Protective effects of ferulic acid on embryonic development by improving antioxidant function in broilers embryo of thermal manipulation

This study aimed to elucidate the effects of broiler embryos soaked in ferulic acid (FA) solution on alleviating the negative impact of thermal manipulation (TM) on chicken embryo development and to provide a theoretical and experimental basis for applying TM and FA in the poultry feeding industry. A total of 120 broiler fertilized eggs were randomly divided into three groups: control group, TM group, and comprehensive group (TM + FA), with 40 eggs in each group. The TM group and the comprehensive group from the 7th embryonic age to the 16th embryonic age received TM for ten days, treated with a temperature of 39.5°C and relative humidity of 65% for 18 hours a day. In the comprehensive group, broiler embryos were immersed in FA solution at a concentration of 80 mg/L for 6 minutes at 16:00 every day from the 6th to the 8th embryo age. They were incubated continuously after being soaked until the chicks hatched. The results showed that the rates of dead embryos and weak chicks in the TM group were significantly higher than those in the control group and comprehensive group. Chick body temperatures of the TM group and comprehensive group were significantly lower than those of the control group. The heart weights of the TM group and comprehensive group were significantly lower than those of the control group, and the leg weights of the TM group were significantly decreased compared with those of the control group and comprehensive group. The SOD activity of serum in the comprehensive group was significantly higher than that in the control group and TM group, while the CAT activity of serum in the comprehensive group and control group was significantly higher than that in the TM group; however, there was no difference between the comprehensive group and control group. The activities of SOD and CAT in the liver were significantly higher than those of the TM group; however, the MDA content of the liver in the comprehensive group and control group was significantly lower than that of the TM group. The gene expression of Nrf2 and SOD in the comprehensive group and TM group was significantly higher than that in the control group; however, there was no significant difference between the comprehensive group and TM group. Soaking broiler embryonic eggs in an FA solution can improve the antioxidant capacity of the liver by upregulating Nrf2-Keap1 signal pathway-related gene expression. FA can effectively alleviate the side effects of TM on chicken embryos and does not impact the effects of TM.本研究旨在阐明阿魏酸(ferulic acid，FA)溶液浸泡处理对缓解热操控(thermal manipulation，TM)影响肉鸡胚胎发育负面效应的作用，并为热操控与阿魏酸在家禽养殖业中的应用提供理论与实验依据。试验共选取120枚肉鸡受精蛋，随机分为3组：对照组、热操控组及综合处理组（TM+FA），每组40枚。热操控组与综合处理组于胚龄7日至16日进行为期10天的热操控处理，每日以39.5℃、相对湿度65%的条件处理18小时。综合处理组于胚龄6日至8日每日16:00将肉鸡胚胎浸入浓度为80mg/L的FA溶液中浸泡6分钟，浸泡后继续孵化直至雏鸡出壳。 试验结果显示：热操控组的死胚率与弱雏率显著高于对照组与综合处理组；热操控组与综合处理组的雏鸡体温显著低于对照组。热操控组与综合处理组的心脏重量显著低于对照组，且热操控组的腿肌重量较对照组与综合处理组显著降低。综合处理组血清中超氧化物歧化酶(superoxide dismutase，SOD)活性显著高于对照组与热操控组，而综合处理组与对照组的血清过氧化氢酶(catalase，CAT)活性显著高于热操控组，两组间无显著差异。综合处理组与对照组肝脏中的SOD、CAT活性显著高于热操控组，且综合处理组与对照组的肝脏丙二醛(malondialdehyde，MDA)含量显著低于热操控组。综合处理组与热操控组的核因子E2相关因子2(nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2，Nrf2)及SOD基因表达量显著高于对照组，但两组间无显著差异。将肉鸡胚胎浸入FA溶液可通过上调Nrf2-Keap1信号通路相关基因表达，提升肝脏抗氧化能力。阿魏酸可有效缓解热操控对肉鸡胚胎的副作用，且不影响热操控的作用效果。