Table 6. Effects of dietary fennel seed powder supplementation at three levels on intestinal weight index and length index (%) of broilers.
| Parameter | CN1 | LF | MF | HF | P value2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Intestinal weight index | |||||
| Duodenum | 5.25 ± 1.29a | 4.70 ± 1.12b | 5.70 ± 1.12a | 4.67 ± 0.92b | 0.035 |
| Jejunum | 8.94 ± 0.82b | 9.51 ± 1.26b | 10.84 ± 0.47a | 8.55 ± 0.25b | 0.018 |
| Ileum | 7.19 ± 0.74b | 7.25 ± 0.38b | 8.25 ± 0.92a | 7.37 ± 0.95ab | 0.033 |
| Cecum | 7.35 ± 0.67 | 6.71 ± 0.82 | 7.10 ± 0.24 | 7.04 ± 0.62 | 0.567 |
| Intestinal length index | |||||
| Duodenum | 5.90 ± 0.45 | 5.20 ± 0.47 | 6.00 ± 0.97 | 5.04 ± 0.29 | 0.101 |
| Jejunum | 24.45 ± 1.92b | 24.28 ± 2.36b | 28.76 ± 3.97a | 26.70 ± 1.49ab | 0.098 |
| Ileum | 25.32 ± 2.7ab | 23.13 ± 2.06b | 25.15 ± 1.23a | 25.56 ± 1.50ab | 0.016 |
| Cecum | 7.36 ± 0.76 | 6.70 ± 0.64 | 7.10 ± 0.17 | 7.02 ± 0.49 | 0.458 |
| Total intestinal | 146.00 ± 5.25b | 142.37 ± 16.56b | 167.50 ± 9.24a | 153.00 ± 14.76ab | 0.047 |
Notes:
1
CN, basal diet without FSP; LF, 0.15% FSP; MF, 0.30% FSP; HF, 0.45% FSP.
2
Means within a row lacking a common superscript differ (P < 0.05).