TABLE 4.
Effects of dietary supplementation with organic acids on the intestinal morphology and goblet cell density of broilers on day 42.
| Items1 | NC | PC | OA | SEM | P-value |
| Duodenum | |||||
| VH (μm) | 1703.66 | 1646.10 | 1807.55 | 49.51 | 0.426 |
| CD (μm) | 225.83 | 237.50 | 201.30 | 7.11 | 0.103 |
| VH/CD | 7.64 | 7.21 | 9.06 | 0.36 | 0.089 |
| GC | 20.48 | 17.78 | 20.12 | 1.00 | 0.511 |
| Jejunum | |||||
| VH (μm) | 942.83 | 1156.07 | 1106.70 | 39.11 | 0.073 |
| CD (μm) | 219.39 | 248.25 | 209.27 | 8.38 | 0.133 |
| VH/CD | 4.70 | 4.59 | 5.58 | 0.24 | 0.204 |
| GC | 17.51ab | 12.73b | 21.48a | 1.17 | 0.035 |
| Ileum | |||||
| VH (μm) | 584.13b | 741.09a | 766.86a | 32.26 | 0.028 |
| CD (μm) | 127.86 | 142.88 | 126.24 | 4.84 | 0.302 |
| VH/CD | 5.01 | 5.10 | 5.24 | 0.17 | 0.874 |
| GC | 20.12 | 26.06 | 26.48 | 1.25 | 0.074 |
a,bMeans within a row with no common superscript differ significantly (n = 8; P < 0.05).1NC, negative control supplied with the basal diets; PC, positive control supplied with the basal diets and 5 mg/kg flavomycin; OA, the basal diets supplied with 0.3% (day 0–21) and 0.2% (day 22–42) organic acids feed additives; VH, villus height; CD, crypt depth; VH/CD, the ratio of VH to CD; GC, goblet cell density (n/100 μm villi).