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Peer-reviewedCC BY-NC-NDPoultry science

Dietary esculetin improves growth performance and spleen function via the NF-κB/MAPK pathway in heat-stressed broilers.

  • Jie Qi1
  • Haotian Yang1
  • Yang Yang1
  • Xinyi Dou1
  • Xin Chen1
  • Qiuyue An1
  • Tingyang Wu1
  • Xiuzhi Liu1
  • Boyuan Yu1
  • Hao Wang1
  • Siqi Wang1
  • Yinkang Song1
5 more authors
  • Chenjia Shi1
  • Chao Ma1
  • Jia Chen1
  • Yuan Zhao1
  • Honggang Fan2
  1. 1Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Mechanism for Animal Disease and Comparative Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, China.
  2. 2Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Mechanism for Animal Disease and Comparative Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, China. Electronic address: [email protected].
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Abstract

This study evaluated the effects of esculetin on heat stress-induced splenic immunosuppression in broilers. Esculetin significantly reduced rectal temperature and respiratory rate in heat-stressed broilers (P < 0.05), improved growth performance, serum biochemical parameters, and the spleen index, and attenuated heat stress-induced splenic histopathological damage and HSP70 expression. Concurrently, esculetin elevated serum levels of immunoglobulins (IgA, IgM, and IgG) and upregulated the gene expression of anti-inflammatory cytokines, while downregulating pro-inflammatory cytokine genes (IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α). Network pharmacology analysis, molecular docking, and in vivo validation demonstrated that the immunomodulatory effects of esculetin were primarily mediated through targeting NF-κB, TNF-α, and IL-6, thereby modulating the NF-κB/MAPK signaling pathway. These findings provide a scientific basis for the application of esculetin as a functional feed additive to alleviate heat stress-induced immune dysfunction in poultry.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{qi2026dietary,
  title = {{Dietary esculetin improves growth performance and spleen function via the NF-κB/MAPK pathway in heat-stressed broilers.}},
  author = {Jie Qi and Haotian Yang and Yang Yang and Xinyi Dou and Xin Chen and Qiuyue An and Tingyang Wu and Xiuzhi Liu and Boyuan Yu and Hao Wang and Siqi Wang and Yinkang Song and Chenjia Shi and Chao Ma and Jia Chen and Yuan Zhao and Honggang Fan},
  journal = {Poultry science},
  year = {2026},
  month = sep,
  doi = {10.1016/j.psj.2026.107811},
  url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42893657},
  note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Dietary esculetin improves growth performance and spleen function via the NF-κB/MAPK pathway in heat-stressed broilers.
AU  - Jie Qi
AU  - Haotian Yang
AU  - Yang Yang
AU  - Xinyi Dou
AU  - Xin Chen
AU  - Qiuyue An
AU  - Tingyang Wu
AU  - Xiuzhi Liu
AU  - Boyuan Yu
AU  - Hao Wang
AU  - Siqi Wang
AU  - Yinkang Song
AU  - Chenjia Shi
AU  - Chao Ma
AU  - Jia Chen
AU  - Yuan Zhao
AU  - Honggang Fan
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/09/21
JO  - Poultry science
DO  - 10.1016/j.psj.2026.107811
UR  - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42893657
AB  - This study evaluated the effects of esculetin on heat stress-induced splenic immunosuppression in broilers. Esculetin significantly reduced rectal temperature and respiratory rate in heat-stressed broilers (P < 0.05), improved growth performance, serum biochemical parameters, and the spleen index, and attenuated heat stress-induced splenic histopathological damage and HSP70 expression. Concurrently, esculetin elevated serum levels of immunoglobulins (IgA, IgM, and IgG) and upregulated the gene expression of anti-inflammatory cytokines, while downregulating pro-inflammatory cytokine genes (IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α). Network pharmacology analysis, molecular docking, and in vivo validation demonstrated that the immunomodulatory effects of esculetin were primarily mediated through targeting NF-κB, TNF-α, and IL-6, thereby modulating the NF-κB/MAPK signaling pathway. These findings provide a scientific basis for the application of esculetin as a functional feed additive to alleviate heat stress-induced immune dysfunction in poultry.
SN  - 0032-5791
SN  - 1525-3171
ER  -