Yingying Zhang1, Yingsen Liu1, Jiaolong Li1, Tong Xing1, Yun Jiang2, Lin Zhang1, Feng Gao1. 1. College of Animal Science and Technology, Key Laboratory of Animal Origin Food Production and Safety Guarantee of Jiangsu Province, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Meat Production and Processing, Quality and Safety Control, Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, National Experimental Teaching Demonstration Center of Animal Science, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China. 2. School of Food Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210097, China.
Abstract
Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of dietary corn resistant starch (RS) on the intestinal morphology and barrier functions of broilers. Methods: A total of 320 one-day-old broilers were randomly allocated to normal corn-soybean (NC) diet group, corn starch (CS) diet group, 4%, 8% and 12% resistant starch (RS) diet groups. Each group had eight replicates with eight broilers per replicate. After 21 days feeding, one bird with a body weight (BW) close to the average BW of their replicate was selected and slaughtered. The samples of duodenum, jejunum, ileum, caecum digesta and blood were collected. Results: We found that birds fed RS diets showed lower feed intake, BW gain, jejunal and ileal villus height (VH), duodenal and ileal crypt depth (CD), duodenal VH/CD ratio, duodenal GCD as well as mucin1 mRNA expressions compared to the NC group, but showed higher feed/gain (F/G) ratio, concentrations of caecal acetic acid and butyric acid, percentage of jejunal proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA)-positive cells and Notch1, Dll4 and Hes1 mRNA expressions. However, there were no differences on the plasma DAO activity and D-lactic acid concentration among all groups. Conclusion: These findings suggested that RS can suppress intestinal morphology and barrier functions by activating Notch pathway and inhibiting the development of goblet cells, resulting in decreased mucins and tight junction mRNA expression.
Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of dietary corn resistant starch (RS) on the intestinal morphology and barrier functions of broilers. Methods: A total of 320 one-day-old broilers were randomly allocated to normal corn-soybean (NC) diet group, cornstarch (CS) diet group, 4%, 8% and 12% resistant starch (RS) diet groups. Each group had eight replicates with eight broilers per replicate. After 21 days feeding, one bird with a body weight (BW) close to the average BW of their replicate was selected and slaughtered. The samples of duodenum, jejunum, ileum, caecum digesta and blood were collected. Results: We found that birds fed RS diets showed lower feed intake, BW gain, jejunal and ileal villus height (VH), duodenal and ileal crypt depth (CD), duodenal VH/CD ratio, duodenal GCD as well as mucin1 mRNA expressions compared to the NC group, but showed higher feed/gain (F/G) ratio, concentrations of caecal acetic acid and butyric acid, percentage of jejunal proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA)-positive cells and Notch1, Dll4 and Hes1 mRNA expressions. However, there were no differences on the plasma DAO activity and D-lactic acid concentration among all groups. Conclusion: These findings suggested that RS can suppress intestinal morphology and barrier functions by activating Notch pathway and inhibiting the development of goblet cells, resulting in decreased mucins and tight junction mRNA expression.