Supplemental magnolol improves the antioxidant capacity and intestinal health of broiler chickens. (7th December 2021) - Du, Encun
Abstract: Magnolol is a multifunctional polyphenol rich in Magnolia officinalis . The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of magnolol on growth performance, carcass traits, antioxidant capacity, and gut health of broiler chickens. A total of 240 1‐day‐old broilers were randomly allocated into five dietary treatments: control (Ctrl); control diet supplemented with 100, 200, or 300 mg/kg of magnolol (M100, M200, and M300); and control diet supplemented with 200 mg/kg of bacitracin zinc (PC). The results showed that magnolol linearly decreased the feed conversion ratio between d 0 and d 14, linearly decreased the amount of malondialdehyde and increased the activity of total superoxide dismutase (T‐SOD) in both serum and ileal mucosa on d 42 with increasing magnolol levels ( p < 0.05). Moreover, the ileal villus height, the ileal villus height to crypt depth ratio, and the jejunal gene expressions of SOD1, glutathione peroxidase, and Claudin1 were linearly up‐regulated with increasing magnolol levels ( p < 0.05). The supplementation of magnolol had no effect on carcass traits or cecal short chain fatty acids ( p > 0.05). The results indicated that magnolol could be applied in the diet of broiler chickens to benefit their antioxidant capacity and intestinal health.