Supplementation of glutamine and vitamin E on the morphometry of the intestinal mucosa in broiler chickens

Poult Sci. 2007 Mar;86(3):488-95. doi: 10.1093/ps/86.3.488.

Abstract

The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the influence of Gln and vitamin E (VE) supplementation in the diet of broiler chickens (Cobb-Vantress) on the morphometry of the intestinal mucosa. The design was completely randomized in a 2 x 3 (VE x periods of administering Gln) factorial arrangement. The levels of VE used were 10 and 500 mg/kg of diet and 3 periods of administering (1%) Gln-supplemented starter diet (for the first 7 or 14 d of life or for no added Gln), totaling 6 treatments with 5 replicates of 50 birds per experimental unit. In the growth period (d 22 to 41 posthatch), the treatments consisted only in the respective levels of VE. On d 7, 14, 21, and 41 posthatch, 2 birds per replicate were killed, and samples of the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum were subsequently removed, fixed in Bouin solution, and later embedded in paraffin and stained with hematoxylin-eosin. The parameters analyzed were villus height and crypt depth. An ANOVA was applied to the obtained data, and the means were compared using Tukey's test (5% significance level). Greater development was observed in the duodenum, followed by the jejunum and ileum. On 41 d of life, diets with 10 mg of VE/kg supplemented with Gln (for the first 7 d of life) provided better development of the intestinal mucosa in broiler chickens.

Publication types

  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aging
  • Animal Feed
  • Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena
  • Animals
  • Chickens / metabolism*
  • Diet / veterinary
  • Dietary Supplements
  • Duodenum / anatomy & histology
  • Duodenum / growth & development
  • Glutamine / pharmacology*
  • Ileum / anatomy & histology
  • Ileum / growth & development
  • Intestinal Mucosa / anatomy & histology*
  • Intestinal Mucosa / drug effects*
  • Jejunum / anatomy & histology
  • Jejunum / growth & development
  • Male
  • Vitamin E / pharmacology*

Substances

  • Glutamine
  • Vitamin E