LEAP2 expression in chicken liver and intestine varies with feeding state and body weight, and injected LEAP2 regulates feed intake — positioning it as a key appetite control peptide in poultry.
Feed intake modulated by LEAP2Antimicrobial peptide doubles as appetite regulator in poultry
What the researchers found
LEAP2 expression varies with feeding state and body weight in broilers, and intraperitoneally injected LEAP2 modulates feed intake in chicks, confirming its role in avian appetite regulation.
Why it matters
Feed efficiency is the largest cost in poultry production. Understanding LEAP2's role in appetite regulation could lead to strategies for optimizing feed conversion in commercial poultry.
How the study worked
Gene expression analysis across feeding states and body weights in adult broilers; intraperitoneal injection of LEAP2 and ghrelin in chicks with feed intake measurement.
What this study cannot tell us
Poultry model — direct translation to human appetite regulation uncertain; intraperitoneal injection doesn't reflect normal physiological signaling; broiler chickens may have altered metabolic regulation from selective breeding.
How to read the evidence
Controlled animal study with gene expression and functional injection experiments — solid evidence in avian model.
When this study was published
Published in 2026, expanding understanding of LEAP2's metabolic role beyond antimicrobial function.
The bigger picture
LEAP2 was originally known as an antimicrobial peptide but is increasingly recognized as a metabolic hormone. Its appetite-regulating role in birds parallels findings in mammals, suggesting conserved gut-brain signaling.
Questions still open
- Could LEAP2-based strategies improve feed efficiency in commercial poultry operations?
- Does LEAP2 interact with other appetite hormones like CCK or PYY in birds?
Common questions
What is LEAP2?
Why study appetite in chickens?
Read the original research
Changes of chicken liver-enriched antimicrobial peptide 2 across feeding states and body weight and its regulatory role in feed intake.
British poultry science, 67(1), 151-158
Citation
Chen, Z; Liu, L; Shu, X; Wang, H; Xu, B; Zhang, J; Wang, M; Shen, M; Zheng, X; Chen, J. (2026). Changes of chicken liver-enriched antimicrobial peptide 2 across feeding states and body weight and its regulatory role in feed intake.. British poultry science, 67(1), 151-158. https://doi.org/10.1080/00071668.2025.2527227