Figure 4

FMT from Artemisia argyi essential oil treated chicks alleviates S. pullorum infection in chicks. A Illustration of FMT. FMT model in S. pullorum-infected chicks (NC: chicks without FMT treatment; SP: S. pullorum-infected chicks; FMT + SP: supplementation of FMT in S. pullorum-infected chicks (n = 6). B–D Effect of FMT on GH (B), Ghrelin (C), and IGF-1 (D) levels in serum of S. pullorum-infected chicks (n = 6). E Evaluation of S. pullorum colonization in chick visceral after FMT treatment (n = 6). F–I Intestinal lesions and histopathological (H&E staining) representative images of lesions in FMT treated S. pullorum-infected chicks (F), the villus height (G), crypt length (H), V/C (I) of the ileum (n = 3). J–M The mRNA levels of chick ileum mucosal genes Claudin-1 (J), MUC-2 (K), Occludin (L) and ZO-1 (M) were assessed by qPCR (n = 3). N–S Inflammatory parameters of ileum from different groups, including IL-1β (N), IL-6 (O), IL-10 (P), NF-κB (Q), MDA (R) and SOD (S) concentrations were measured (n = 6). Data are expressed as the mean ± SD. *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01 vs the S. pullorum infection (SP) group.