Effect of Dietary Garlic Meal on Histological Structure of Small Intestine in Broiler Chickens

Abstract

This study was conducted to evaluate the e#ect of garlic (Allium sativum) meal on the intestinal mucosal morphology of broiler chickens between ,+ and ., days of age. A total of +2**, ,+ days old Ross-*2 broiler chicks were weighed and randomly allotted into *, *.+,/, *.,/, *./, + and ,ῌ dietary garlic meal groups of each +** birds. Experimental diets were formulated by addition of each level of garlic meal to commercial finisher mash diet (CP : ,*../ῌ, ME :-,+-* kcal/kg), and fed ad libitum for ,+ d. At day .,, +/ chicks from each treatment were randomly killed to obtain intestinal samples. Villus height, epithelial thickness, goblet cell numbers, crypt depth and the ratio of crypt depth to villus height in each intestinal segment were compared using a light microscope. Garlic meal as a feed additive significantly enhanced villus height and crypt depth and decreased epithelial thickness and goblet cell numbers in duodenum, jejunum and ileum of birds. Fundamentally, jejunum and ileum revealed an almost similar morphological alteration to that in the duodenum except that dietary garlic meal supplement resulted in an increase in the ratio of crypt depth to villus height in duodenum but a decrease in jejunum and ileum. In present study, small intestinal morphological changes in chickens due to dietary garlic meal supplement demonstrate that absorptive process could be activated by garlic meal as an antibiotics alternative growth promoter.

Effects of a phytogenic feed additive on growth performance, selected blood<br>criteria and jejunal morphology in broiler chickens

“…Accordingly, the villus height: crypt depth ratio was significantly higher in the birds fed the PFA compared to the control. These findings were consistent to Adibmoradi et al (2006) who reported that jejunal villus height was increased whereas crypt depths were decreased, leading to increased villus height: crypt depth ratio in birds fed graded levels of garlic meal. It has been suggested that longer villi would result in an increased surface area and higher absorption of available nutrients (Caspary, 1992;Yasar and Forbes, 1999).…”

“…Regarding the intestinal morphology, heavier chickens are generally associated with longer villi, greater villus width and higher villus surface area as compared to lighter ones (Adibmoradi et al, 2006;Incharoen et al, 2010). In the present study there were insignificantly increased villus heights and decreased crypt depths in the jejunum of birds receiving 150 mg/kg PFA compared to the control.…”

Improved performance due to dietary supplementation with selected herbal extracts of broiler chickens infected with <i>Eimeria</i> spp.

“…Presumably, the reduced mortality and similar body weight gain in the garlicsupplemented group (21 d of age) in comparison with the coccidiostat-supplemented one may be the result of garlic's ability to stimulate regeneration and improvement in the physiological condition of the intestinal epithelial layer. In the study of Adibmoradi et al (2006) the addition of garlic meal (0.5%, 1%, 2% of diet) enhanced villus height and crypt depth and decreased epithelial thickness and goblet cell numbers in the duodenum, jejunum and ileum of birds. Moreover, garlic administration resulted in an increased the villus:crypt ratio in the duodenum, which is an indicator of the digestive capacity and its increase corresponds to an increase in digestion and absorption of nutrients (Adibmoradi et al, 2006).…”

Effect of Sugar Cane Extract, Commercial Probiotic and their Mixture on Growth Performance and Intestinal Histology in Broiler Chickens

“…There is a strong relationship between intestinal mucosal histology and body weight change induced by intestinal function (Awad et al, 2006). Increases in villus length (Adibmoradi et al, 2006), villus width (Johnson and Jee, 1986), villus surface (Awad et al, 2006) and cell mitosis (Yamauchi et al, 2006) provide a greater surface area for higher nutrient absorptive potential and thus improve nutrient digestibility (Onderci et al, 2006). Conversely, short and narrow villi are associated with a decrease in body weight (Batal and Persons, 2002) and a reduction in the specific activity of the brush-border enzymes such as lactase and sucrase (Pluske et al, 1996) and mucosal enzymes such as peptidase and aminopeptidase (Hedmann et al, 2006).…”