Protective Effects of α‐Linolenic Acid on Liver Inflammation and Oxidative Stress Induced by Lipopolysaccharide in Broilers

This study evaluated the protective effects of dietary α-linolenic acid (ALA) on liver inflammation and oxidative stress induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in broilers. A total of 256 AA broilers were randomly allocated to 4 groups (Con, LPS, LPS + ALA400, and LPS + ALA600) with 8 replicates. On d 20, the Con group broilers were intraperitoneally injected with sterile saline, and the other groups were injected with LPS (0.5 mg/kg of body weight). The trial lasted for 21 days. Results indicated that there were no significant differences in growth performance across the groups. ALA supplementation at 600 mg/kg significantly improved the levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, serum and liver catalase, total antioxidant capacity, and superoxide dismutase while decreasing the levels of aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase and malondialdehyde as compared with the LPS group broilers. Moreover, dietary supplementation with 600 mg/kg ALA markedly attenuated LPS-induced inflammation and oxidative stress by downregulating the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, TNF-α, and IFN-γ) and the TLR4/NF-κB pathway, while upregulating the expression of antioxidant enzymes (CAT, GSH-Px, SOD1) and the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway. In conclusion, ALA supplementation mitigates LPS-induced liver inflammation and oxidative stress in broilers by enhancing liver antioxidant capacity and modulating TLR4/NF-κB and Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathways.