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. Aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and alanine aminotransferase were significantly (P < 0.05) lower in the LPM than in the CON group. A significant increase (P < 0.05) in SCFA content in the caecum, as well as in villi height and crypt depth in both duodenum and ileum of LPM-treated hens, was observed. Egg quality parameters were not influenced (P > 0.05) by LPM. These findings indicate that LPM can be considered a candidate as an antioxidant ingredient for functional food in laying hens.

Keywords: Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory parameters; Biochemical; Diet leaf mixture; Gut histology; Laying hens.