Insight into the mechanism of Galega orientalis Lam. flavonoid extract in improving broiler meat antioxidative status and altering gut microbiota through network pharmacology

This study aimed to explore the effects of Galega orientalis Lam. Flavonoids Extract (GOLFE) on broiler's meat and the gut microbiota while predicting the plant's mechanism of action through network pharmacology analysis. GOLFE was first analyzed using UHPLC-Q Exactive HRMS to identify the bioactive compounds responsible for its potential effects. Subsequently, a total of three hundred and sixty, one-day-old Cobb broiler chicks, divided into four groups, including a negative control CON fed a basal diet, two treatment groups with 200 mg and 400 mg GOLFE, and a positive control CT with 100 mg Chlortetracycline, were used for a 42-day trial. The results revealed that GOLFE increased the breast meat weight, redness (a*), catalase level, and superoxide dismutase activity, while reducing the malondialdehyde content (P < 0.05). The extract also altered the gut microbiota content by reducing the level of Clostridia UCG-014 and increasing the presence of butyrate-producing bacteria, notably Butyricicoccus and Flavonifractor, in the gut microbiota (P < 0.05). Furthermore, through a network pharmacology analysis, the identified bioactive components, namely, Quercetin 3-O-rutinoside-(1-2)-O-rhamnoside, Clitorin, Rutin, Isoquercitrin, Kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside, Narcissin, and Quercitrin, helped predict that GOLFE could enhance the meat antioxidant capacity by modulating broiler's gut microbiota, possibly through the MAPK signaling pathway. These findings potentially position GOLFE as a sustainable additive for broiler feed.