Citric Acid and Magnolol Ameliorate Clostridium perfringens Challenge in Broiler Chickens

Abstract

Clostridium perfringens (C. perfringens) is a common pathogenic bacterium implicated in the enteric diseases of animals. Each year, the disease is responsible for billions of dollars of losses worldwide. The development of new phytomedicines as alternatives to antibiotics is becoming a new hotspot for treating such diseases. Citric acid (CA) and magnolol (MA) have been shown to have antibacterial, antioxidant, and growth-promoting properties. Here, the bacteriostatic effects of combinations of CA and MA against C. perfringens were investigated, together with their effects on yellow-hair chickens challenged with C. perfringens. It was found that the optimal CA:MA ratio was 50:3, with a dose of 265 μg/mL significantly inhibiting C. perfringens growth, and 530 μg/mL causing significant damage to the bacterial cell morphology. In animal experiments, C. perfringens challenge reduced the growth, damaged the intestinal structure, activated inflammatory signaling, impaired antioxidant capacity, and perturbed the intestinal flora. These effects were alleviated by combined CA–MA treatment. The CA–MA combination was found to inhibit the TLR/Myd88/NF-κB and Nrf-2/HO-1 signaling pathways. In conclusion, the results suggest the potential of combined CA–MA treatment in alleviating C. perfringens challenge by inhibiting the growth of C. perfringens and affecting the TLR/MyD88/NF-κB and Nrf-2/HO-1 signaling pathways.

Magnolol Supplementation Alters Serum Parameters, Immune Homeostasis, Amino Acid Profiles, and Gene Expression of Amino Acid Transporters in Growing Pigs

“…An increase in serum immunoglobulin levels is a clear indication of the enhanced innate immunity of animals, with IgG and IgM being the primary immunoglobulins that protect against pathogen invasion into the bloodstream and promote disease resistance [ 40 ]. Our findings corroborated studies conducted by Ding et al [ 41 ] in broiler chickens and Huang et al [ 42 ] in Nile tilapia ( Oreochromis niloticus ), demonstrating that dietary supplementation with magnolol significantly increases serum levels of IgG and IgM. Previous studies have also demonstrated that IgM production is dependent on ALB as its primary substrate [ 43 ], and an increase in both ALB and TP levels has been associated with enhanced innate immunity [ 44 , 45 ].…”

Extract of Scutellaria baicalensis and Lonicerae flos improves growth performance, antioxidant capacity, and intestinal barrier of yellow-feather broiler chickens against Clostridium perfringens

“…Furthermore, certain bioactive substances can indicate the degree of intestinal damage. Serum DAO, endotoxin ( LPS ), and D-LA are prevalently present at low levels in the blood and may enter the circulation only when the intestinal mucosa is damaged; therefore, they can be used as a sensitive indicator of injury in the intestinal stress response ( Ding et al, 2023 ). There was a significant increase in the serum levels of D-LA and DAO at 21 d after Eimeria coccidia infection, which is consistent with the findings from Liu et al (2022) .…”

Citric Acid Promotes Immune Function by Modulating the Intestinal Barrier

“…The results of the study indicate that CA increased the expression of IFN-β and ISG15 in IEC-6 infected with H9N2 and hindered the replication of the influenza virus infection. It has been demonstrated that CA has the capability to improve antioxidant capacity by enhancing the Nrf-2/HO1 pathway [51]. Additionally, 5-Aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) and sodium ferrous citrate (5-ALA/SFC) induce HO-1 to reduce the cytokine storm induced by SARS-CoV-2 infection to a certain extent [52].…”