Supplementation of Angelica sinensis improves the growth performance, hepatic antioxidant function, and composition of intestinal microbiota in Tan sheep

Angelica sinensis, a traditional Chinese medicinal herb and a potential natural feed ingredient, contains a variety of bioactive components. This study employed multi-omics technologies to investigate the mechanism by which Angelica sinensis improves the hepatic antioxidant function of Tan sheep through a multi-organ interaction network. Three-month-old Tan sheep were randomly divided into a control group and a 0.2% Angelica sinensis supplementation group for a feeding trial. The results were as follows: 1) Dietary supplementation with Angelica sinensis significantly increased the average daily feed intake of Tan sheep (P < 0.01); 2) Angelica sinensis significantly enhanced the activities of hepatic Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and Glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), elevated Total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), and concurrently reduced malondialdehyde (MDA) content (P < 0.05); 3) Transcriptomic analysis identified 892 differentially expressed genes, which were significantly enriched in pathways such as cytochrome P450 metabolism. Furthermore, Angelica sinensis upregulated the expression of hepatic antioxidant genes, including GPx7; 4) Integrated analysis revealed a synergistic regulatory network involving the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) signaling pathway, bile acid biosynthesis, and drug metabolism pathways; 5) Gut microbiota analysis showed that Angelica sinensis significantly increased the abundance of beneficial bacteria such as Christensenellaceae_R-7_group, Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group, and Clostridium (P < 0.05); 6) Correlation analysis confirmed significant positive correlations between these beneficial bacterial groups and hepatic antioxidant indicators. This study systematically elucidates the mechanism by which Angelica sinensis enhances hepatic antioxidant function through multi-targeted regulation of the "gut microbiota-hepatic gene expression-metabolite" network. As a core immune organ, the improvement in hepatic antioxidant capacity can further synergistically enhance the overall immune function of Tan sheep, providing a scientific basis for the application of Angelica sinensis as a natural feed ingredient.