Gut microbiome and metabolome analysis reveal the alleviating effect of naringenin on duodenal damage in Ningdu yellow chickens caused by heat stress

Heat stress (HS) is a major challenge to the development of the farming industry. Gut health is essential for maintaining the overall health status of the animal. Naringenin (Nar) is a natural flavonoid compound that has demonstrated considerable therapeutic potential in the treatment of a range of diseases. The aim of this study was to elucidate the effect of HS on duodenal intestinal integrity in Ningdu yellow chickens, and the mitigating effect of Nar on this effect by analysing the gut microbiome and metabolome. The results showed that HS resulted in damage to the intestinal antioxidant function and intestinal barrier, and this result was reversed with the addition of Nar, and duodenal permeability was repaired. 16S rRNA sequencing revealed that heat stress led to a substantial decline in the abundance of beneficial bacteria, including Akkermansia and Lactobacillus. Nar was found to modify the composition of the intestinal microbiota, thereby impeding the proliferation of conditionally pathogenic bacteria such as Helicobacter. Furthermore, metabolomic KEGG analysis revealed that Nar ameliorated the heat stress condition of Ningdu yellow chickens by regulating serum metabolism, primarily through the ABC transporter pathway. Correlation analysis revealed a statistically significant correlation between the gut microbiota and metabolites. The present findings demonstrate that Nar attenuates intestinal damage caused by HS in Ningdu yellow chickens, and that this effect is closely related to the effects of Nar on the composition and metabolism of intestinal flora.RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS Metabolomics and 16S rRNA were used to explore the mitigating effect of naringenin on heat stress.Naringenin relieves heat stress through specific metabolic pathways.Changes in gut microbiota caused by naringenin and heat stress may affect host metabolism.