# Effects of Dendrobium officinale Leaf Powder on Bone Health and Bone Metabolism in Laying Hens

## TL;DR

This study explores how adding Dendrobium officinale leaf powder to the diet of laying hens may support bone health and metabolism, though it did not significantly improve bone mass.

## Contribution

The study introduces Dendrobium officinale leaf powder as a potential natural supplement to modulate bone metabolism in laying hens.

## Key findings

- Dietary supplementation with Dendrobium officinale leaf powder showed upward trends in bone strength and density, though not statistically significant.
- Low-dose supplementation increased VEGFA gene expression, while high-dose increased TGF-β1, both linked to bone metabolism.
- Molecular changes were observed without corresponding improvements in bone mass.

## Abstract

Laying hens kept in cages often experience bone weakness, which increases the risk of fractures and can negatively affect their productivity and welfare. In this study, we evaluated whether adding leaves of Dendrobium officinale, a traditional medicinal plant, to the diet could help support bone health. Although 16 weeks of supplementation did not lead to clear improvements in bone mass, including bone strength and bone density, several indicators showed upward numerical trends. In addition, the dietary supplement influenced key molecular markers of bone metabolism. Notably, hens receiving the low-dose diet exhibited higher expression of VEGFA, a gene involved in vascular development within bone tissue, while the high-dose diet significantly increased the expression of TGF-β1, a cytokine linked to bone remodeling. Other genes showed small numerical increases but no statistical differences. These results suggest that D. officinale may help promote healthy bone metabolic processes at the molecular level. As a natural plant-derived additive, it may offer a safe and sustainable approach to improving the health and welfare of laying hens.

Dendrobium officinale Kimura et Migo (D. officinale) is a traditional Chinese medicinal herb with recognized anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and immunomodulatory properties. This study evaluated whether dietary supplementation with D. officinale leaf powder could influence bone mass, mechanical strength, and molecular markers of bone metabolism in caged laying hens. A total of 192 healthy 19-week-old Jinghong No. 1 hens were randomly assigned to three dietary groups: a control group fed a basal diet and two treatment groups supplemented with 1200 or 3600 mg/kg of D. officinale leaf powder for 16 weeks. Tibial and femoral bone strength and mineral density did not differ significantly among treatments (p > 0.05). However, tibial breaking strength displayed upward trends in both supplemented groups (p = 0.08), and similar tendencies were observed for femoral bone mineral content and bone density (p = 0.08). At the molecular level, dietary supplementation produced selective changes in gene expression. The low-dose diet significantly increased VEGFA expression (p < 0.05), whereas the high-dose diet resulted in significantly higher TGF-β1 expression (p < 0.05). Several other genes related to bone formation, bone resorption, or cytokine signaling exhibited numerical increases but did not reach statistical significance. These findings indicate that D. officinale leaf powder may modulate bone metabolic processes at the transcriptional level, although these molecular alterations were not accompanied by significant improvements in bone mass.