Influence of Short Term Fasting on Chicken Alimentary Canal Mucosa

Abstract

Little is known about the physiological effects of short-term fasting in avian species. The present study was developed to examine the alimentary mucosal changes in fasted birds by scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Chickens of various ages were fasted for periods of 3, 5, and 7 days. Water was provided ad libitum. At the end of the fasting periods the birds were sacrificed along with ad libitum fed controls. Tissue samples from crop, duodenum, and ileum were processed by standard methods for scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM and TEM). The SEM samples were prepared by vacuum drying methods. The TEM samples were embedded in Spurrs embedding medium. Mucosal sloughing was observed in the crop and small intestine with SEM only in fasted birds. With TEM, separation was observed between the mucosal cells of fasted birds with membranous whorls in these spaces. Sloughed cells may be an endogenous protein source for the fasting bird.

Gross and Ultra-Structural Studies on the Large Intestine of Uttara Fowl

“…The study of avian gastrointestinal tract anatomy is still in its infancy and needs to be further explored as it plays a vital role in feed utilization which ultimately affects the overall productivity of the bird. There are many nutritional reports on the avian intestinal system but very little is known about the detailed anatomy of large intestine (Bayer et al, 1981;Turk, 1982). Different fields of veterinary and animal sciences are dependent on the anatomy and histology of body organs (Argenzio, 1980).…”

The Activities of Phosphatases and Aminotransferases in the Epithelium of the Small Intestine and Caecum of White Rock Cockerels During Starvation

“…While some research has been directed toward investigating the effects of fasting on chicken alimentary tract mucosa (BAYER et al, 1981), there is a paucity of information on the various metabolic enzyme activities of the cells of the mucosa of various segments of the intestine in domestic birds after a total feed restriction or short-term fasting. This study was undertaken to determine alkaline phosphatase (ALP, EC 3.1.3.1), acid phosphatase (ACP, EC 3.1.3.2), aspartate aminotransferase (ASAT, EC 2.6.1.1) and alanine aniinotransferase (ALAT, EC 2.6.1.2) in the mucosal epithelia of duodenum, jejunum, and caecum of fed, off-fed and re-fed adult male broiler chickens and related to the absorptive function of the intestine during prolonged fasting.…”

Evaluating effects of zinc hydroxychloride on biomarkers of inflammation and intestinal integrity during feed restriction

“…The short-term FR that accompanies these situations independently affects gastrointestinal permeability and pathogen translocation (Zhang et al, 2013;Pearce et al, 2015;Kvidera et al, 2017a,c). Feed restriction decreases intestinal cell number, proliferation, and migration rates, simultaneously increasing cell loss and apoptosis (Bayer et al, 1981;Goodlad et al, 1988;Ferraris and Carey, 2000). Consequently, villus height and mucosal surface area are reduced, and, ultimately, intestinal barrier function is compromised (Mayhew, 1990;Ferraris and Carey, 2000).…”