Figure 2.

Effects of dietary supplements on the development of gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT) structures (Panel A), and intraepithelial lymphocytes infiltration (IEL; Panel B) and stromal lymphocyte infiltration (SL; Panel C) of mid-jejunum, and colon in piglets sacrificed 21 days after weaning. NC, PC, FRM. See legends for Table 1. ¹ Explanation for IEL score 0–3: 0—normal (0–10 IELs/100 enterocytes); 1—low (10–15 IELs/100 enterocytes); 2—moderate (15–20 IELs/100 enterocytes) suggesting subclinical inflammation; 3—severe (> 20 IELs/100 enterocytes) indicating chronic inflammation.² Explanation for SL score 0–3: 0—normal, presence of single lymphocytes in stroma of villus and crypts; 1—low, presence of an increased number of lymphocytes that do not obscure and damage the stromal structures; 2—moderate, presence of abundant lymphocyte infiltration of the stroma characterized by damaged blood vessels and connective tissue fibres, and reduced visibility stromal structures; 3—severe, excessive lymphocyte infiltration which completely disrupts and conceals the stroma. ^a,b Different letters indicate significant difference at p < 0.05.