Peptides of the gastrointestinal tract play a significant role in the digestive processes and the development of the body; therefore, it is important to have an understanding of location and distribution of gastrin, somatostatin and glucagon immunoreactive (IR) cells in the stomach mucosa of growing birds. For this purpose, 6 embryos and 37 chicks from an ostrich farm in Latvia were used. Tissue samples were collected from the proventriculus - superficial and deep glandular region and from the ventriculus - side wall and pyloric region. The number of cells was determined in 10 mucosal fields of each tissue sample. For statistical analysis, the one-way anova method was used. Gastrin IR cells regarding the stomach mucosa were found only in the pyloric region. Somatostatin IR cells were most densely located in the pyloric region too, but some cells were also discovered in the mucosa of proventriculus and ventriculus. Glucagon IR cells were found in the epithelium of the deep glands of the proventriculus and only some cells of the superficial glands of the proventriculus, and the ventriculus side wall mucosa. Gastrin and somatostatin IR cells were present in a comparatively large quantity in the ostrich chicks' ventriculus - pyloric region yet not long before hatching. They were located deep in the mucosa of pyloric glands, and their number tended to increase with birds advancing in age.

The aim of our study was to evaluate the effects of Lactobacillus farciminis and Lactobacillus rhamnosus on live weight gain, feed consumption indicators, and some metabolic blood biochemical and meat quality indicators of specific pathogen-free Ross 308 broiler chickens. We carried out the study in three trials and included a total of 780 unsexed Ross 308 chickens, which we randomly divided into two groups: the control group (Con, n = 390, basal diet) and the probiotic group (ProL, n = 390, basal diet + a powder consisting of L. farciminis and L. rhamnosus 4 g/10 kg of feed). We raised broilers until day 35. We determined the amount of feed consumed, the average daily weight gain, the feed conversion ratio, the average daily feed intake, and the cumulative feed intake once a week. We collected blood samples from 45 broilers from each group at the end of the study. In addition, we slaughtered 30 broilers from each group by cervical dislocation to obtain a breast muscle sample (without skin) to determine meat quality in these chickens (cholesterol and unsaturated, omega-3, omega-6, omega-9, and saturated fatty acids). Feeding a probiotic mixture containing L. farciminis and L. rhamnosus did not significantly affect the growth and feed intake indicators. Feeding these probiotics significantly lowered the blood serum cholesterol levels but did not provide the expected reduction in meat cholesterol levels. However, feeding a probiotic mixture increased the levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids (omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids) in the breast meat and decreased saturated fatty acids. To better explain the effect of the combination of lactic acid bacteria (L. farciminis and L. rhamnosus) on the growth and development of broiler chickens in our study, histological and immunohistochemical examinations should be performed.