Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42572036›Full record

ArticleJournal of animal science and biotechnology2026

Dietary theabrownins alleviate age-related declines in productive performance and egg quality by improving intestinal health in laying hens.

Li Zhang, Wenwen Xu, Keying Zhang, Xuemei Ding, Qiufeng Zeng, Shiping Bai, Jingbo Liu, Jianping Wang

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of animal science and biotechnology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

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.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Li Zhang *Key Laboratory of Animal Disease-Resistance Nutrition, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Animal Nutrition Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China.
Wenwen Xu *Key Laboratory of Animal Disease-Resistance Nutrition, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Animal Nutrition Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China.
Keying ZhangKey Laboratory of Animal Disease-Resistance Nutrition, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Animal Nutrition Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China.
Xuemei DingKey Laboratory of Animal Disease-Resistance Nutrition, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Animal Nutrition Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China.
Qiufeng ZengKey Laboratory of Animal Disease-Resistance Nutrition, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Animal Nutrition Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China.
Shiping BaiKey Laboratory of Animal Disease-Resistance Nutrition, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Animal Nutrition Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China.
Jingbo LiuCollege of Life Sciences and Agri-Forestry, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, 621010, People's Republic of China.
Jianping WangKey Laboratory of Animal Disease-Resistance Nutrition, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Animal Nutrition Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China. wangjianping@sicau.edu.cn.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6596-8771

Funding

Central Goverment Guidance Funds for LocalScience and Technology Development of Sichuan Province 2025ZYDFO62National Natural Science Foundation of China 32472931the Innovation Team Program of Sichuan SCCXTD-2024-24
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe late laying period is often accompanied by declines in productive performance, egg quality, and intestinal health in hens. This study used a 2 × 2 factorial design to evaluate the effects of dietary theabrownins (TB), bioactive polyphenols derived from dark tea, on production performance, egg quality, intestinal health, and cecal microbiota in 47- and 67-week-old laying hens. A total of 192 Lohmann Gray hens were fed diets containing 0 or 100 mg/kg TB for 12 weeks.

resultsSignificant age × TB interactions were observed for average daily feed intake (ADFI; P = 0.005), eggshell thickness (P = 0.001), jejunal villus height (P = 0.005), and TJP2 expression (P = 0.029). Compared with 47-week-old hens, 67-week-old hens had higher egg weight, feed-to-egg ratio, and unqualified egg rate, but lower laying rate, egg mass, Haugh unit, and eggshell strength (all P < 0.01). TB supplementation increased laying rate (P < 0.001), egg mass (P = 0.003), Haugh unit (P = 0.015), eggshell strength (P = 0.010), and albumen height (P = 0.018), while reducing feed-to-egg ratio (P = 0.003). TB also improved jejunal morphology by increasing villus height and reducing crypt depth, enhanced antioxidant capacity by increasing T-AOC (P = 0.002) and GST activity (P = 0.025), and upregulated jejunal TJP2 expression in older hens. In addition, TB decreased the Firmicutes/Bacteroidota ratio (P < 0.001) and enriched Prevotellaceae_UCG-001 abundance. Notably, correlation analysis showed that Prevotellaceae_UCG-001 was positively correlated with intestinal antioxidant indices, whereas productive and egg quality traits were significantly associated with intestinal structural and functional indicators.

conclusionDietary TB supplementation partly alleviated age-related declines in productive performance and egg quality in laying hens, possibly through improving intestinal health and modulating cecal microbiota. Notably, the TB-enriched genus Prevotellaceae_UCG-001 was positively associated with intestinal antioxidant indices, suggesting a potential microbial link to the intestinal benefits of TB in aged laying hens. These findings support the potential application of TB as a functional feed additive to help maintain intestinal health and productive performance in aged laying hens.

Indexed as

AgingCecal microbiotaIntestinal morphologyLaying hensTheabrownins

Identifiers

PMID42572036
PMCPMC13455484

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.