Dietary 5-Aminolevulinic Acid Alleviates Heat Stress-Induced Renal Injury in Laying Hens by Improving Mitochondrial Quality and Enhancing Antioxidant Activity

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of dietary 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) on laying hens to alleviate chronic heat stress-induced renal damage, resulting in improved egg productivity and eggshell quality. A total of 57 white-leghorn laying hens (46 weeks old) were randomly assigned to three gr...

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Main Authors: Fumika Nanto-Hara, Haruhiko Ohtsu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-05-01
Series:Antioxidants
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/14/5/556
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author Fumika Nanto-Hara
Haruhiko Ohtsu
author_facet Fumika Nanto-Hara
Haruhiko Ohtsu
author_sort Fumika Nanto-Hara
collection DOAJ
description This study aimed to evaluate the effects of dietary 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) on laying hens to alleviate chronic heat stress-induced renal damage, resulting in improved egg productivity and eggshell quality. A total of 57 white-leghorn laying hens (46 weeks old) were randomly assigned to three groups and fed three experimental diets with different levels of ALA (0, 10, and 100 ppm) for 1 week. The birds in each group were then divided into two subgroups; one of the two subgroups was subjected to heat stress (33 °C for 3 weeks), whereas the other group was maintained at 24 °C. Heat exposure significantly decreased the laying rate and eggshell strength and caused renal damage, whereas ALA supplementation alleviated heat-induced poor productivity and renal damage. ALA increased the renal mitochondrial DNA copy number and downregulated the expression of the cGAS-STING pathway-related genes in the kidneys of heat-stressed hens. Furthermore, ALA upregulated the renal expression levels of <i>NRF2</i> and <i>HO-1</i>, whereas it downregulated those of <i>NF-κB</i> and tended to decrease the content of TBARS in the kidney (<i>p</i> = 0.07). Dietary ALA confers a renal protective effect by reducing heat-induced mitochondrial damage and enhancing antioxidant activity, which may contribute to improved productivity under chronic heat stress.
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spelling doaj-art-5a2d9d9ebb6848cf9e230bc301d75f082025-08-20T03:14:29ZengMDPI AGAntioxidants2076-39212025-05-0114555610.3390/antiox14050556Dietary 5-Aminolevulinic Acid Alleviates Heat Stress-Induced Renal Injury in Laying Hens by Improving Mitochondrial Quality and Enhancing Antioxidant ActivityFumika Nanto-Hara0Haruhiko Ohtsu1Division of Meat Animal and Poultry Research, Institute of Livestock and Grassland Science, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NILGS), Tsukuba 305-0901, JapanDepartment of Research Promotion, Institute of Livestock and Grassland Science, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NILGS), Tsukuba 305-0901, JapanThis study aimed to evaluate the effects of dietary 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) on laying hens to alleviate chronic heat stress-induced renal damage, resulting in improved egg productivity and eggshell quality. A total of 57 white-leghorn laying hens (46 weeks old) were randomly assigned to three groups and fed three experimental diets with different levels of ALA (0, 10, and 100 ppm) for 1 week. The birds in each group were then divided into two subgroups; one of the two subgroups was subjected to heat stress (33 °C for 3 weeks), whereas the other group was maintained at 24 °C. Heat exposure significantly decreased the laying rate and eggshell strength and caused renal damage, whereas ALA supplementation alleviated heat-induced poor productivity and renal damage. ALA increased the renal mitochondrial DNA copy number and downregulated the expression of the cGAS-STING pathway-related genes in the kidneys of heat-stressed hens. Furthermore, ALA upregulated the renal expression levels of <i>NRF2</i> and <i>HO-1</i>, whereas it downregulated those of <i>NF-κB</i> and tended to decrease the content of TBARS in the kidney (<i>p</i> = 0.07). Dietary ALA confers a renal protective effect by reducing heat-induced mitochondrial damage and enhancing antioxidant activity, which may contribute to improved productivity under chronic heat stress.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/14/5/556cGAS-STINGheat stressheme oxygenase-1laying hensmitochondriarenal damage
spellingShingle Fumika Nanto-Hara
Haruhiko Ohtsu
Dietary 5-Aminolevulinic Acid Alleviates Heat Stress-Induced Renal Injury in Laying Hens by Improving Mitochondrial Quality and Enhancing Antioxidant Activity
Antioxidants
cGAS-STING
heat stress
heme oxygenase-1
laying hens
mitochondria
renal damage
title Dietary 5-Aminolevulinic Acid Alleviates Heat Stress-Induced Renal Injury in Laying Hens by Improving Mitochondrial Quality and Enhancing Antioxidant Activity
title_full Dietary 5-Aminolevulinic Acid Alleviates Heat Stress-Induced Renal Injury in Laying Hens by Improving Mitochondrial Quality and Enhancing Antioxidant Activity
title_fullStr Dietary 5-Aminolevulinic Acid Alleviates Heat Stress-Induced Renal Injury in Laying Hens by Improving Mitochondrial Quality and Enhancing Antioxidant Activity
title_full_unstemmed Dietary 5-Aminolevulinic Acid Alleviates Heat Stress-Induced Renal Injury in Laying Hens by Improving Mitochondrial Quality and Enhancing Antioxidant Activity
title_short Dietary 5-Aminolevulinic Acid Alleviates Heat Stress-Induced Renal Injury in Laying Hens by Improving Mitochondrial Quality and Enhancing Antioxidant Activity
title_sort dietary 5 aminolevulinic acid alleviates heat stress induced renal injury in laying hens by improving mitochondrial quality and enhancing antioxidant activity
topic cGAS-STING
heat stress
heme oxygenase-1
laying hens
mitochondria
renal damage
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/14/5/556
work_keys_str_mv AT fumikanantohara dietary5aminolevulinicacidalleviatesheatstressinducedrenalinjuryinlayinghensbyimprovingmitochondrialqualityandenhancingantioxidantactivity
AT haruhikoohtsu dietary5aminolevulinicacidalleviatesheatstressinducedrenalinjuryinlayinghensbyimprovingmitochondrialqualityandenhancingantioxidantactivity