The gut health of poultry is closely associated with feeds and feeding. The experiment was conducted to the effect of crude glycerol addition to diets of male broilers on the bacterial microflora and morphology of their small intestines (duodenum, jejunum and ileum). A total of 120 Ross 308 broiler chicks received diets containing 0% (GLY 0), 4% (GLY 4) or 8% (GLY 8) crude glycerol for 42 days. The presence of Coliform bacteria and Enterobacteria was reduced in the duodenal tract of the broilers of GLY 4 (P < 0.001); however, the presence of Staphylococci/Micrococci in the GLY 8 was reduced relative to the other groups (P < 0.001). The presence of Salmonella spp. decreased in conjunction with the increasing quantities of glycerol (P < 0.001). Analysis of the data regarding gut morphology (epithelial cell thickness, villi length and width, and crypt length and width) indicated that the glycerol levels fed to the different groups of broilers represented statistically different results in the small intestine. In general, whereas the diet with 4% glycerol statistically affected the investigated parameters of the gut, the diet with 8% glycerol statistically affected some segments of the broiler intestines.Keywords: glycerol, broilers, bacterial microflora, villi, crypt ImplicationsAlthough glycerol can be an attractive alternative energy source for animal feed, it has its own limitations in terms of lower energy content than oils, impurities and possible effects on the metabolic activity of the animals. There are still a number of unanswered questions about glycerol. One of the questions is what is the effect of glycerol on gut health? We wanted to investigate the potential physiological effects of glycerol on the intestine of broilers. This research was aimed at determining the effects of crude glycerol levels on the bacterial microflora and morphology of the small intestines in male broilers.

Summary In the present study, the effect of varied gossypol (GOSS) amounts was investigated on blood parameters, the digesta pH, villus height, villus width, and crypta depth, width of duodenum, jejunum and ileum. A total of one hundred eight Ross 308 male broilers were fed with four diet groups as follows: no gossypol (control), gossypol rate 62 mg/kg (GOSS 62), gossypol rate 124 mg/kg (GOSS 124) and gossypol rate 186 mg/kg (GOSS 186). The effect of used gossypol amounts on blood parameters was not found to be statistically significant. Increases in digesta pH values of jejunum and ileum with GOSS 186 diet group were found to be statistically significant. The results also indicated that, except duodenum villus height, there was no statistical difference effect of GOSS on epithelial cell thickness, villus height, villus width, crypta depth and crypta width of the duodenum, jejunum and ileum. There have been no clearly negative effects of higher gossypol amounts up to 186 mg/kg diets on these parameters.

Order Chiroptera is the second largest mammal group after rodents. An understanding of the development of the bats, which is a very special mammal group in terms of their lifestyles, morphology and their ability to fly, is very important because most of the adult anatomical differences characterizing species occur during organogenesis. In this study, developmental stages were determined for Myotis myotis species based on external morphological characteristics from embryos obtained from wild-caught pregnant females. The developmental stages of M. myotis were comparable with those of other bat species.

The aim of this study was to examine the histomorphometric and histochemical structure of oesophagus of the wild‐caught greater mouse‐eared bat M. myotis. For this purpose, 10 specimens of oesophagus were collected and processed. The oesophagus wall of M. myotis is composed of four layers: tunica mucosa, tunica submucosa, tunica muscularis and tunica adventitia. The mucosa is covered by a non‐keratinized stratified squamous epithelium. There were no glands in the wall of the oesophagus. Tunica muscularis is composed of two muscle layers: internal circular muscular layer and an external longitudinal muscular layer. Histochemical studies revealed that the oesophagus was AB/PAS and PAS positive indicating the presence of acidic and neutral mucosubstances. AB‐PAS staining shows that glycoproteins were predominant in the all examined layers of the oesophagus. Because of the absence of oesophageal glands in M. myotis, positive reaction with AB‐PAS staining may be due to secretion of salivary glands. Absence of oesophageal glands reflects the functional adaptation as high food passage rate for the insectivorous feeding habits of animals.

