Effect of prebiotics administered during embryo development on mitochondria in intestinal and immune tissues of adult broiler chickens

The aim of the study is to determine the relative number of mtDNA copies and to analyze the mitochondrial expression of genes related to respiratory chain proteins and energy metabolism in the intestinal mucosa and cecal tonsils of broiler chickens injected on the d 12 of egg incubation with various prebiotics. The groups were injected with: 1) control group mock-injected with 0.2 mmol/L physiological saline (0.9%), 2) prebiotic 1—xylotriose (XOS3) 0.5 mg, 3) prebiotic 2—xylotetraose (XOS4) 0.5 mg, 4) prebiotic 3—mannotriose (MOS3) 0.5 mg, 5) prebiotic 4—mannotetraose (MOS4) 0.5 mg. Gene expression analysis of the cecal tonsils and cecal mucosa was performed for the gene panel selected based on literature data and gene functions related to mitochondria: CS, EPX (MPO), CYCS, TFAM, NRF1, ND2, MnSOD (SOD2). Relative mitochondrial DNA copy number analysis in cecal tonsils and cecal mucosa was performed based on the analyzed genes D-loop, ATP6, ND6, GCG.