Table 4.
Effect of dietary treatment on villus height and crypt depth in the small intestine (least square means with their standard errors).
| Intestinal Site | Treatments 1 | SEM | p-Values | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Control 2 | ZnO 2 | Mushroom 2 | Vit D2 Mushroom 2 | ||||
| Duodenum | VH µm | 342.5 a | 391.6 b | 395.8 b | 381.4 b | 14.61 | <0.05 |
| CD µm | 163.6 | 170.4 | 169.0 | 177.2 | 8.38 | 0.719 | |
| VH:CD | 2.1 | 2.4 | 2.4 | 2.2 | 0.14 | 0.446 | |
| Jejunum | VH µm | 288.0 a | 319.6 b | 302.3 a,b | 318.9 b | 10.52 | 0.12 |
| CD µm | 167.3 b | 159.5 b | 133.6 a | 149.7 a,b | 9.02 | 0.064 | |
| VH:CD | 1.8 a | 2.1 a,b | 2.3 b | 2.2 b | 0.14 | 0.068 | |
| Ileum | VH µm | 289.7 a | 322.1 b | 306.8 a,b | 322.3 b | 10.14 | <0.05 |
| CD µm | 167.3 b | 159.5 b | 133.6 a | 149.7 a,b | 9.01 | <0.05 | |
| VH:CD | 1.8 a | 2.1 a,b | 2.4 b | 2.2 b | 0.14 | 0.059 | |
VH, villus height; CD, crypt depth; VH:CD, villus height to crypt depth ratio. 1 Treatments: (1) basal diet; (2) basal diet + ZnO (3100 mg/kg d 1–14, 1550 mg/kg d 15–35 and withdrawn entirely d 36–45); (3) basal diet + mushroom powder (2 g/kg feed) containing 200 mg/kg β-glucan; and (4) basal diet + Vitamin D2-enriched mushroom powder (2 g/kg feed) containing 200 mg/kg β-glucan with 100 ug/kg additional vitamin D2. a,b Mean values within a row with unlike superscript letters were significantly different (p < 0.05). 2 A total of 12 replicates were used per treatment group (experimental unit = pig).