<i>Moringa oleifera</i> Leaves Powder Mitigates Imidacloprid-Induced Neurobehavioral Disorders and Neurotoxic Reactions in Broiler Chickens by Regulating the Caspase-3/Hsp70/PGC-1α Pathway

This study investigated the potential neuroprotective role of <i>Moringa oleifera</i> leaf powder (MOLP) dietary supplementation on imidacloprid (IMD)-induced neurobehavioral disturbances, oxidative stress, and apoptosis in broiler chicken brains. In a 6 week trial, 150 day-old commercial meat-type Ross 308 broiler chicks were randomly divided into five equal groups of 30 chicks each. The control and MOLP groups were fed a basal diet and a basal containing diet 25 g MOLP/kg, respectively, for 6 weeks. The IMD group was fed a basal diet for 2 weeks, followed by a basal diet containing 50 mg IMD/kg for 4 weeks. The IMD + MOLP combined group was fed a basal diet for 2 weeks, followed by a basal diet containing both IMD and MOLP for 4 weeks. The MOLP/IMD + MOLP prophylactic group was fed a MOLP-fortified diet for 2 weeks, followed by a basal diet containing both IMD and MOP for 4 weeks. MOLP supplementation effectively reversed IMD-induced reductions in feeding behavior and locomotor activity while decreasing crouching behavior and fearfulness. Dietary MOLP significantly restored the IMD-induced depletion of brain antioxidants while lessening lipid peroxidation, pathological alterations, and Caspase-3 immunoexpression. Yet, the brain AChE content did not change significantly among the experimental groups. However, dietary MOLP significantly reversed IMD-induced apoptotic-related genes (P21 and Caspase-3) upregulation and neuronal development-related genes (BDNF, GLP-1, PGC-1α, and PPARA) downregulation. Notably, the MOLP/IMD + MOLP prophylactic group showed more enhanced neuroprotection than the IMD + MOLP combined group. In conclusion, our study highlighted the IMD neurotoxic effects in broiler chickens and showed, for the first time, the neuroprotective potential of MOLP as a dietary supplement against IMD exposure.