AUTHOR=Shi Lulu , Guo Yanfei , Cheng Yuchen , Xing Yuanyuan , Guo Shiwei , Zhang Linghui , Xu Yuanqing , Jin Xiao , Yan Sumei , Shi Binlin 

TITLE=An Artemisia ordosica extract: Effects on growth performance, immune, and inflammatory response in lipopolysaccharide-challenged broilers

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Veterinary Science

VOLUME=9

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/veterinary-science/articles/10.3389/fvets.2022.980690

DOI=10.3389/fvets.2022.980690

ISSN=2297-1769

ABSTRACT=<p><italic>Artemisia ordosica</italic> has been applied as a traditional Chinese/Mongolian medicine for treating csertain inflammatory ailments. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of <italic>Artemisia ordosica</italic> alcohol extract (AOAE) supplemented in diets on growth performance, immune, and inflammatory response in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-challenged broilers. A total of 240 one-day-old Arbor Acre male broilers were randomly allotted into 5 groups with 6 replicates (<italic>n</italic> = 8), which were basal diet group (CON), LPS-challenge and basal diet group (LPS), LPS-challenge and the basal diet added with low (500 mg/kg), middle (750 mg/kg), and high (1,000 mg/kg) dose of AOAE groups (AOAE-L, AOAE-M, and AOAE-H), respectively. On d 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, and 28, all broilers were injected intra-abdominally either with LPS or an equivalent amount of saline. Results showed that dietary AOAE alleviated the LPS-induced decrease in average daily gain and average daily feed intake in the broilers (<italic>P</italic> &lt; 0.05). Dietary AOAE supplementation reversed the increased spleen index and the decreased bursa index in LPS-challenged broilers (<italic>P</italic> &lt; 0.05). Moreover, feeding AOAE could mitigate the elevation of IL-1β in serum, liver, and spleen, IL-2 in serum and liver, IL-6 in serum and spleen, and the decrease of IgG in spleen, IgM in serum, liver, and spleen, and IL-4 in serum of the LPS-challenged broilers (<italic>P</italic> &lt; 0.05). This study also showed that AOAE supplementation alleviated the increase of mRNA expression of <italic>TLR4, MyD88, TRAF6, NF-</italic>κ<italic>B p65, NF-</italic>κ<italic>B p50, IL-1</italic>β, and <italic>IL-6</italic>, and the decrease of gene expression of <italic>I</italic>κ<italic>B</italic>α and <italic>PPAR</italic>γ in liver and/or spleen of broilers challenged by LPS (<italic>P</italic> &lt; 0.05). We speculated that AOAE administration could effectively alleviate LPS-induced inflammation via decreasing over-production of proinflammatory cytokines, ultimately relieving the growth inhibition of broilers caused by LPS. In conclusion, 1,000 mg/kg AOAE has a strong capacity to enhance immunity and inhibit inflammation, and can be used as a potential novel feed additive with applications in treating inflammation-related diseases and bacterial infection in broilers.</p>