Table 2.
Experiment 1. Live body weights (g), weights of immune organs, and measurements of jejunal and ileal area and Peyer's patches (PP) and concentration of MUC2 mRNA expression of 8 wk old Hy-Line Brown layer strain pullets given diets containing different types of fiber for 4 wk (Mean, pooled SEM, n = 12 for live body and immune organ weights, n = 8 for jejunal and ileal area and PP measurements, n = 5 for mRNA expression of MUC2).
| Treatment | C1 | MF2 | IF3 | Pooled SEM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial body weight† | 350.5 | 357.8 | 351.9 | 2.41 |
| Body weight (8 wk age)† | 647.9a | 696.3b | 717.5b | 8.5 |
| Absolute weights (g) | ||||
| Bursa of Fabricius | 3.2a | 4.0b | 4.1b | 0.1 |
| Thymus glands | 4.6a | 5.4b | 5.6b | 0.1 |
| Spleen | 2.6a | 2.9a | 3.4b | 0.1 |
| Relative weights (%) | ||||
| Bursa of Fabricius | 0.50a | 0.57b | 0.58b | 0.01 |
| Thymus glands | 0.70a | 0.77b | 0.78b | 0.01 |
| Spleen | 0.40a | 0.42a,b | 0.47b | 0.01 |
| Jejunum + ileum area (cm2) | 109.6a | 119.2a,b | 125.3b | 2.7 |
| Number of PP | 8.9a | 10.9a,b | 11.6b | 0.5 |
| Area of PP (cm2) | 1.8a | 2.7b | 2.9b | 0.1 |
| relative area of PP (% of area of jejunum + ileum) | 1.6a | 2.2b | 2.4b | 0.1 |
| MUC2 mRNA expression | 14.6a | 15.5a,b | 17.9b | 0.6 |
a,bMeans within the same row with different superscripts differ significantly (P < 0.05).
1= control diet (no added MF or IF).
2= mixed soluble and insoluble fiber (MF) diet containing 1% OptiCell C5.
3= insoluble fiber (IF) diet containing 1% Arbocel RC fine.
†Standard range of body weights at 4 wk (initial body weight) = 257 to 273 g and at 8 wk = 650 to 690 g (Hy-Line International, 2014).