The role of fennel on DLK1 gene expression in sheep heart tissue

Fennel in animal diets for various purposes including improving weight gain, oxidative quality of meat, digestion and growth efficiency, closed cell volume, small intestine length and weight, carcass efficiency, feed intake, red blood cells and hemoglobin count, feed conversion, efficiency and health status and reduction of the total number of bacteria have been used. On the other hand, DLK1 gene plays an important role in controlling various processes throughout the fetus and adulthood. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of fennel on DLK1 gene expression in Kermani sheep heart using real-time PCR.

In this study, 30 male Kermani lambs (6-month-old) with almost the same weight were selected and randomly divided into three experimental groups (10 in each group). Experimental animals were fed freely and separately with three levels of fennel (0, 1 and 2%) for three months. After slaughtering, the heart weight and fat around the heart were measured and the heart tissue was sampled. RNA extraction and cDNA synthesis were performed using standard kits. The expression of DLK1 genes (target gene) and beta-actin gene (reference gene) was performed using proper primers using real-time PCR method and the results were analyzed with the appropriate software.

The results of quality assay of extracted RNAs on agarose gel and at A260 / A280 wavelength showed good quality of total RNA. The results of real-time PCR and electrophoresis of PCR products on agarose gel showed that DLK1 gene was expressed in heart tissue. Adding fennel to the diet did not significantly change the weight of the heart and the weight of fat around the heart compared to the control diet. The results showed that fennel nutrition at 1% and 2% levels significantly (P <0.05) increased DLK1 gene expression in heart tissue.

Based on the results, it can be concluded that fennel can be used in sheep diet to improve heart structure through positive effects on DLK1 gene expression. Since fennel has increased the expression level of DLK1 gene in heart tissue, it can be considered to improve heart function. It can be concluded that fennel can be used for different purposes in livestock, but for each effect in each tissue, more research should be done considering different genetic, epigenetic and physiological conditions to reach the distinct conclusion.