Dietary Puerariae Lobatae Radix polysaccharides improve ovarian function and reproductive efficiency in laying hens with fatty liver hemorrhagic syndrome

Fatty liver hemorrhagic syndrome (FLHS) is a common nutritional and metabolic disease in laying hens, leading to a rapid decline in egg production. This study aims to evaluate the antioxidant effects of dietary supplementation with Pueraria Lobatae Radix polysaccharide (PLRP) on laying hens with FLHS induced by a high-energy low-protein (HELP) diet. A total of 72 thirty-seven-wk-old Hy-Line Brown laying hens were divided into 4 groups: basal diet (CON), HELP diet (HELP), HELP + 100 mg/kg PLRP (HELP-Low), and HELP + 300 mg/kg PLRP (HELP-High), with 6 replicates of 3 hens each. After 4 weeks on the HELP diet, PLRP was added to the diet of the HELP-Low and HELP-High groups for 8 weeks. The results demonstrated that PLRP supplementation significantly improved laying rate compared to the HELP group, with the HELP-Low and HELP-High groups exhibiting respective increases of 23.81% and 28.57% (P < 0.01). PLRP also promoted follicular development, increasing the number of stratified, primary, and secondary follicles and improving the ovarian index. Biochemical analysis revealed enhanced antioxidant activity, with increased levels of T-AOC, T-SOD, and GSH-Px and reduced MDA in the liver and ovaries of PLRP-treated hens (P < 0.05). At the molecular level, PLRP upregulated mRNA expression of ER-alpha, ER-beta, MTTP, APOB, APOVLDL-II, and VTG-II in the liver, as well as VLDLR, LHR, and FSHR in the ovaries, facilitating yolk precursor biosynthesis and follicular development (P < 0.05). It indicated that PLRP supplementation mitigates oxidative stress and enhances yolk precursor synthesis, thereby improving egg production in FLHS-affected hens. PLRP shows promise as an effective feed additive for preventing and alleviating FLHS in laying hens. Future studies will investigate the regulatory effects of PLRP on gut microbiota composition and its potential interactions with FLHS in laying hens.