Fucoidan alleviates spleen damage in heat-stressed broilers by suppressing oxidative stress, ferroptosis and inflammation

reduced the protein expression of total P65 and p-P65, and enhanced the protein expression of total Nrf2 and p-Nrf2 in the spleen of heat-stressed broilers. The findings demonstrated that dietary supplementation of 800 mg/kg FUC alleviates HS-induced spleen damage in broilers by reducing the oxidative stress, ferroptosis and inflammation, and the protective role of FUC is related to the activation of Nrf2 signaling and the suppression of NF-κB signaling. This study offers theoretical support for applying FUC in improving the spleen health of broilers under HS conditions.