Effects of the Vitamin D3 on Alleviating the Oxidative Stress Induced by Diquat in Wenchang Chickens

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Our study showed that a Vitamin D(3) (VD(3)) addition in Wenchang chickens’ diet could improve the adverse effects of diquat (DQ) on the performance and oxidation status of broilers, recover the secretion of inflammatory-related factors, and the content of serum biochemical indicators associated with intestine, liver, and kidney injury, and increase antioxidant enzyme activity. In addition, the liver and intestinal morphology were protected after supplementing VD(3). This is a research basis for the application of VD(3) as a feed additive in poultry against oxidative stress. ABSTRACT: Vitamin D(3) (VD(3)) is an indispensable micronutrient in livestock and poultry feed. Its function in antioxidant stress has been reported. We investigate whether the addition of different concentrations of VD(3) to the diet affects the production performance, slaughter performance, meat quality, organ index, and gut injury on the diquat (DQ)-induced model of oxidative stress in Wenchang chickens. Four hundred and eighty one-day-old chickens were randomly divided into six groups: control (basal diet), 4000 VD (basal diet + VD(3) 4000 IU per kg feed intake), 1000 VD+DI (DQ, basal diet + VD(3) 1000 IU per kg feed intake), 2000 VD+DI (DQ, basal diet + VD(3) 2000 IU per kg feed intake), and 4000 VD+DI (DQ, basal diet + VD(3) 4000 IU per kg feed intake). The results showed that the addition of VD(3) to the diet promoted DQ-induced weight loss and reduced ADFI, slaughter rate, splenic index, and pH after 1 h and 24 h in the leg muscles. VD(3) decreased the increase in content of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) among proinflammatory cytokines (p < 0.05) and increased the reduction in anti-inflammatory cytokines content of interleukin-10 (IL-10) (p < 0.05) induced by DQ. In addition, liver and kidney injury biomarkers and the intestinal permeability index in serum were disordered after treatment with DQ (p < 0.05). VD(3) perfected the increase of D-lactic acid (D-LA), diamine oxidase (DAO), total cholesterol (T-CHO), creatinine (CR), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) content, aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity (p < 0.05); it increased the decrease of albumin (ALB) content (p < 0.05). Meanwhile, VD(3) regulated the intestinal morphology and intestinal barrier. Moreover, DQ induced a decrease in total antioxidant capacity and antioxidant enzyme activity in the serum, liver, and jejunum (p < 0.05), and an increase in malonaldehyde (MDA) content (p < 0.05). However, the addition of different levels of VD(3) could alleviate the above phenomenon of oxidative stress in Wenchang chickens to different degrees. Thus, this research suggested that the addition of VD(3) can relieve the DQ-induced oxidative stress of Wenchang chickens, and the level of VD(3) acquisition is positively correlated with the remission effect.