This study investigated the effects of dietary resveratrol at 0, 200, 400, or 600 mg/kg of diet on the performance, immune organ growth index, serum parameters, and expression levels of heat shock protein (Hsp) 27, Hsp70, and Hsp90 mRNA in the bursa of Fabricius, thymus, and spleen of 42-d-old female black-boned chickens exposed to heat stress at 37 ± 2°C for 15 d. The results showed that heat stress reduced daily feed intake and BW gain; decreased serum glutathione (GSH), growth hormone, and insulin-like growth factor-1 levels; and inhibited GSH peroxidase (GSH-Px), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT) activities compared with birds subjected to thermo-neutral circumstances. Chickens that were fed diets supplemented with resveratrol exhibited a linear increase in feed intake and BW gain (P < 0.001); serum GSH, growth hormone, and insulin-like growth factor-1 levels (P ≤ 0.01); and GSH-Px, SOD, and CAT activities (P < 0.001) compared with chickens that were fed diets without resveratrol during heat stress. In contrast, serum malonaldehyde concentrations were decreased (P < 0.001) in the chickens fed a resveratrol-supplemented diet. Heat stress also reduced (P < 0.05) the growth index of the bursa of Fabricus and spleen; however, it had no effect on the growth index of the thymus. The growth index of the bursa of Fabricius and spleen increased (P < 0.05) upon heat stress and coincided with an increase in supplemental resveratrol levels. The expression of Hsp27, Hsp70, and Hsp90 mRNA in the bursa of Fabricius and spleen were increased (P < 0.01), but those of Hsp27 and Hsp90 mRNA in thymus were decreased (P < 0.01) under heat stress compared with no heat stress. Resveratrol attenuated the heat stress-induced overexpression of Hsp27, Hsp70, and Hsp90 mRNA in the bursa of Fabricius and spleen and increased the low expression of Hsp27 and Hsp90 mRNA in thymus upon heat stress. The results suggest that supplemental resveratrol improves growth performance and reduces oxidative stress in heat-stressed black-boned chickens by increasing serum growth hormone concentrations and modulating the expression of heat shock genes in organs of the immune system.

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SUMMARYThe molecular mechanism underlying the yellow seed trait has been a subject of quality breeding in Brassica. Thus, uncovering the biosynthetic pathway of proanthocyanidin (PA) accumulation in the Brassica seed coat is a promising research programme. Arabidopsis thaliana BANYULS (BAN) encodes anthocyanidin reductase, which is involved in seed coat pigmentation. In the current study, 2 and 4 BAN homologues were isolated using one pair of primers from Brassica nigra and Brassica juncea, respectively. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis showed that BAN was expressed abundantly in the seed coat of black seeds and in the embryos of all lines, but not in the seed coat of yellow seeds. Primers incorporating B genome-specific nucleotide variations were designed according to previously published BAN gene sequences of Brassica species to discern the BAN sequence located in B genome origin of Brassica using allele-specific PCR amplification. Proanthocyanidins were also detected by p-dimethylaminocinnamaldehyde staining and a butanol–hydrochloric acid (BuOH–HCl) colorimetric assay in the seed coat of black seeds, but not in the seed coat of yellow seeds. Anthocyanins were not also detected in the seed coat of Brassica species by the BuOH–HCl assay. Both transcriptional and chemical analyses suggested that BAN genes could be involved in both the biosynthesis of PAs and colour formation in the seed coat of Brassica species, whereas no expression of the BAN gene could block biosynthesis of PAs in the yellow seed coat.