Effects of in ovo administration of selenomethionine and vitamin E on hepatic injury in broilers challenged by lipopolysaccharide.

This study investigated the effects of in ovo administration of selenomethionine (Se-Met) and vitamin E (VE), individually or in combination, on growth performance, antioxidant capacity, and immune response in broilers challenged by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). A total of 280 fertilized eggs from a yellow-feathered broiler strain were randomly assigned to five groups: Control, LPS, VE + LPS, Se-Met + LPS, and Combo + LPS (VE, Se-Met, and LPS) groups. On embryonic day 10, eggs in the Control and LPS groups received a yolk-sac injection of 0.1 mL saline, whereas those in the VE + LPS, Se-Met + LPS, and Combo + LPS groups were injected with 5 mg VE, 0.02 mg Se-Met, and their combination, respectively. After hatching, all groups except the Control (normal saline) received intraperitoneal injection of 0.3 mg/kg LPS on days 16, 18, and 20 to induce hepatic injury. Results showed that, at 21 days of age, feed conversion ratio (FCR, P = 0.030), serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT, P = 0.003) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α, P < 0.001) were significantly elevated in the LPS group relative to the Control group, accompanied by hepatic vacuolar degeneration and inflammatory cell infiltration. Conversely, the Combo + LPS group showed significantly improved leg muscle index (P = 0.019) and Newcastle disease virus (NDV) antibody titers (P = 0.041), alongside reduced ALT (P = 0.003) and TNF-α (P < 0.001) levels compared to the LPS group. Histopathological examination revealed that both Se-Met and the combined treatment effectively attenuated LPS-induced hepatic inflammatory infiltration and vacuolar degeneration. In conclusion, in ovo co-administration of Se-Met and VE showed an improving trend for antioxidant capacity, mitigated inflammatory responses, and alleviated LPS-induced hepatic injury in broilers.