1. To investigate the growth performance and histological intestinal alterations of Aigamo ducks fed on dietary combinations of zeolite, plant extract and vermiculite (ZEM, 14-d-old Aigamo ducks were divided into 4 groups, with 3 replicates of 3 male and 3 female ducks. They were fed ad libitum on a basal commercial duck mash diet with 0, 0.1, 0.5 and 1.0 g/kg dietary ZEM for 63 d. 2. Body weight gain tended to be higher for the 0.1 and 0.5 g/kg ZEM groups than for the control group at 9 weeks. 3. In light microscopic observation, most values of the intestinal villus height, villus area, cell area and cell mitosis numbers were higher in the ZEM group than those of the control in all intestinal segments, and the duodenal villus height, cell area and cell mitosis of the 0.5 g/kg ZEM group, as well as jejunal cell mitosis in the 0.1 g/kg ZEM group, increased (P < 0.05). In the scanning electron microscope results, all ZEM groups showed protuberant epithelial cells and cell clusters on the villus apical surface of the duodenum and ileum. In the jejunum, villus gyri were frequently observed in the 0.1 g/kg ZEM group. These histological intestinal alterations suggest that intestinal villi and epithelial cellular functions might have been activated. 4. From the present results, dietary ZEM showed hypertrophied functions of intestinal villi and epithelial cells at the duodenum and ileum, and the 0.1 and 0.5 g/kg levels improved body weight gain. These suggest that the ZEM can be supplemented until a level of 1.0 g/kg.

1. The effect of a low dietary chitosan content (06 g/kg) on growth performance, carcase quality, visceral organs and intestinal morphology was studied. 2. A total of 24 male Marshall Chunky broiler chicks were fed on a commercial basal diet with 0 (control) and 06 g/kg chitosan until 7 weeks of age. Body weight gain and feed intake were higher in the chitosan group but there were no differences in feed efficiency and breast meat, drumsticks and visceral organ weights. 3. There were no difference in intestinal villus height, villus area, cell area or cell mitosis except for significantly increased duodenal cell mitosis and ileal villus area in the chitosan group. 4. In the chitosan group, epithelial cells on the villus apical surface in the duodenum showed many kinds of morphological patterns such as protuberated cells, cell clusters, and deeper cells at sites of recently exfoliated cells. The ileal villus apical surface had protuberated cells, and most cells were attached by segmented filamentous bacteria. These villi showing rough surface of the duodenum and ileum were more in the chitosan group than in the control, although not statistically significant. 5. These results suggest that a low content of dietary chitosan improved growth performance, and this may be attributed due to the presence of hypertrophied villi and epithelial cells.

The objective of the present study was to investigate the e ects of a low percentage of dietary chitosan on growth performance, carcass quality, plasma cholesterol, triacylglycerol levels, and the concentration of plasma very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) levels in broilers. Three hundred and sixty male Arbor Acre broiler chicks were randomly allotted into groups with replicates of chickens per replicate. Chitosan was supplemented to a basal diet at (control),. ,. and. for weeks. Basal diet was starter (CP, kcal/kg ME) at weeks, grower (CP, kcal/kg ME) at weeks and then changed to finisher (CP, kcal/kg ME) until weeks. Compared with the control, body weight, feed e ciency, and weights of drumstick and breast tended to increase in all chitosan groups, although not statistically significant. The weight of visceral organs and the total plasma cholesterol, triacylglycerol and VLDL levels did not show a significant di erence among the groups. These results suggest a low level of dietary chitosan tended to improve growth performance. These results suggest that a low level of dietary chitosan diet for broilers cannot reduce the total plasma cholesterol, but tended to have better growth performance. : body weight, broiler chickens, chitosan, feed intake, plasma lipid

No abstract

To investigate the growth performance and small intestinal histological changes in chickens fed sugar cane extract (SCE), 42 layer-type chicks were divided into three groups of 0, 0.05, and 0.10% dietary SCE diets. The growth performance tended to be better in all dietary SCE groups. Intestinal villus height, villus area, cell area and cell mitosis number of the duodenum showed a higher values in all the SCE groups, and the cell area of 0.10% SCE group and cell mitosis of all the SCE groups were higher than the 0% SCE group (P<0.05). After feeding of dietary SCE, protuberated cells and aggregation of protuberated cells were found in the duodenum and jejunum, as well as segmented fi lamentous bacteria appeared in the ileum. These suggest that the dietary SCE might be induce the structural hypertrophy of intestinal villi and epithelial cells on villus tip surface, resulting in the 5-6% heavier body weight gain in the SCE groups than the control.