Research Note: Intestinal morphology and gene expression changes in broilers supplemented with lysolecithin.

Area of Science:

• Animal Science
• Poultry Nutrition
• Gastrointestinal Physiology

Background:

• Lysolecithin enhances fat digestion and absorption in broiler chickens.
• Dietary fat source impacts broiler responses to lysolecithin.
• Understanding lysolecithin's effects on soybean oil-based diets is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of lysolecithin on jejunum morphology in broiler chickens fed a soybean oil-based diet.
• To analyze the effect of lysolecithin on gene expression in the jejunum of broiler chickens.

Main Methods:

• Male Cobb 500 chickens were fed a control diet or a diet supplemented with lysolecithin from hatch to day 28.
• Jejunal samples were collected on day 10 for morphological and gene expression analysis.
• Differential gene expression was analyzed using a custom microarray and t-test.

Main Results:

• Lysolecithin supplementation did not significantly affect body weight, villus height, crypt depth, or the villus height/crypt depth ratio.
• 36 genes were found to be upregulated in the lysolecithin-supplemented group compared to the control group.
• Carbonic anhydrase VII and interleukin 8-like 2 were among the most upregulated genes, associated with intestinal health.

Conclusions:

• Lysolecithin supplementation in broiler diets with soybean oil does not induce morphological changes in the jejunum.
• Lysolecithin upregulates specific genes in the jejunum, suggesting a potential positive influence on gut function.
• Further research is warranted to explore the functional implications of these gene expression changes.