Dietary Moringa oleifera fruit powder improves antioxidant capacity, intestinal development, and gut microbiota in lion-head geese

<i>Moringa oleifera</i> fruit powder (MOFP) is a natural source of bioactive compounds with various health-promoting properties. However, limited research has investigated its effects on growth performance, intestinal development, and lipid regulation in lion-head geese. In this study, 900 healthy 1-day-old lion-head goslings (male:female = 1:1; initial body weight = 119.21 ± 0.091 g) were randomly assigned to six treatments, each with six replicates of 25 birds. Geese were fed a basal diet (control) and diets supplemented with MOFP at 2%, 4%, 6%, 8%, or 10% for 21 days. The results showed no significant differences in growth performance among all groups (<i>P</i>＞0.05). Levels of serum globulin, aspartate aminotransferase, and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) exhibited significant difference among dietary MOFP usages (<i>P</i> < 0.05). Notably, the 4% MOFP group showed optimal glutathione peroxidase activity (<i>P</i> = 0.009), while total antioxidant capacity increased linearly with MOFP dosage (<i>P</i> < 0.001). Histomorphometric results showed that dietary inclusion of 4% MOFP significantly increased ileal villus length (<i>P</i> = 0.002) and decreased ileal muscle thickness (<i>P</i> < 0.001) compared with the control group. Meanwhile, 4% MOFP significantly elevated melatonin levels in the ileal mucosa (<i>P</i>＜0.001). 16S rRNA sequencing analysis indicated that the 4% MOFP group had significantly higher relative abundances of <i>Rothia</i>, <i>Corynebacterium</i>, and <i>Proteiniclasticum</i> in the ileum at the genus level, compared with the control and 8% MOFP groups (<i>P</i> < 0.05). In conclusion, dietary supplementation with 4% MOFP effectively enhanced antioxidant capacity, promoted intestinal development, and modulated gut microbiota composition, thereby contributing to improved health status in geese. These findings provide a scientific foundation for the potential application of MOFP as a functional feed ingredient in goose production.