No abstract

This study was conducted to establish the relationship between histological alterations of the intestinal villus and intestinal function, and to histologically assess the enteral nutrient absorption of raw pigeon pea seed meal (PM). Piglets were allotted into five groups: feed withdrawal for 3 days or 5 days, refeeding soybean meal (SM) or PM for 2 days after the 3-day fast, and access ad libitum to conventional feed for the last 2 days without fasting. After the end of each experiment, the intestinal segment and duodenum of each piglet were processed and examined by light and scanning electron microscopy, respectively. After fasting, villus height, cell area and cell mitosis number were decreased in most parts of each intestinal segment, and duodenal villus tips had a smooth surface. After refeeding SM or PM, the decrease in body weight improved, but there was not a significant difference between them. The atrophic morphology of the intestine was reversed by refeeding SM, suggesting that the intestinal villi might be activated by absorption of SM. On the other hand, in the piglets refed PM, the recovery of light microscopic parameters and duodenal villus tip morphology was less clear than with SM. The present histological results suggest that although the absorption of PM is less than that of SM, the PM nutrients might be effectively absorbed, even in the raw form, and establish that in pigs intestinal histological alterations correspond well with intestinal absorptive function.

To evaluate the effect of dietary dried fermented ginger (DFG) on intestinal villous histological alteration and growth performance, 64 Marshall Chunky male broilers were divided into four groups, each with four replicates of four chickens. Birds were fed the basal commercial mash diet supplemented with DFG at 0 (control), 5, 10 and 20 g/kg for 42 days. With increasing dietary DFG levels, feed intake tended to decrease and significantly decreased in the 20 g/kg DFG group (p < 0.05). Weight gain was higher in all the DFG groups, with the highest in the 10 g/kg DFG group (p < 0.05), resulting in an improved feed efficiency in all the DFG groups. Intestinal villus height, villus area, cell area and cell mitosis in all the intestinal segments were higher in all the DFG groups than in the control group. Protuberated cells and cell clusters were found in all the DFG groups, suggesting that the intestinal villi and cells might be hypertrophied. The present results indicate that dietary DFG can be used as a natural feed additive to induce broiler growth performance as a result of stimulation of morphological maturation and in consequence intestinal function.

To investigate the effects of dietary pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan L.) seed meal (PM) on growth performance in early life stage of pigs and whether the raw PM could be used as a plant protein resource, 32 piglets were randomly allotted into 0, 10, 20 and 30% dietary PM groups of 8 pigs (2 pigs attained to the final 30kg body weight. Then, the composition of basal diet was changed from piglet diet to growing pig (30-60kg) diet. In both experimental feeding periods, feed intake, body weight gain, feeding period (day) until respective final body weights and feed conversion ratio were measured. Up to 20% PM group in growing pigs, there was no definite difference in the feed intake between each group, but the body weight gain tended to insignificantly decrease with the increasing dietary PM level, resulting in the insignificant increase of the feeding period and feed conversion ratio. However, all parameters significantly changed (P<0.05) at 30% PM level in growing pigs except in the feed conversion ratio which showed a significant difference (P<0.05) between 10 and 30% PM levels.This suggests that as a plant protein source the PM could be incorporated beyond the 30% level for piglet diet (53.4% substitution rate of PM for soybean meal) and up to the 20% level for growing pig diet (76% substitution rate of PM for soybean meal) and that the effective utilization of PM enables to reduce the feed cost in pig production.

1. Fermented plant product (FPP) is a natural fermented food which is produced from a mixture of fermented fruit and vegetables, and rice bran (1:9). 2. To investigate the effects of FPP on growth performance, some blood variables, carcase characteristics and intestinal histology were determined in 192 broilers. They were divided into 4 groups, with 4 replicates of 12 chicks each; the chicks were provided ad libitum access to a diet consisting of 0, 0·5, 2·0 and 4·0% dietary FPP. 3. The crude protein and metabolisable energy concentrations of these diets were adjusted to 230 g CP/kg and 13·40 MJ ME/kg for the 7 to 21 d old chicks, and 200 g CP/kg and 13·40 MJ ME/kg for the 22 to 49 d old chicks, respectively. 4. At 49 d of age, feed intake, body weight gain and feed efficiency tended to increase with increase in FPP concentrations. Feed intake increased in the 4·0% dietary FPP group, BW gain increased in the 2·0% and 4·0% dietary FPP groups and feed efficiency increased in all experimental groups. 5. There were no differences among diets in the blood variables and carcase characteristics, except for total visceral organ weight, increased in all experimental groups. 6. Most of the intestinal villus heights, villus areas, epithelial cell areas and cell mitosis tended to increase with increase in FPP concentrations; duodenal villus height and cell mitosis in the 2·0 and 4·0% dietary FPP groups, and jejunal cell mitosis in all experimental groups were significantly increased. Compared with flat cells on the villus apical surface in the 0% FPP group, all experimental groups had protuberant cells in all intestinal parts. 7. In conclusion, hypertrophy of the villi and epithelial cells was observed in the present study, indicating improved growth performance, especially in the 4·0% dietary FPP group. Furthermore, increased total visceral organ weights suggested that FPP has no harmful effects on broilers.