EFFECT OF DIETARY WHEY POWDER ON THE SYNTHESIS OF INTESTINAL BARRIER PROTEINS (ZONULIN AND OCCLUDIN) IN BROILER CHICKENS UNDER HEAT STRESS
Keywords:
Broiler chickens, heat stress, intestinal barrier, zonulin, occludin, whey protein.Abstract
Heat stress is recognized as one of the most critical environmental challenges in intensive poultry production, leading to profound physiological, biochemical, and structural disturbances, particularly within the gastrointestinal tract. The present study aims to evaluate the effect of dietary whey powder on the regulation of intestinal barrier integrity in broiler chickens exposed to heat stress conditions. Special emphasis was placed on key tight junction-associated proteins, zonulin and occludin, which serve as biomarkers of intestinal permeability and epithelial stability. A total of 100 broiler chickens were divided into control, stress, and treatment groups receiving 5% and 10% whey powder supplementation. The results demonstrated that heat stress significantly increased zonulin levels and decreased occludin expression, indicating disruption of intestinal barrier function and enhanced permeability. In contrast, dietary inclusion of whey powder produced a dose-dependent corrective effect, characterized by a marked reduction in zonulin concentration, restoration of occludin levels, and significant decrease in circulating lipopolysaccharides. Additionally, improvements in intestinal morphology, particularly villus height, were observed in supplemented groups.
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