Alleviation of heat stress-induced jejunal injury in ducks by Hericium erinaceus polysaccharide.

Heat stress (HS) poses a major challenge to the poultry industry, and Hericium erinaceus polysaccharide (HEP), with its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, shows potential to mitigate HS-induced intestinal barrier damage. This study aimed to evaluate the protective effect of HEP on the intestinal barrier of ducks. The results showed that HEP significantly enhanced the anti-oxidative stress capacity and reduced the expression levels of inflammatory factors (IL-1β and TNF-α) and HS-related factors (HSP10, HSP60, HSP70, HSP90). In addition, HEP treatment significantly elevated jejunal villus height and villus height to crypt depth ratio, decreased crypt depth, and increased mRNA expression of tight junction proteins occludin, claudin-1, and ZO-1. Transcriptome analysis of the jejunum further revealed that intestinal inflammation and the focal adhesion pathway were significantly up-regulated in the HS group, whereas down-regulation of the focal adhesion pathway and up-regulation of the fat digestion and absorption pathway were observed in the HEP-treated group (HSH). In summary, HEP effectively mitigated HS-induced damage to the intestinal barrier in ducks, with its potential mechanism likely involving the regulation of the focal adhesion pathway and fat digestion and absorption pathway, offering a potential new strategy for the poultry industry to combat the adverse effects of HS.