Abdelnour Sameh A, Abdelaal Mahmoud, Sindi Ramya Ahmad, Alfattah Mohammed A, Khalil Wael A, Bahgat Laila B, Sheiha Asmaa M
Department of Animal Production, Faculty of Agriculture, Zagazig University, Zagazig, 44511, Egypt.
Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
BMC Vet Res. 2025 Mar 15;21(1):168. doi: 10.1186/s12917-025-04587-1.
Global warming poses a significant threat to reproductive health of rabbits. Sustainable nutritional strategies are crucial for ensuring rabbit production and maintaining food security under these challenging conditions. This study sought to assess the protective benefits of dietary boswellia essential oil nano-emulsion (BEON) against oxidative stress, immune dysregulation, ferroptosis, and organ damage in female rabbits exposed to severe thermal stress. A total of 120 female rabbits were divided into four groups of 30 rabbits each. The rabbits were fed a basal diet supplemented with 0 (BEON0), 0.25 (BEON0.25), 0.5 (BEON0.5), and 1.0 (BEON1.0) mL of BEON per kilogram of diet. Results demonstrated that the BEON1.0 group exhibited significantly higher levels of IgG, superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx), while the BEON0.25 group showed elevated levels of IgM, catalase, and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) (P < 0.05). All BEON treatments significantly reduced malondialdehyde (MDA) levels (P < 0.01). Serum levels of progesterone, luteinizing hormone (LH), and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) were significantly elevated in the BEON0.5 and BEON1.0 groups compared to the control group (P < 0.01). A significant decrease in adipokine levels was observed in all BEON-supplemented groups compared to the control group (P < 0.05). All BEON groups demonstrated a modulation of ferroptosis pathways, characterized by decreased heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) expression and upregulated expression of glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) and cystine transporter solute carrier 7A11 (SLC7A11) in ovarian tissues (P < 0.01). Furthermore, DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) expression increased in a dose-dependent manner with increasing BEON supplementation. Histological analysis revealed an improvement in the architecture of the liver, uterine horns, and ovarian tissues in rabbits fed BEON. Integrating BEON at doses of 0.5-1.0 mL/kg diet significantly improved reproductive performance in stressed female rabbits. PCA and correlation analyses demonstrated a positive correlation between BEON supplementation and immune function, reproductive hormone levels, and antioxidant status, while a negative correlation was observed with MDA and adipokine concentrations in rabbit serum. In conclusion, BEON supplementation demonstrates promise as a sustainable nutritional strategy for the rabbit industry, particularly in mitigating the challenges posed by global warming.
全球变暖对兔子的生殖健康构成了重大威胁。在这些具有挑战性的条件下，可持续的营养策略对于确保兔子生产和维持粮食安全至关重要。本研究旨在评估日粮乳香精油纳米乳剂（BEON）对暴露于严重热应激的雌性兔子氧化应激、免疫失调、铁死亡和器官损伤的保护作用。总共120只雌性兔子被分为四组，每组30只。给兔子喂食每千克日粮添加0（BEON0）、0.25（BEON0.25）、0.5（BEON0.5）和1.0（BEON1.0）毫升BEON的基础日粮。结果表明，BEON1.0组的IgG、超氧化物歧化酶（SOD）和谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶（GPx）水平显著更高，而BEON0.25组的IgM、过氧化氢酶和总抗氧化能力（TAC）水平升高（P < 0.05）。所有BEON处理均显著降低了丙二醛（MDA）水平（P < 0.01）。与对照组相比，BEON0.5和BEON1.0组的血清孕酮、促黄体生成素（LH）和促卵泡激素（FSH）水平显著升高（P < 0.01）。与对照组相比，所有添加BEON的组中脂肪因子水平均显著降低（P < 0.05）。所有BEON组均显示出铁死亡途径的调节，其特征是卵巢组织中热休克蛋白70（HSP70）表达降低，谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶4（GPX4）和胱氨酸转运体溶质载体7A11（SLC7A11）表达上调（P < 0.01）。此外，随着BEON添加量的增加，DNA甲基转移酶1（DNMT1）表达呈剂量依赖性增加。组织学分析显示，喂食BEON的兔子肝脏、子宫角和卵巢组织的结构有所改善。在日粮中添加0.5 - 1.0毫升/千克剂量的BEON可显著改善应激雌性兔子的繁殖性能。主成分分析（PCA）和相关性分析表明，添加BEON与免疫功能、生殖激素水平和抗氧化状态呈正相关，而与兔子血清中的MDA和脂肪因子浓度呈负相关。总之，添加BEON作为兔子养殖业的一种可持续营养策略具有前景，特别是在缓解全球变暖带来的挑战方面。
