In ovo feeding of α-ketoglutaric acid improves hepatic antioxidant-gene expression, plasma antioxidant activities and decreases body temperature without affecting broiler body weight under cyclic heat stress

The broiler industry is adversely affected by the rise in global temperature. This study investigated the effects of in ovo feeding of α-ketoglutaric acid (AKG) on growth performance, organ weight, plasma metabolite, plasma oxidative stress, rectal temperature (RT), and hepatic mRNA expression of antioxidant-related genes in Arbor Acres broilers subjected to cyclic heat stress (HS). Three hundred fifty fertile eggs during incubation were divided into five groups according to AKG concentrations and temperature conditions. After dissolving AKG in distilled water at 0%, 0.5%, 1.0%, and 1.5%, 0% AKG was in ovo administered to two of the five groups whereas the remaining three groups received 0.5%, 1.0%, and 1.5%, respectively. From days 29 to 34 of age, 4 groups of birds received heat stress (HS) at 31°C ± 1°C for 6 h per day while the other group was kept at room temperature (21 ± 1°C; NT). So, the five treatment groups were: (i) 0AKG-NT, where chicks hatched from eggs receiving 0% AKG were reared under thermoneutral conditions. (ii) 0AKG-HS, where chicks hatched from eggs receiving 0% AKG were reared under cyclic HS conditions. (iii) 0AKG-HS, where chicks hatched from eggs receiving 0.5% AKG were reared under cyclic HS conditions. (iv) 0AKG-HS, where chicks hatched from eggs receiving 1.0% AKG were reared under cyclic HS conditions. (v) 0AKG-HS, where chicks hatched from eggs receiving 1.5% AKG were reared under cyclic HS conditions. HS significantly reduced body weight change (ΔBW %) and average daily gain (ADG) without affecting average daily feed intake (ADFI). Feed conversion ratio (FCR) was significantly increased (p = 0.003) in all HS-treated groups. A significant linear decrease in the final RT (p = 0.005) and a change in RT (p = 0.003) were detected with increasing AKG concentration. Total antioxidant capacity (p = 0.029) and antioxidant balance (p = 0.001) in plasma increased linearly with increasing AKG concentration whereas malondialdehyde concentrations were linearly decreased (p = 0.001). Hepatic gene expression of CAT (p = 0.026) and GPX1 (p = 0.001) were dose-dependently upregulated while nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase (NOX)1, NOX4, and HSP70 were linearly downregulated (p < 0.05). Hence, in ovo injection of AKG was effective in mitigating HS-induced oxidative stress without attenuating the adverse effects on broiler growth.