Resumen
The current study aimed to investigate the effects of dietary Galla Chinensis tannin (GCT) supplementation on antioxidant capacity and gut microbiota composition in broilers. Two hundred eighty-eight Arbor Acres broiler chicks were divided into the CON group and the GCT group; each treatment group contained 6 replicates with 24 broiler chicks per replicate for a period of 42 days, and were fed either a basal diet or the basal diet supplemented with 300 mg/kg GCT. Results revealed that GCT supplementation significantly increased glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity (p < 0.05) and significantly decreased malondialdehyde (MAD) concentrations in serum (p < 0.05) and significantly increased GSH-Px and catalase (CAT) (p < 0.05) and significantly decreased MDA concentrations in the small intestine. In addition, GCT significantly up-regulated (p < 0.05) the gene expressions of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), heme-oxygenase 1 (HO-1), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase-1 (GPX1), and NAD(P)H quinone oxidoreductase 1(NQO1). High-throughput sequencing results showed that GCT supplementation significantly increased abundances of Faecalibacterium and Megamonas (p < 0.05). These findings will contribute to our understanding of the effects of dietary Galla Chinensis tannin supplementation on antioxidant capacity and intestinal microbiota composition in broilers.