No abstract

We examined the histological structure of the kidneys of Myotis myotis to better understand their structural adaptations to dietary habits. M. myotis is an insectivorous bat species that belongs to the family Vespertilionidae. The kidneys of M. myotis are unilobular, bean‐shaped, and surrounded by a renal capsule. The two parts are distinguished by a thin cortex and a thicker medulla. Renal corpuscles consist of the glomerulus and Bowman's capsule. The proximal tubule consists of cubic cells with a well‐developed brush border, whereas the distal tubule is lined with a simple cubic epithelium without a brush border. The Henle's loop, located in the medullary region, was composed of flat cells. The microvilli of proximal tubule epithelial cells and basal lamina of proximal and distal tubule epithelial cells were periodic acid Schiff (PAS)‐positive. The PAS‐positive reaction of the microvilli of proximal tubular epithelial cells and basal lamina of proximal and distal tubule epithelial cells is due to the presence of glycogen, which may be used as an energy substrate during absorption. The presence of acidic glycoconjugates in the papilla was demonstrated by Alcian blue (pH 2.5)‐PAS staining. According to the result of silver impregnation staining, it was determined that reticular fibers form a dense fibrillary network in the kidney parenchymal tissue. Reticular fibers are responsible for demarcating and supporting the borders of cells by forming a thin network of fibrils beneath the basal lamina of the cells. Structural features in the kidney, such as a thin cortex and thicker medulla, long conical papilla, and division of the thick medulla into inner and outer regions, of M. myotis may be an adaptation to produce concentrated urine, thereby reducing water loss associated with insectivorous feeding habits.

In this study, normal hematologic values and some biochemical parameters were examined in wild-caught greater mouse-eared bat Myotis myotis (Borkhausen) captured from Koyunbaba Cave in the Kırklareli province, Turkey. Ten apparently healthy animals (five males and five females) were used to determine the hematology and plasma biochemistry parameters including, leucocyte (white blood cell) counts (WBC), hemoglobin (Hb), hematocrit (HCT), albumin (ALB), total protein (TP), cholesterol (CHO), glucose (GLU), triglycerides (TG), Urea (U), creatine (CREAT), alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate amino transferase (AST). No statistically significant differences were found between male and female animals for the analyzed parameters. Plasma total cholesterol concentration was similar with the those of other insectivorous bat species whereas extremely higher than frugivorous species. Also, triglyceride level was higher than the frugivorous bats. The high total cholesterol and triglyceride values in M. myotis reflect a protein-rich diet of insectivorous bat species. The values recorded in this study could be helpful in evaluating the physiologic and pathologic status of M. myotis in the wild for conservation and management of species.Özet: Bu çalışmada, Kırklareli ilindeki Koyunbaba Mağarası'ndan yakalanan büyük fare kulaklı yarasa Myotis myotis (Borkhausen)'te normal hematolojik değerler ve bazı biyokimyasal parametreler incelenmiştir. Lökosit (beyaz kan hücresi) sayıları (WBC), hemoglobin (Hb), hematokrit (HCT), albümin (ALB), total protein (TP), kolesterol (CHO), glikoz (GLU), trigliserit (TG), Üre (U), kreatin (CREAT), alanin transaminaz (ALT) ve aspartat amino transferazı (AST) içeren hematoloji ve plazma biyokimya parametrelerini belirlemek için görünüşte sağlıklı 10 hayvan (5 erkek ve 5 dişi) kullanılmıştır. Analiz edilen parametreler için erkek ve dişi hayvanlar arasında istatistiksel olarak anlamlı bir fark bulunmamıştır. Plazma total kolesterol konsantrasyonu, diğer böcekçil yarasa türlerininkine benzerken, meyve ile beslenen türlerden oldukça yüksektir. Ayrıca trigliserit seviyesi meyve ile beslenen yarasalardakinden daha yüksektir. Myotis myotis' teki yüksek total kolesterol ve trigliserit değerleri, böcekçil yarasa türlerinin protein açısından zengin beslenme şeklini yansıtmaktadır. Bu çalışmada kaydedilen değerler, türün korunması ve yönetimi için doğada M. myotis' in fizyolojik ve patolojik durumunun değerlendirilmesinde yardımcı olabilir.