Gypenoside improves the cecal development and redox status by regulating the microbial community in heat-stressed...

Heat stress (HS) has emerged as a major element influencing the intestinal development of chickens as a result of the intensifying effects of global warming. Gypenoside (GP) has multiple mitigating effects on alleviating stress in animals. This study aimed to investigate the effects of GP on cecal index, cecal specific gravity, cecal antioxidant function, and cecal intestinal flora of broilers under HS. Five treatment groups were randomly allocated to two hundred Arbor Acres broilers that were 28 days old. The control group (CON) was fed standard feed and raised under normal environmental conditions. The HS, HSLGP, HSMGP, and HSHGP groups were reared under HS conditions, with basal diets supplemented with 0, 200, 300, and 450 mg/kg GP, respectively. Studies have indicated that HS significantly reduces the cecal index, specific gravity, total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) levels in broilers, and increases malondialdehyde (MDA) levels. GP significantly increased the cecal index, specific gravity, T-AOC, T-SOD, and GSH-PX levels, and significantly decreased the content of MDA. The Faith 'PD, Goods coverage, Pileou's evenness, and Shannon index of the HS group decreased, whereas the GP increased those indices. HS significantly reduced the abundance of Ligulactobacillus, Blautia, and Lactobacillus, but increased the abundance of Phascolarctobacterium. The HSMGP and HSHGP groups increased abundances of Lactilactobacillus, Mediterraneibacter, Blautia, and Lactobacillus, and decreased abundances of Desulfovibrio and Phascolarctobacterium. In conclusion, GP can inhibit oxidative stress by regulating the diversity of the intestinal flora, to reduce the damage of HS on the cecum of broilers.