Effect of dietary supplementation with lycopene on immune organ indices and immunological parameters of broilers fed a diet contaminated with AFB 1

Abstract Background: The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of dietary lycopene (LYC) supplementation on immune organ indices, and immunological parameters of broilers fed a diet contaminated with aflatoxinB1 (AFB1). A total of 144 one-day-old Arbor Acres (AA) male broilers were purchased from a commercial hatchery (Nantong, Jiangsu Province, P.R. China). The broiler chicks were randomly allocated into 3 treatment groups with 6 replicates (cages) for each treatment and 8 broilers in each replicate. The three dietary treatments were as follows: (1) a basal diet (control); (2) a 100 µg/kg AFB1 contaminated diet; and (3) a diet supplemented with 200 mg/kg LYC and 100 µg/kg AFB1 (AFB1+LYC). Results: The carcass characteristic results showed that the live body weight (BWT) was reduced (P < 0.05) in the AFB1-contaminated group compared to the control group. The supplementation of LYC significantly increased (P < 0.05) the BWT and the breast yield in comparison to the AFB1-contaminated group. On the other hand, the thymus weight was significantly decreased (P < 0.05) in the AFB1-contaminated group compared to the control group. Our results also demonstrated that 100 µg/kg AFB1 in the broiler diet could reduce the concentration of IgA (immunoglobulin A), CD3 and CD8 in the intestinal mucosa compared to those in the control group. The addition of dietary LYC increased the levels of IgA and CD3, and CD8 T-cell subsets in the broiler small intestine, implying that the immune function of the intestinal mucosa might be improved. Conclusion: In conclusion, a broiler diet supplemented with LYC can alleviate live weight, immune organ weight, and increase immunological parameters by improving intestinal damage.