Table 8. Relative gene expression levels of tight junction proteins and inflammatory cytokines in jejunum of broiler chickens fed experimental diets for 35 days1)

Treatment CON ZB SPL SEM p-value
Tight junction proteins, fold change
 ZO-1 1.00 1.70 1.46 0.198 0.483
 OCLD 1.00 0.93 0.96 0.054 0.889
 CLDN1 1.00 0.59 0.54 0.094 0.079
Inflammatory cytokine, fold change
 IL-1β 1.00a 0.66ab 0.42b 0.096 0.033
 TGF-β 1.00 0.70 0.99 0.072 0.130
 IFN-γ 1.00 1.19 0.75 0.102 0.174
Mean values represent 6 replicates per treatment; a chicken is the experimental unit.
CON, basal diet; ZB, 100 ppm of zinc bacitracin supplemented group; SPL, 250 ppm of sophorolipid supplemented group.
Different superscripts within the same row significantly differ (p < 0.05).
ZO-1, zona occludens-1; OCLD, occludin; CLDN1, claudin-1; IL-1β, interleukin-1β; TGF-β, transforming growth factor-β; IFN-γ, interferon-γ.