Yeast culture derived from Jiang-flavor Baijiu distiller's grains enhances immune function and gut health in geese.

Abstract

This study evaluated the effects of dietary supplementation with Jiang-flavor Baijiu distiller's grains yeast culture (JBGC) on immune performance and intestinal health in geese. A total of 512 one-day-old Magang geese were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments 0% (control), 2%, 6%, or 10% JBGC with eight replicates per treatment and 16 birds per replicate, over a 70-day experimental period. JBGC supplementation exhibited dose- and time-dependent effects on antioxidant and inflammatory responses. Compared with the control, 10% JBGC significantly reduced serum glutathione peroxidase activity at day 70 and total antioxidant capacity at day 28 ( P < 0.05), whereas both 6% and 10% JBGC increased hepatic total superoxide dismutase activity ( P < 0.05). Regarding inflammatory markers, 10% JBGC lowered serum IL-1β at day 70 ( P < 0.05), and all JBGC-supplemented groups (2%, 6%, and 10%) showed significantly lower IL-8 levels than the control during the later phase ( P < 0.05). Additionally, 6 and 10% JBGC elevated the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 at day 70 ( P < 0.05). JBGC also improved intestinal morphology and barrier function: 6 and 10% JBGC increased ileal villus height ( P < 0.05); 10% JBGC enhanced duodenal length and weight, jejunal weight, and total small intestinal weight; and 6% JBGC upregulated the protein expression of occludin and claudin?5 ( P < 0.05). Although cecal microbial alpha diversity did not differ significantly, several beneficial bacterial genera showed increasing trends. These findings indicate that JBGC can positively modulate immune and intestinal health in geese by influencing antioxidant status, inflammatory cytokine profiles, intestinal morphology, and barrier integrity.