Protective effect of dietary supplementation of Bupleurum falcatum L saikosaponins on ammonia exposure–induced ileum injury in broilers

Ammonia (NH(3)) at a high concentration has been recognized as a highly poisonous pollutant affecting both air and water quality. NH(3), as a stimulus, exerts negative impact on broiler growth and production, but the molecular mechanisms are not clear yet. This study was designed to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation of Bupleurum falcatum L saikosaponins (SP) on the growth and ileum health status in broilers exposed to NH(3). Day-old Arbor Acers broilers (n = 480) were randomly allocated into 1 of 4 treatments. The main factors were dietary SP supplementation (0 or 80 mg/kg of diet) and NH(3) challenge (with or without 70 ± 5 ppm NH(3)). The data of growth, intestinal morphology, and mRNA expression related to ileal function were collected from broilers exposed to NH(3) for 7 d. Results showed that NH(3) remarkably suppressed growth performance and intestinal development as well as induced biological injuries in the ileum of broilers, resulting from oxidative stress, mucous barrier damage, and immune dysfunction as well as upregulated apoptosis. These negative effects of NH(3) were alleviated by the SP supplement. In conclusion, dietary supplementation of SP may be helpful in alleviating the detrimental effects of NH(3) on the ileum development in broilers.