Effects of Chlorogenic Acid on Performance, Anticoccidial Indicators, Immunity, Antioxidant Status, and Intestinal Barrier Function in Coccidia-Infected Broilers

Simple Summary Coccidiosis impairs the growth performance, intestinal health, and immunity of broilers, resulting in significant economic losses to the poultry industry. The use of anticoccidial drugs can lead to the emergence of resistant strains and drug resistance, and the control effect of vaccines is limited. Thus, there is an urgent need to develop substitutes for anticoccidial drugs. Chlorogenic acid (CGA) was reported to have positive effects on the performance and intestinal health of broilers. However, little is known about the application and mechanism of CGA in coccidia-infected broilers. The results of this study showed that dietary supplementation with CGA exhibited anticoccidial activities, and improved growth performance, immunity, antioxidant status, and intestinal barrier function in coccidia-infected broilers. Abstract The effects of chlorogenic acid (CGA) on growth performance, anticoccidial indicators (oocysts per gram of excreta, cecal lesion score, and bloody diarrhea score), immunity, antioxidant status, and intestinal barrier function in coccidia-infected broilers were investigated. A total of 240 one-day-old Arbor Acres broilers were randomly divided into four groups with six replicates of ten broilers each for 42 days. Four treatments included control diet (non-infected control, NC), control diet +Eimeria infection (infected control, IC), control diet +0.5 g/kg CGA + Eimeria infection (CGA0.5), and control diet +1 g/kg CGA + Eimeria infection (CGA1). At day 14, each broiler in IC, CGA0.5, and CGA1 groups was orally inoculated with 1 mL saline containing 4 × 105 sporulated oocysts. The results showed that the CGA1 group increased the average daily gain by 12.57% (p < 0.001) and decreased the feed/gain ratio (p = 0.010) and mortality (p = 0.030) by 13.00% and 77.76%, respectively, of broilers from 14 to 42 days compared with the IC group. The CGA1 group decreased the oocysts per gram of excreta (p < 0.001) and bloody diarrhea score (p = 0.001) compared with the IC group. The CGA0.5 and CGA1 groups increased total antioxidant capacity (p < 0.001) at day 21 and villus height (p < 0.001) in the duodenum and jejunum at day 42, and decreased the levels of interleukin 6 (IL-6) (p = 0.002), malondialdehyde (MDA) (p < 0.001), D-lactic acid (p < 0.001), and diamine oxidase (DAO) (p < 0.001) at day 21 and the levels of MDA (p < 0.001) and D-lactic acid (p = 0.003) at day 42 compared with the IC group. In the CGA1 group, villus height in the duodenum (p < 0.001) and jejunum (p = 0.017) increased at day 21 and in the ileum (p < 0.001) at day 42, and the level of DAO (p < 0.001) decreased at day 42 compared with the IC group. Broilers in the IC group had a higher IL-6 level (p = 0.048) at day 42 and lower IL-10 (p = 0.027) and immunoglobulin A (p = 0.042) levels at day 21, and IL-10 level (p = 0.017) at day 42 than those in the NC group, while no significant differences were observed among the NC, CGA0.5, and CGA1 groups. In conclusion, dietary supplementation with 1 g/kg CGA improved growth performance, immunity, antioxidant status, and intestinal barrier function in coccidia-infected broilers.