Protective Effect of Lipoic Acid on Oxidative Stress and Tissue Damage Induced by Aflatoxin B₁ in Young Laying Hens

The aim of this study is to investigate the alleviating effect of lipoic acid on oxidative stress and tissue damage induced by aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁) in young laying hens. The experiment was divided into a control group, an AFB₁ group, and three lipoic acid treatment groups. The AFB₁ group and three lipoic acid treatment groups were given diets supplemented with 90 μg/kg of AFB₁. The additional amounts of lipoic acid were 20, 100, and 500 mg/kg, respectively, with a feeding period of 4 weeks. The experimental results showed that AFB₁ significantly increased the levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in the serum and significantly decreased the levels of total protein (TP), albumin (ALB), total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and catalase (CAT) (p < 0.05). In addition, AFB₁ damaged the structure of the liver, spleen, and ovarian tissues. Lipoic acid reduced the levels of ALT, AST, ALP, and MDA in the serum and increased the levels of TP, ALB, T-SOD, GSH-Px, and CAT (p < 0.05). Meanwhile, lipoic acid also protected mitochondrial structure and alleviated liver, spleen, and ovarian tissue damage caused by AFB₁. In summary, lipoic acid can alleviate oxidative stress and tissue damage caused by AFB₁ in young laying hens.