Research Article

Organ-Specific Oxidative Responses in Broilers Reared on Agricultural By-Product Litters

Volume: 15 Number: 3 September 23, 2026
TR EN

Organ-Specific Oxidative Responses in Broilers Reared on Agricultural By-Product Litters

Abstract

The use of agricultural by-products as alternatives to wood shavings in poultry production is increasing due to lower cost and easier availability. However, although most studies focus on performance and welfare, evidence regarding oxidative status, which plays a central role in regulating animal performance, welfare, and disease resilience, remains limited. This study evaluated the effects of alternative litter materials on oxidative status in broiler internal organs. A total of 480 male Ross 308 broilers (Gallus gallus domesticus) were assigned to five litter treatments (n=96): wood shavings (control), rice husk, wheat straw, corn stalk, and cotton stalk. On day 42, 16 broilers per group were euthanised, and the heart, liver, thymus, and bursa of Fabricius were collected. Tissue malondialdehyde, an indicator of oxidative damage, along with the enzymatic antioxidant catalase and the non-enzymatic antioxidant glutathione, were measured spectrophotometrically. Litter type was associated with organ-specific changes in selected oxidative and antioxidant biomarkers rather than a generalized pattern across tissues. In heart tissue, malondialdehyde levels were significantly higher in the corn stalk group, while antioxidant parameters remained unchanged. In the thymus, rice husk increased malondialdehyde levels together with catalase activity. In conclusion, the present findings suggest that certain alternative litter materials may be associated with organ-specific changes in selected oxidative and antioxidant biomarkers, while others show profiles comparable to wood shavings under the conditions of this study.

Keywords

Supporting Institution

The authors received no financial support for the research.

Ethical Statement

The study was approved by the Aydin Adnan Menderes University Animal Experiments Local Ethics Committee (committee decision no: 64583101/2025/072, 2025 V. session, date: 22.05.2025).

Thanks

The ARRIVE (Animal Research: Reporting of In Vivo Experiments) checklist was applied in the preparation of this report (Percie du Sert et al., 2020). The authors gratefully acknowledge Assoc. Prof. Mehmet Kaya for his contributions to the experimental phase of the study and his support with the statistical analyses, and Prof. Evrim Dereli Fidan for her assistance in conducting the experimental work. The authors used ChatGPT (OpenAI, GPT-5.4 Thinking) and Gemini (Google, 3 Pro) for language improvement.

References

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Veterinary Anatomy and Physiology

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

September 23, 2026

Submission Date

April 13, 2026

Acceptance Date

June 16, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 15 Number: 3

APA
Koç, E., Aykoç Göçer, M., & Derdiyok, E. F. (2026). Organ-Specific Oxidative Responses in Broilers Reared on Agricultural By-Product Litters. Harran University Journal of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, 15(3), 150-158. https://doi.org/10.31196/huvfd.1927550
AMA
1.Koç E, Aykoç Göçer M, Derdiyok EF. Organ-Specific Oxidative Responses in Broilers Reared on Agricultural By-Product Litters. Harran Univ Vet Fak Derg. 2026;15(3):150-158. doi:10.31196/huvfd.1927550
Chicago
Koç, Ece, Miray Aykoç Göçer, and Engin Furkan Derdiyok. 2026. “Organ-Specific Oxidative Responses in Broilers Reared on Agricultural By-Product Litters”. Harran University Journal of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine 15 (3): 150-58. https://doi.org/10.31196/huvfd.1927550.
EndNote
Koç E, Aykoç Göçer M, Derdiyok EF (September 1, 2026) Organ-Specific Oxidative Responses in Broilers Reared on Agricultural By-Product Litters. Harran University Journal of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine 15 3 150–158.
IEEE
[1]E. Koç, M. Aykoç Göçer, and E. F. Derdiyok, “Organ-Specific Oxidative Responses in Broilers Reared on Agricultural By-Product Litters”, Harran Univ Vet Fak Derg, vol. 15, no. 3, pp. 150–158, Sept. 2026, doi: 10.31196/huvfd.1927550.
ISNAD
Koç, Ece - Aykoç Göçer, Miray - Derdiyok, Engin Furkan. “Organ-Specific Oxidative Responses in Broilers Reared on Agricultural By-Product Litters”. Harran University Journal of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine 15/3 (September 1, 2026): 150-158. https://doi.org/10.31196/huvfd.1927550.
JAMA
1.Koç E, Aykoç Göçer M, Derdiyok EF. Organ-Specific Oxidative Responses in Broilers Reared on Agricultural By-Product Litters. Harran Univ Vet Fak Derg. 2026;15:150–158.
MLA
Koç, Ece, et al. “Organ-Specific Oxidative Responses in Broilers Reared on Agricultural By-Product Litters”. Harran University Journal of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, vol. 15, no. 3, Sept. 2026, pp. 150-8, doi:10.31196/huvfd.1927550.
Vancouver
1.Ece Koç, Miray Aykoç Göçer, Engin Furkan Derdiyok. Organ-Specific Oxidative Responses in Broilers Reared on Agricultural By-Product Litters. Harran Univ Vet Fak Derg. 2026 Sep. 1;15(3):150-8. doi:10.31196/huvfd.1927550