Abstract: Purpose: To investigate the protective effect of curcumin on intestinal oxidative damage in weaning piglets with intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR). Methods: A total of 16 newborn piglets with normal birth mass (NBM) and 16 newborn piglets with IUGR, half male and half female were selected for this study. After weaning at the age of 26 days, these piglets, fed on a basal diet (diet 1) or the same diet supplemented with 400 mg/kg curcumin (diet 2), were allocated to 4 groups of 8 animals each: NBM + diet 1 (group N), NBM + diet 2 (group NC), IUGR + diet 1 (group I), and IUGR + diet 2 (group IC). Every piglets were fed to 50 d, slaughtered, sampled, and then tested for antioxidant index. Results: Compared with group I, group IC significantly reduced protein carbonyl (PC) and 8-hydroxy-2’-deoxyguanosine contents in jejunum tissue, and malondialdehyde and PC contents in ileum tissue (P < 0.05). Compared with group I, group IC showed a significant increase in total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), catalase (CAT) activity and glutathione (GSH) content in jejunum tissue (P < 0.05); a significant increase in CAT activity and a significant decrease in H2O2 content in ileum tissue (P < 0.05). Compared with group I, the mRNA expression levels of nuclear factor- erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), CAT, superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione S-transferase (GST) and NAD(P)H : quinone oxidoreductase l (NQO1) were significantly increased in jejunum tissue of group IC (P < 0.05), and the mRNA expression levels of Nrf2, GST, NQO1 and thioredoxin reductase 1 were significantly increased in ileum tissue (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Dietary addition of curcumin at a dose of 400 mg/kg can alleviate intestinal oxidative stress caused by IUGR and improve intestinal antioxidant status.

Key words: curcumin, intrauterine growth restriction, intestine, antioxidant, weanling piglets