In poultry production, nutrient digestion and absorption in the intestine generate reactive oxygen species (ROS), which disrupt antioxidant balance in the intestinal mucosa and trigger oxidative stress. Diquat, a bipyridyl herbicide, exacerbates intestinal oxidative injury by inducing excessive ROS production. Both selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) and curcumin are widely used feed additives with proven antioxidant and growth-promoting properties that target inflammation and apoptosis pathways. Their combined use may yield stronger synergistic protection against oxidative damage and help maintain intestinal barrier integrity. The present research investigated the protective efficacy of co-supplementing SeNPs and curcumin against diquat-induced oxidative stress in broilers, specifically focusing on their impact on redox balance, gut barrier integrity, and underlying signaling pathways. Results showed that, compared with the diquat-only group (apoptosis rate: 93.12%±0.04), co-supplementation of SeNPs (1.0mg/kg) with curcumin (150 or 300mg/kg) markedly reduced jejunal cell apoptosis (48.03%±0.06 and 38.06%±0.05, respectively; P<0.01), with greater efficacy than either compound alone. RT-qPCR analysis revealed that the combination significantly suppressed mRNA expression of key genes in the apoptotic and NF-κB pathways at 24h and 7 days post-diquat challenge. Collectively, SeNPs and curcumin act synergistically to mitigate diquat-induced oxidative stress and enhance jejunal antioxidant capacity in broilers primarily by inhibiting apoptosis and NF-κB signaling.

To Cite This Article: Zuo R, Sun Z and Liu Y, 2026. Selenium nanoparticles synergistically with curcumin to attenuate Diquat-induced broiler intestinal oxidative stress via NF-κB & apoptotic pathways. Pak Vet J, 46(7): 1810-1818. http://dx.doi.org/10.29261/pakvetj/2026.174