Lutein supplementation alters inflammatory cytokine production and antioxidant status in F-line turkeys

Effect of dietary lutein supplementation on turkey production parameters, cytokine production, and oxidative status during an acute phase response following lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injection was studied. One-day-old chicks were fed a basal diet supplemented with 3 levels (0, 25, or 50 mg/kg of feed) of lutein. At 50 d of dietary lutein supplementation, turkeys were injected or not injected with LPS. Increasing dietary lutein increased the liver and plasma lutein content in both LPS injected and uninjected groups. In the groups fed 50 mg of lutein, LPS treatment decreased the lutein content of both the liver and the plasma at 48 h post-LPS injection. In the groups fed 0 mg of lutein, LPS treatment decreased the BW gain and feed consumption at 24 and 48 h post-LPS injection. The feed intake and BW gain of the group fed 50 mg of lutein in the LPS injected groups were comparable to those of the group with no LPS injection at both 24 and 48 h post-LPS injection. Treatment with LPS increased IL-1 beta mRNA content (P = 0.01) in the group fed 0 mg of lutein. In the LPS injected groups, increasing dietary lutein to 50 mg decreased the IL-1 beta mRNA amount compared with the group fed 0 mg of lutein. In the LPS injected groups, increasing dietary lutein to 50 mg increased IL-10 mRNA content compared with the group fed 0 mg of lutein. Injection of LPS increased the thiobarbituric reactive substances content of the liver in the group fed 0 mg of lutein. Increasing dietary lutein to 50 mg decreased the thiobarbituric reactive substances content of the liver in the LPS injected groups. Dietary lutein supplementation decreased oxidative damage and inflammatory responses post-LPS injection by decreasing IL-1 beta production and increasing IL-10 production in turkeys.