Phyllanthus urinaria water extract ameliorates lipid accumulation, oxidative stress and inflammation in chickens with fatty liver syndrome

Fatty liver syndrome (FLS) is a common metabolic disease in laying hens, causing reduced egg production and sudden death. Phyllanthus urinaria (PU), a traditional Asian herbal medicine, is known for its anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective properties. This study investigated the hepatoprotective effects of water-extracted PU on FLS in both in vivo and in vitro chicken models. In oleic-acid (OA)-induced chicken hepatocytes, PU water extracts significantly reduced triglyceride accumulation and enhanced β-oxidation gene expression (CPT1α and PPARα). In palmitic-acid (PA)-induced hepatocytes, PU extracts curbed oxidative stress and decreased expression of the inflammation receptor TLR4. For the in vivo study, eight-week-old Lohmann layer pullets were divided into five groups: a control diet, a 2% FLS-inducing high cholesterol (HC) diet and HC diet with 0.5% PU, 1.0% PU or metformin (positive control) for six weeks. The HC diet significantly increased fatty scores, hepatic lipid accumulation, inflammation and oxidative stress. PU supplementation improved fatty liver scores, reduced hepatic lipid vacuole area, plasma triglyceride (TG) and serum thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) levels, abdominal fat and hepatic inflammatory gene expression (TLR4, IL-1β, LITAF). In conclusion, PU improves FLS by reducing plasma TG and serum TBARS levels, body fats and inflammation while enhancing β-oxidation. PU shows potential as a dietary supplement and therapeutic agent for fatty liver diseases in humans and chickens.