Table 4.
Effects of NCLI (2%) and MCLI (2%) on the morphology (μm) of the intestinal mucosa in broilers
| Items | Diet treatments
|
SEM | p value | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Control2 | NCLI2 | MCLI2 | |||
| 1 to 21 d | |||||
| Jejunum | |||||
| Villus height (μm) | 818.78a | 904.96b | 969.35c | 12.62 | 0.002 |
| Crypt depth (μm) | 123.00 | 114.17 | 106.03 | 3.80 | 0.194 |
| Villus height:crypt depth | 6.66a | 7.93ab | 9.16b | 0.31 | 0.003 |
| Ileum | |||||
| Villus height (μm) | 517.83a | 549.32b | 570.76b | 6.21 | 0.001 |
| Crypt depth (μm) | 131.49 | 118.74 | 105.06 | 5.68 | 0.166 |
| Villus height:crypt depth | 3.95a | 4.66ab | 5.45b | 0.23 | 0.012 |
| 22 to 42 d | |||||
| Jejunum | |||||
| Villus height (μm) | 1,054.94a | 1,193.63b | 1,344.99c | 14.69 | 0.001 |
| Crypt depth (μm) | 146.44 | 134.53 | 121.22 | 4.75 | 0.091 |
| Villus height:crypt depth | 7.21a | 8.88ab | 10.13b | 0.38 | 0.001 |
| Ileum | |||||
| Villus height (μm) | 789.49a | 844.64b | 902.55b | 9.27 | 0.002 |
| Crypt depth (μm) | 148.44 | 128.55 | 125.13 | 4.27 | 0.051 |
| Villus height:crypt depth | 5.32a | 6.57ab | 7.21b | 0.23 | 0.001 |
1
Data represent means from 8 replicates per treatment, SEM = Standard error of mean.
2
Control = Basal diet; NCLI = Basal diet supplemented with 2% natural Clinoptilolite; MCLI = Basal diet supplemented with 2% formic acid modified clinoptilolite.
3
Means with different superscript letters in the same line differ significantly; Lowercases represent p<0.05.