Effects of Akkermansia muciniphila on growth, antioxidant status and jejunal transcriptome in LPS-stressed yellow-feathered broilers

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of Akkermansia muciniphila (AKK) on growth performance, serum antioxidant parameters and jejunal transcriptome in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stressed yellow-feathered broilers. A total of 80 male yellow-feathered broilers were randomly divided into four treatment groups: control group (Control); intraperitoneal injection of 0.5 mg LPS /kg BW (LPS); oral gavage of 1 mL (10⁸ CFU/mL) AKK (AKK); and oral gavage of 1 mL (10⁸ CFU/mL) AKK plus intraperitoneal injection 0.5 mg LPS /kg BW (AKKLPS). The study lasted for 21 days. The results showed that final body weight, average daily gain and feed intake were significantly lower in the LPS group than the other three groups (P<0.05). The weight and index of bursa of Fabricius of AKK group were significantly higher than the other three groups. The activity of total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) was significantly lower in the AKKLPS group than in the LPS groups. Regarding gut morphology, jejunal villus height and crypt depth were not different within all groups, whereas the villus height to crypt depth ratio was significantly higher in the Control group. GO analysis showed that LPS upregulated functions related to cellular stress, while AKK upregulated functions associated with response to ketone. Compared to the LPS group, the AKKLPS group showed significant upregulated functions associated with oxidative stress defense and peroxisomal response. KEGG pathway analysis revealed that AKK group showed upregulated pathways related to immune signaling, intestinal mucosal immunity, and lipid metabolism in comparison with the control group. The AKKLPS group showed enhanced activation of pathways involved in innate immune recognition and intercellular communication compared to those challenged with LPS alone. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that Akkermansia muciniphila can ameliorate the adverse effects of LPS stress in broilers, and this protective effect is likely mediated by its comprehensive regulation of the jejunal transcriptome, enhancing key immune and cellular defense pathways.