Pectin is a dietary fibre composed of galacturonic acid, primarily found in the citrus fruits' cell walls. Citrus pectin (CP) has demonstrated antioxidative, anticancer, and anti-inflammatory properties in humans and animals. In broilers, CP supplementation improves energy utilization and nutrient digestibility, but limited information on its effects on chicken immunity is available so far. This study aimed to assess the in vitro impact of CP on chicken monocytes' immune response. Cells were purified from whole blood of healthy chickens and incubated with increasing concentrations (0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1 mg/mL) of CP to determine CP working concentration. The effects of different CP concentrations on cells' apoptosis and viability were assessed by measuring caspase-3 and -7 and the cells' metabolic activity (MTT assay), respectively. CP had no dose-dependent effect on monocyte apoptosis and viability.Then, the effects of CP (0.5 mg/mL) on chicken monocytes' chemotaxis and phagocytosis were assessed by measuring transwell migration and fluorescein-labelled E. coli incorporation, respectively. CP inhibited both monocytes' chemotaxis and phagocytosis.These data demonstrate that CP exerts an immunomodulatory role in chicken monocytes, supporting its integration in nutrition strategies that might be beneficial for the animal's immunity and health.

果胶是一种由半乳糖醛酸组成的膳食纤维，主要存在于柑橘类水果的细胞壁中。柑橘果胶 (CP) 已在人类和动物身上显示出抗氧化、抗癌和抗炎特性。在肉鸡中，CP 补充剂可提高能量利用和营养消化率，但目前关于其对鸡免疫力影响的信息有限。本研究旨在评估体外CP对鸡单核细胞免疫反应的影响。从健康鸡的全血中纯化细胞，并与浓度增加（0、0.25、0.5、0.75、1 mg/mL）的 CP 一起孵育以确定 CP 工作浓度。通过分别测量 caspase-3 和 -7 以及细胞的代谢活性（MTT 测定）来评估不同 CP 浓度对细胞凋亡和活力的影响。CP对单核细胞凋亡和生存力没有剂量依赖性影响。然后，通过测量transwell迁移和荧光素标记的大肠杆菌来评估CP（0.5 mg / mL）对鸡单核细胞趋化性和吞噬作用的影响分别成立。CP 抑制单核细胞的趋化性和吞噬作用。这些数据表明 CP 在鸡单核细胞中发挥免疫调节作用，支持其整合到可能有益于动物免疫和健康的营养策略中。