Ginger oil strengthens the efficacy of Sini Decoction in relieving acute cold stress-caused intestinal damage in broilers

Cold stress has emerged as a major threat to the global poultry industry, and it has been reported to exert adverse effects on the intestinal system of broilers. In this study, Sini Decoction (SND) and Sini Decoction enriched ginger oil (SNDO) were prepared and characterized. Then, its effect on gut health in acute cold stressed broilers was investigated. Overall, the LC-MS/MS profiles showed that a total of 60 compounds were detected in SND and SNDO. Among these findings, the content determination by HPLC revealed that the contents of 6-gingerol and 8-gingerol in SNDO were 3.24 times and 2.6 times higher than those in SND, respectively. Based on the results of animal experiment, SND and SNDO significantly increased digestive enzyme activities (P < 0.05), along with intestinal villi integrity/elongation, reduced crypt depth, and upregulated mRNA expression of intestinal tight junction proteins (P < 0.05) on days 24 and 29. Notably, SND and SNDO not only enhanced diversity of gut microbiota, enhanced the abundances of beneficial bacteria and reduced the abundances of harmful bacteria, but also increased the contents of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), including acetic acid, propionic acid, isobutyric acid, 2-methylbutyrate, and valeric acid. Additionally, the enhanced effects of SNDO treatment were more significant in regulating intestinal apparent indices, gut microbiota and SCFAs contents. Collectively, SND and SNDO alleviated cold stress-induced intestinal injury, with SNDO exhibiting enhanced efficacy.