A study on the effects of Dendrobium nobile polysaccharides on alleviating vomiting toxin-induced oxidative stress in chicken granulosa cells

Granulosa cells (GCs) in chicken follicles play a crucial role in promoting follicular development, maturation, and ovulation by secreting steroid hormones and growth factors that are essential for follicular growth. However, these cells are highly sensitive to oxidative stress and vulnerable to reactive oxygen species (ROS), which can trigger apoptosis and follicular atresia. This ultimately leads to a significant decline in reproductive performance. Dendrobium nobile polysaccharide (DNP), a primary active component of Dendrobium nobile, has been shown in in vivo experiments to enhance the antioxidant capacity of aging laying hens. To investigate DNP's potential to alleviate oxidative stress in granulosa cells under oxidative stress, an in vitro model was established using deoxynivalenol (DON) to induce oxidative stress in chicken GCs. The stressed model was then treated with DNP, and the relevant antioxidant indicators were observed using the following experimental methods. Experimental approaches included the primary isolation and culture of GCs, immunofluorescence identification, a CCK-8 assay, RT-qPCR, antioxidant index detection, and transcriptome sequencing, as well as CYP1A1 overexpression and knockdown. The results demonstrated that DNP increases the activity of antioxidant enzymes (p < 0.05) and the expression of antioxidant-related genes expression in chicken GCs (p < 0.05), reduces ROS levels (p < 0.05), and modulates the expression of genes involved in reproduction, apoptosis, and autophagy (p < 0.05). Furthermore, DNP ameliorated the oxidative damage induced by DON in chicken ovarian granulosa cells (p < 0.05). CYP1A1 was identified as a key differentially expressed gene: knockdown inhibited its protective effect against oxidative stress (p < 0.05), while overexpression promoted it (p < 0.05). These findings reveal DNP's regulatory role in mitigating oxidative stress in chicken granulosa cells and provide scientific support for its potential application of DNP as a feed additive in poultry production.