Effect of different levels of dietary vitamin E, sesamin and thymoquinone supplementation on cellular immune challenges, intestinal microbial population, intestinal morphology and MUC2 gene expression in laying Japanese quails

In order to investigate the effect of consuming diets supplemented with different levels of vitamin E, sesamin and thymoquinone on cellular immune system challenges, intestinal morphology, intestinal microbial population and MUC2 gene expression in laying Japanese quails, 210 female Japanese quails aged 85-35 days with 7 experimental treatments including the control group and those consuming vitamin E, thymoquinone and sesamin at levels of 100 and 200 ml.gram/kg of standard feed was used with 5 repetitions and 6 pieces of laying quail in each repetition. At the end of the period (85 days), after killing two quails from each repetition, the relative weight of thymus, spleen and bursa of fabricius and the liver enzymes activity indices such as albumin, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST) were investigated. Dinitrochlorobenzene sensitization challenge test and response to the injection of mitogen phytohemagglutinin into the left wing web were studied. Sampling was done to evaluate the morphology of the intestinal tissue and the microbial flora population of the small intestine. To investigate the expression of MUC2 gene, samples from jejunum were collected and RT-PCR method was performed. The results showed that the consumption of supplemented diets caused a significant increase in the bursa.f relative weight (p ≤ 0.05) and a non-significant improvement of the liver enzyemes activity (p ≥ 0.05). The significant increase of beneficial microbial flora (Lactobacillus) and decrease of the colony population of (Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica) bacteria in the intestine along with the increase in the surface of the villi and the density of the number of goblet cells indicated the beneficial effects of the active compounds used in improving the health status of quails (p ≤ 0.05). Consuming supplemented diets with levels of vitamin E, sesamin and thymoquinone caused an increase in MUC2 mRNA expression in the intestine. The results showed the benefits of vitamin E, sesamin and thymoquinone consumption on cell mediated mediated immunity, intestinal morphology, intestinal microbial flora and MUC2 mRNA expression in laying Japanese quails.