. 2021 Jan 15;7:600772. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2020.600772

Table 3.

Effect of dietary supplementation with different types of B. subtilis on intestinal morphology of weaned piglets.

Items		Control group	BS-A group	BS-B group	BS-C group
Day 7
Jejunum	VH (μm)	334.42 ± 6.77^b	310.29 ± 29.05^b	314.59 ± 10.36^b	393.23 ± 12.92^a
	CD (μm)	291.98 ± 31.40^a	190.87 ± 15.49^b	199.73 ± 18.35^b	234.23 ± 8.32^a ^b
	VH/CD	1.20 ± 0.13^b	1.62 ± 0.05^a	1.74 ± 0.09^a	1.69 ± 0.07^a
Ileum	VH (μm)	304.68 ± 19.15^b	377.07 ± 9.20^a	397.52 ± 18.78^a	395.08 ± 19.61^a
	CD (μm)	171.76 ± 4.10	163.24 ± 4.78	160.12 ± 12.49	182.20 ± 8.31
	VH/CD	1.78 ± 0.14^b	2.32 ± 0.09^a	2.51 ± 0.11^a	2.19 ± 0.13^a
Day 21
Jejunum	VH (μm)	357.82 ± 15.15^b	429.22 ± 32.41^a ^b	478.66 ± 30.76^a	430.91 ± 6.76^a ^b
	CD (μm)	260.30 ± 19.98^b	270.18 ± 18.49^b	335.63 ± 26.46^a	298.17 ± 16.36^a ^b
	VH/CD	1.41 ± 0.13	1.59 ± 0.09	1.44 ± 0.06	1.53 ± 0.10
Ileum	VH (μm)	362.35 ± 7.42^c	401.45 ± 19.11^b	480.95 ± 13.14^a	442.94 ± 8.70^a
	CD (μm)	174.85 ± 3.86^b	179.86 ± 10.52^b	233.19 ± 8.26^a	171.97 ± 9.67^b
	VH/CD	2.08 ± 0.06^b	2.25 ± 0.13^b	2.07 ± 0.08^b	2.61 ± 0.14^a
Day 42
Jejunum	VH (μm)	408.60 ± 4.41^b	461.22 ± 44.99^a ^b	529.98 ± 25.19^a	476.11 ± 9.85^a ^b
	CD (μm)	296.57 ± 16.46	341.39 ± 8.68	339.65 ± 27.88	296.06 ± 21.71
	VH/CD	1.39 ± 0.06	1.48 ± 0.10	1.58 ± 0.07	1.65 ± 0.13
Ileum	VH (μm)	338.67 ± 7.07^b	474.40 ± 21.70^a	446.03 ± 31.09^a	461.42 ± 29.41^a
	CD (μm)	206.36 ± 11.20^a ^b	186.39 ± 18.78^a ^b	174.86 ± 12.20^b	221.66 ± 13.17^a
	VH/CD	1.54 ± 0.04^c	2.62 ± 0.22^a	2.56 ± 0.12^a	2.08 ± 0.04^b

Data are presented as means ± SE, n = 5.

^a,b,c

Mean values within the same row with different superscript letters were significantly different (P < 0.05). VH, villus height; CD, crypt depth; VH/CD, villus height to crypt depth ratio. Control group, a basal diet; BS-A group, a basal diet supplemented with B. subtilis A at 1 × 10⁶ CFU/g feed; BS-B group, a basal diet supplemented with B. subtilis B at 1 × 10⁶ CFU/g feed; and BS-C group, a basal diet supplemented with B. subtilis C at 1 × 10⁶ CFU/g feed.