Effect of dietary supplementation of astaxanthin (Ax) from Phaffia rhodozyma on lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammatory responses was investigated in male broiler chickens fed a corn-based diet. Birds (1 week of age) were fed a corn-enriched diet containing either 0 or 100 ppm Ax for 2 weeks and were intraperitoneally injected with lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 1 mg/kg body weight). Inflammatory responses were evaluated by determining changes in expression of messenger RNA (mRNA) in cytokines and mediators related to inflammatory responses (interleukin (IL)-1 beta and -6, inducible nitrite synthase (iNOS), interferon (IFN)- γ and cyclooxygenase (Cox)-2 in the liver and spleen after 2 h of LPS injection and plasma ceruloplasmin concentration as an acute phase protein. Birds fed Ax showed significantly higher iNOS mRNA expression in the liver and spleen compared to that of control birds. Ax-fed birds also showed greater increase in mRNA expression in the liver of IL-1, IL-6 and IFN-γ compared to that of control birds. The enhancing effect of Ax was further progressed when LPS was injected. No difference was found in plasma ceruloplasmin concentration between the Ax-fed group and control group. The results suggest that feeding supplementation of Ax (100 ppm) to a corn-enriched diet possibly does not have anti-inflammatory effect in male broiler chickens.
© 2011 The Authors. Animal Science Journal © 2011 Japanese Society of Animal Science.