ArticlePoultry science2026
Dietary semen cuscuta improves laying performance by stabilizing mitochondria-associated membranes (MAMs) and inhibiting granulosa cell apoptosis in laying hens.
Article in Poultry science, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
11 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
The decline in laying performance during late-phase production of hens, primarily due to ovarian aging, poses significant economic challenges to the poultry industry. We have previously identified that Semen Cuscuta (SC), a traditional Chinese herbal medicine, could alleviate reproductive damage in mice, however, the therapeutic potential of SC in aging hens remains largely unexplored. In this study, different doses of SC (1%, 1.5%, or 2%) were dietary supplemented for 4 weeks, and serum, Ileum, ovarian tissues were collected for further detection/examination. Results showed that 1.5% and 2% SC significantly improved laying performance, enhanced systemic antioxidant capacity (increased serum SOD, decreased MDA), and elevated FSH levels. SC also reinforced intestinal barrier integrity, as indicated by improved villus morphology, upregulation of tight junction proteins (Occludin, ZO-1), and reduced serum endotoxin markers (D-LA, LPS). Moreover, SC modulated gut microbiota composition, increased cecal short-chain fatty acids (acetic and butyric acid), and upregulated intestinal specifically short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) receptors (GPR41, GPR43). In the ovary, SC suppressed granulosa cell apoptosis by modulating Bcl-2, Bax, Cleaved Caspase-3, and Cyt c expression. Notably, transmission electron microscopy revealed that SC preserved mitochondrial associated membrane (MAM) structural integrity and normalized the expression of MAM tethering proteins (IP3R, GRP75, VDAC1) in ovary. These findings demonstrate that SC ameliorates ovarian aging and restores laying performance through a dual mechanism: directly stabilizing ovarian MAMs to inhibit apoptosis, and indirectly remodeling gut microbiota to enhance intestinal barrier function and reduce systemic inflammation. This study provides a mechanistic basis for SC as a promising feed additive to improve sustainability in the production of aging hens.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What Socratic holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.