The Intestinal Cinnamaldehyde Release and Antioxidative Capacity of Broiler Chickens Fed Diets Supplemented with Coated Oleum Cinnamomi.

Oleum cinnamomi (OCM, cinnamon oil), which is produced by aromatic cinnamon plants, is increasingly used as a feed additive to animal diets. OCM is a natural product rich in polyphenolic compounds that exhibit strong antioxidative property. However, the direct addition of OCM to the feed is questionable due to several limiting physical–chemical factors such as the high hydrophobicity, volatility, odor, fast decomposition, and poor availability in the lower gastrointestinal tract of animals. Therefore, the coated form of OCM (cOCM) is one of the ways to solve these concerns. We have demonstrated that dietary cOCM supplementation did not improve the growth performance of broiler chickens, but it showed beneficial effects on immunity and intestinal integrity. In the current study, we further investigated the intestinal cinnamaldehyde release and antioxidative capacity of chickens fed cOCM-supplemented diets. As cinnamaldehyde is a major constituent of OCM, we evaluated the release of cOCM in the intestine of birds by determining the contents of cinnamaldehyde in the digesta of small intestine and cecum. The increased availability of OCM in the lower intestine supplied a foundation for exerting its antioxidative effects. The activities of antioxidative enzymes were increased and superoxide levels were decreased in the plasma and intestinal mucosa of birds fed cOCM-supplemented diets. The improvement of antioxidative capacity was achieved by modulating the gene expression of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 and downstream antioxidative enzymes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]