AUTHOR=Li Zhihua , Qin Binghua , Chen Ting , Kong Xiangfeng , Zhu Qian , Azad Md. Abul Kalam , Cui Yadong , Lan Wei , He Qinghua 

TITLE=Fermented Aronia melanocarpa pomace improves the nutritive value of eggs, enhances ovarian function, and reshapes microbiota abundance in aged laying hens

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=15

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2024.1422172

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2024.1422172

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<sec><title>Introduction</title><p>There is a decline in the quality and nutritive value of eggs in aged laying hens. Fruit pomaces with high nutritional and functional values have gained interest in poultry production to improve the performance.</p></sec><sec><title>Methods</title><p>The performance, egg nutritive value, lipid metabolism, ovarian health, and cecal microbiota abundance were evaluated in aged laying hens (320 laying hens, 345-day-old) fed on a basal diet (control), and a basal diet inclusion of 0.25%, 0.5%, or 1.0% fermented <italic>Aronia melanocarpa</italic> pomace (FAMP) for eight weeks.</p></sec><sec><title>Results</title><p>The results show that 0.5% FAMP reduced the saturated fatty acids (such as C16:0) and improved the healthy lipid indices in egg yolks by decreasing the atherogenicity index, thrombogenic index, and hypocholesterolemia/hypercholesterolemia ratio and increasing health promotion index and desirable fatty acids (<italic>P</italic> &lt; 0.05). Additionally, FAMP supplementation (0.25%−1.0%) increased (<italic>P</italic> &lt; 0.05) the ovarian follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, and estrogen 2 levels, while 1.0% FAMP upregulated the <italic>HSD3B1</italic> expression. The expression of <italic>VTG II</italic> and <italic>ApoVLDL II</italic> in the 0.25% and 0.5% FAMP groups, <italic>APOB</italic> in the 0.5% FAMP group, and <italic>ESR2</italic> in the 1% FAMP group were upregulated (<italic>P</italic> &lt; 0.05) in the liver. The ovarian total antioxidant capacity was increased (<italic>P</italic> &lt; 0.05) by supplementation with 0.25%−1.0% FAMP. Dietary 0.5% and 1.0% FAMP downregulated (<italic>P</italic> &lt; 0.05) the <italic>Keap1</italic> expression, while 1.0% FAMP upregulated (<italic>P</italic> &lt; 0.05) the <italic>Nrf2</italic> expression in the ovary. Furthermore, 1.0% FAMP increased cecal acetate, butyrate, and valerate concentrations and Firmicutes while decreasing Proteobacteria (<italic>P</italic> &lt; 0.05).</p></sec><sec><title>Conclusion</title><p>Overall, FAMP improved the nutritive value of eggs in aged laying hens by improving the liver–blood–ovary function and cecal microbial and metabolite composition, which might help to enhance economic benefits.</p></sec>