Luteolin Enhances Intestinal Homeostasis and Restores Growth Performance in Broilers

Deoxynivalenol (DON)-induced inflammation, oxidative stress, and intestinal dysbiosis pose significant economic challenges to the poultry industry by impairing broiler health and productivity.Luteolin (LUT) and activated charcoal (AC) have been investigated for their potential to alleviate DON-induced intestinal injury and inflammation.A total of 800 one-day-old Arbor Acres broilers were randomly divided into five dietary treatments, with eight replicates of 20 birds each: a basal diet (BD) (control), BD supplemented with 10 mg/kg DON (DON), DON+350 mg/kg LUT (DON_LUT), DON+200 mg/kg AC (DON_AC), and DON+350 mg/kg LUT combined with 200 mg/kg AC (DON_LUT_AC) for 42 days.Growth performance was evaluated throughout the experiment.Serum lipopolysaccharide (LPS), reactive oxygen species (ROS) malondialdehyde (MDA), antioxidant enzyme activities, and inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, TNF-α, IFN-γ, and IL-6) were determined using ELISA.Cecal microbiota composition was characterized to assess DON-induced microbial alterations and the effects of dietary interventions.DON significantly impaired growth performance (P<0.05)whereas LUT markedly alleviated these adverse effects.In contrast with the DON group, both LUT and AC substantially reduced LPS, ROS, and MDA concentrations, enhanced antioxidant enzyme activities, and suppressed the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, TNFα, IFN-γ, and IL-6) (P<0.05).Cecal microbiota analysis demonstrated that LUT supplementation increased the proportion of non-pathogenic bacteria, including Lactobacillus and Ruminococcus, whereas DON-and AC-fed birds exhibited higher abundances of potentially detrimental genera, including Lachnoclostridium and Alistipes (P<0.05).Overall, LUT was the most effective dietary intervention for mitigating DON-induced inflammation, restoring intestinal homeostasis, improving antioxidant status, and promoting beneficial gut community in broilers.