The Synergistic Effects of the Combination of L-Carnitine and Lycopene on the Lycopene Bioavailability and Duodenal Health of Roosters

SIMPLE SUMMARY: The objective of this study was to examine the effects of lycopene and L-carnitine in combination in the duodenum of roosters. The duodenum is important for Lycopene absorption, and the study found that the combination of Lycopene and L-Carnitine increased Lycopene absorption, resulting in higher levels of Lycopene in the serum. The combination also had positive effects on serum biochemistry, the expression of nutritional transport genes, and tight junction genes. These findings could provide useful insights for future research on the topic. ABSTRACT: The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of Lycopene and L-Carnitine, individually or in combination, on various physiological and molecular factors related to intestinal health and absorption ability in Roosters, such as intestinal morphology, serum biochemical parameters, genes involved in Lycopene uptake, nutritional transport genes, and tight junction genes. The findings of the study revealed that the combination of L-Carnitine and Lycopene supplementation had been found to increase the serum concentration levels of TP and ALB. Interestingly, the relative mRNA expression of genes responsible for Lycopene uptakes, such as SR-BI and BCO2, was higher in the LC group compared to other groups. Additionally, the expression of specific nutritional transport genes in the duodenum was significantly affected by both CAR and LC supplementation groups. The tight junction gene OCLN showed a significant increase in expression in the combination group compared to using either Lycopene or L-Carnitine alone. This study concludes that using Lycopene and L-carnitine in combination in poultry feed can potentially improve intestinal morphology and serum biochemical parameters, increase Lycopene bioavailability, improve nutrients uptake, and enhance the integrity of duodenal tight junctions in Roosters.