Lycopene reduces the negative effects induced by lipopolysaccharide in breeding hens

1. This study assessed the effects of lycopene on the antioxidant capacity, biochemical parameters, and immune organ index of breeding hens following lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injection. 2. The study had a 2x2 factorial design. Healthy Xing-hua breeding hens (720) were divided into groups with 6 replicates per group and 30 hens per replicate. Hens were fed on a rice-soya bean basal meal supplemented with different levels of lycopene (0, 20, 40, or 80mg/kg diet). On d 35, two hens from each replicate were injected subcutaneously with 1mg/kg body weight of either LPS or sterile saline (control group). Blood samples were collected at 0, 6, and 24h post-injection. At 24h post-injection, hens were sacrificed and the thymus, spleen, and bursa of Fabricius were removed. 3. The results revealed that LPS significantly decreased high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC), triidothyronine (T3), reduced glutathione to oxidised glutathione ratio (GSH/GSSG), thymus and bursal indexes, and increased low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLC). Lycopene supplementation significantly increased HDLC, T3, GSH/GSSG, and immune organ index, and decreased total cholesterol, LDLC, and blood urea nitrogen (BUN). The interaction effects of lycopene and LPS were significant on BUN and T3. 4. Lycopene supplementation affected inflammatory immune response based on increased immune organ index of breeding hens by relieving the LPS-induced stress.