Dietary curcumin alleviates aflatoxin B-induced liver injury and improves growth performance in broilers via Nrf2 activation and NLRP3 inflammasome inhibition.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Aflatoxin B(AFB), a potent mycotoxin frequently detected in improperly stored poultry feed, induces hepatic oxidative stress, inflammation, and growth retardation in broilers. Curcumin (CUR), a polyphenolic compound derived from Curcuma longa, exhibits strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities; however, its efficacy and mechanisms in mitigating AFB-induced hepatotoxicity in broilers remain unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the protective effects of dietary CUR supplementation on growth performance and liver health of broilers exposed to AFB. RESULTS: A total of 720 broilers (eight replicates of 15 birds each per treatment) were fed a basal diet, an AFB&#x2081;-contaminated diet (1&#x2009;mg&#x2009;kg), or AFBdiets supplemented with CUR (100, 300, or 500&#x2009;mg&#x2009;kg) for 42&#x2009;days. AFBexposure significantly reduced average daily gain and increased feed conversion ratio (P&#x2009;<&#x2009;0.05), whereas CUR supplementation - particularly 300-500&#x2009;mg&#x2009;kg- improved growth performance relative to the AFBgroup (P&#x2009;<&#x2009;0.05). CUR also decreased serum alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase activities, alleviated hepatic histopathological damage, enhanced hepatic antioxidant enzyme activities (superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase), and suppressed malondialdehyde accumulation (P&#x2009;<&#x2009;0.01). At the molecular level, CUR upregulated Nrf2 and its downstream antioxidant genes while downregulating NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3), caspase-1, and interleukin-1&#x3b2;, indicating attenuation of inflammasome activation and pyroptosis. CONCLUSION: Dietary curcumin effectively mitigated AFB-induced hepatotoxicity and performance loss in broilers through activation of the Nrf2 antioxidant pathway and inhibition of the NLRP3 inflammasome. These findings highlight CUR as a promising natural feed additive for protecting poultry against mycotoxin-induced oxidative and inflammatory damage. &#xa9; 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.