This study was conducted to investigate the in vitro and in vivo antioxidant effect of Artemisia argyi powder (AAP). 240 mixed-sex one-day-old Arbor Acres broilers were randomly divided into five treatment groups, each consisting of six replicates (one replicate per cage) with eight broilers per replicate. Broilers were fed basal diets supplemented with 0, 2.5, 5, 10 and 20 g AAP per kg feed, respectively. The hepatic and intestinal samples were collected on d 21 and 42 for analysis of antioxidant indices and antioxidative enzyme gene expression. The in vitro results showed that the scavenging activity of Artemisia argyi against •OH and DPPH were 34.99±1.11% and 74.12±0.50%, respectively; the ferric reducing power was 2.58±0.03%. The in vivo results showed that dietary 20 g/kg of AAP significantly enhanced the hepatic total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), catalase (CAT) activity, and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity, also decreased the malondialdehyde (MDA) content; dietary10 g/kg of AAP significantly increased the gene expression of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and CAT on d 42. For the duodenum, 10 g/kg of AAP increased SOD activity (P<0.05), and reduced MDA level (P<0.05) on d 21; the gene expression of CAT and SOD were increased in the 20 g/kg of AAP treatment compared with the control group on d 42. For the jejunum, on d 21, the T-AOC level was increased by inclusion of 10 g/kg of AAP, and CAT activity was enhanced significantly at 5, 10, and 20 g/kg of AAP group; dietary AAP significantly decreased MDA level at the concentration of 2.5, 5, 10 and 20 g/kg in contrast with control group on d 42; 5 and 20 g/kg of AAP increased the gene expression of SOD on d 21, and the gene expression of GSH-Px was increased (P<0.05) in 10 g/kg of AAP group on d 42. For the ileum, compared to the control group, 2.5 and 20 g/kg of AAP increased SOD activity (P<0.05); and dietary 10 and 20 g/kg of AAP significantly reduced MDA level; dietary 10 g/kg of AAP increased the gene expression of SOD, CAT and GSH-Px in broilers on d 42. In conclusion, dietary AAP could improve the antioxidant defenses of liver and small intestine, and the best concentration of the AAP improving hepatic and small intestinal antioxidant status was 20 g/kg and 10 g/kg, respectively.
