Chitosan oligosaccharides alleviate acute heat stress-induced oxidative damage by activating ERK1/2-mediated HO-1 and GSH-Px gene expression in breast muscle of broilers

Qingqing Chang; Haoan Cai; Linlin Wei; Ruixia Lan

doi:10.1016/j.psj.2021.101515

Chitosan oligosaccharides alleviate acute heat stress-induced oxidative damage by activating ERK1/2-mediated HO-1 and GSH-Px gene expression in breast muscle of broilers

Poult Sci. 2022 Jan;101(1):101515. doi: 10.1016/j.psj.2021.101515. Epub 2021 Oct 7.

Authors

Qingqing Chang¹, Haoan Cai¹, Linlin Wei¹, Ruixia Lan²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Animal Science, College of Coastal Agriculture Sciences, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, Guangdong 524-088, P.R. China.
² Department of Animal Science, College of Coastal Agriculture Sciences, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, Guangdong 524-088, P.R. China. Electronic address: Lanrx@gdou.edu.cn.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of chitosan oligosaccharides (COS) on acute heat stress (AHS) induced poor meat quality by alleviating oxidative damage through mitogen-activated protein kinase-nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2-antioxidant responsive element (MAPK-Nrf2-ARE) signaling pathway. A total of 108 thirty-five-day-old Chinese indigenous broilers (Luhua chicken) was used for this 42-d experiment. The broilers were randomly allocated to 3 treatments: control group (CON), AHS group, and AHS with 400 mg/kg COS supplementation (AHS-C) group. Both CON and AHS groups given the basal diet, and the AHS-C group given the basal diet with 400 mg/kg COS supplementation. On d 42, broilers in the AHS and AHS-C groups treated with AHS (increasing temperature from 24 to 34°C in 2-h and held for another 2-h), and the CON group under normal temperature (24°C). AHS exposure elevated (P < 0.05) body temperature (rectal, comb, eyelids, and feet) of broilers, increased (P < 0.05) breast muscle lightness (L*), drip loss, share force, hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) scavenging activity, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, malondialdehyde (MDA) content, and catalase (CAT) activity, however, decreased (P < 0.05) pH_45min, pH_24h, redness (a*), and relative expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1). Compared to the AHS group, dietary COS supplementation increased (P < 0.05) breast muscle pH_45min, pH_24h, and a*, H₂O₂ scavenging activity, as well as relative expression of HO-1 and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), however, decreased (P < 0.05) drip loss, share force, superoxide anion free radicals (O₂^•-) scavenging activity, ROS production, and MDA content. It was concluded that AHS impaired meat quality, which may be related to oxidative damage, as evidenced by increasing ROS production, MDA content, and decreasing the relative expression of HO-1. Dietary COS supplementation could effectively elevate the meat quality of broilers exposed to AHS via decreasing ROS production, activating the Nrf2 pathway, and Nrf2-mediated HO-1 and GSH-Px gene expression.

Keywords: MAPK-Nrf2-ARE signaling pathway; acute heat stress; antioxidant status; chitosan oligosaccharides; meat quality.

Publication types

Randomized Controlled Trial, Veterinary

MeSH terms

Animals
Chickens
Chitosan* / pharmacology
Gene Expression
Glutathione Peroxidase
Heat-Shock Response*
Heme Oxygenase-1* / genetics
Hydrogen Peroxide
MAP Kinase Signaling System
Muscles
Oligosaccharides / pharmacology
Oxidative Stress*

Substances

Oligosaccharides
Chitosan
Hydrogen Peroxide
Glutathione Peroxidase
Heme Oxygenase-1