This study explored the efficacy of dietary Fagopyrum dibotrys extract (FDE) in mitigating Escherichia coli O157 (E. coli) infections in broilers. A total of 240 one-day-old male Shengze 901 broilers were randomly allocated to four groups (with 10 broilers per group): CON (basal diet), COLI (basal diet + E. coli challenge), FDE (basal diet + 500 mg/kg FDE), and FDEC (basal diet + 500 mg/kg FDE + E. coli challenge). The results showed that E. coli challenge reduced the average daily gain (ADG) and average daily feed intake (ADFI), increased the feed conversion ratio (FCR) and cecal E. coli load, impaired the intestinal mucosa, and induced intestinal inflammatory responses (p < 0.05). FDE supplementation improved growth performance, increased duodenal villus height and villus/crypt ratio; reduced serum interleukin (IL)-1β, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), diamine oxidase (DAO), and endotoxin levels; and lowered cecal E. coli counts (p < 0.05). Molecularly, FDE supplementation upregulated Occludin, Claudin-1, and ZO-1 gene expressions, and downregulated jejunal TLR4 and MyD88 mRNA levels. Microbiome analysis revealed that FDE increased the relative abundance of Faecalibacterium and alleviated the E. coli-induced reduction in Clostridia_UCG-014. In conclusion, dietary supplementation with 500 mg/kg FDE could mitigate colibacillosis-related intestinal damage and inflammatory responses.

The rhizoma of Fagopyrum dibotrys (D. Don) Hara, a traditional natural medicinal herb with extensive historical applications in China, pos s e s s anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antioxidant, antimicrobial, immunomodulatory and antidiabetic effects. However, the potential positive effects of Fagopyrum dibotrys rhizoma meal (FDRM) on productive performance in high-density laying duck farming remain unclear. This experiment was conducted to assess the impacts of FDRM supplementation in Shanma laying ducks diet by determining productive performance, egg quality, egg nutritional value and serum biochemical parameters. With similar laying performance ( 80.88 ± 5.17 % ) and body weight (1.24 ± 0.02 kg) , 512 healthy 32-week-old Shanma laying ducks were randomly assigned to 4 groups consisting of 8 replicates (16 ducks per replicate). Ducks in the control group (F0 group) were fed only the basal diet, while the other groups (F1, F2 and F3 groups) were fed the basal diets supplemented with 1%, 2% and 3% FDRM, respectively. The experiment lasted for 49 days with ad libitum access to feed and water. Our results showed that supplementing FDRM in duck diet had no adverse effects on laying performance (P>0.05). Additionally, compared with the control group, d iet ary supplementation with FDRM significantly improved the shell strength, yolk color and shell proportion (P<0.05), while increasing the serum total protein (TP) content (P<0.05). The study also found that adding 2%. FDRM significantly enhanced the contents of total amino acids, essential amino acids and umami amino acids in eggs (P<0.05), improved the composition of monounsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids (P<0.05), and reducing the saturated fatty acids content. However, 3% FDRM addition increased the serum blood urea nitrogen content (P<0.05), indicating reduced the dietary protein utilization efficiency. Overall, dietary supplementation with 2% FDRM might improved egg quality and egg nutritional value of Shanma laying ducks through improving the shell strength, yolk color and shell proportion, enhancing yolk fatty acid and amino acid profiles and e levating serum TP content.