Table 6.
Effect of dietary Spirulina platensis phycocyanin addition on intestinal histology.
| SPC0 | SPC0.25 | SPC0.5 | SPC0.75 | SPC1 | Regression # | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linear | Quadratic | ||||||
| Duodenum | |||||||
| VH µm | 626.55 ± 36.97 d | 706.20 ± 31.64 c | 921.23 ± 40.00 b | 1042.44 ± 20.14 a | 922.34 ± 29.14 b | <0.01 | <0.01 |
| VW µm | 130.36 ± 1.64 | 82.46 ± 35.09 | 115.57 ± 41.43 | 118.39 ± 9.57 | 65.51 ± 15.68 | 0.07 | 0.64 |
| CD µm | 115.26 ± 13.38 d | 119.01 ± 19.78 cd | 153.78 ± 24.18 b | 232.42 ± 13.51 a | 148.40 ± 7.78 b | <0.01 | <0.01 |
| VH:CD | 4.66 ± 0.44 c | 5.85 ± 0.32 ab | 5.81 ± 0.39 ab | 5.49 ± 0.18 b | 6.29 ± 0.21 a | <0.01 | 0.02 |
| GCC | 100.70 ± 11.84 c | 125.90 ± 11.64 b | 139.23 ± 6.60 ab | 155.59 ± 5.16 a | 131.39 ± 10.24 b | <0.01 | <0.01 |
| Jejunum | |||||||
| VH µm | 854.95 ± 77.77 d | 995.13 ± 66.11 c | 1213.0 ± 38.47 b | 1373.18 ± 104.11 a | 1038.93 ± 56.37 c | <0.01 | <0.01 |
| VW µm | 83.30 ± 14.85 | 98.86 ± 8.94 | 95.14 ± 5.05 | 93.77 ± 8.11 | 90.82 ± 17.21 | 0.36 | 0.17 |
| CD µm | 163.78 ± 6.42 d | 210.36 ± 24.55 c | 254.38 ± 16.90 b | 321.66 ± 17.43 a | 195.31 ± 13.12 c | <0.01 | <0.01 |
| VH:CD | 1.28 ± 0.09 c | 5.18 ± 0.93 a | 4.78 ± 0.19 ab | 4.27 ± 0.11 b | 5.42 ± 0.18 a | <0.01 | <0.01 |
| GCC | 170.45 ± 17.64 c | 210.36 ± 24.55 b | 242.98 ± 22.74 b | 298.98 ± 13.12 a | 210.45 ± 11.48 b | <0.01 | <0.01 |
| Ileum | |||||||
| VH µm | 254.76 ± 44.46 c | 382.31 ± 14.48 b | 392.03 ± 10.37 b | 506.08 ± 41.73 a | 349.00 ± 28.15 b | <0.01 | <0.01 |
| VW µm | 72.72 ± 7.33 c | 107.17 ± 5.56 ab | 74.97 ± 11.78 c | 91.41 ± 9.98 bc | 124.69 ± 16.28 a | <0.01 | 0.07 |
| CD µm | 86.15 ± 8.35 c | 92.34 ± 4.22 bc | 100.49 ± 2.51 ab | 110.11 ± 10.54 a | 87.73 ± 2.56 c | 0.09 | <0.01 |
| VH:CD | 626.55 ± 36.97 d | 3.93 ± 0.22 b | 3.90 ± 0.18 b | 4.60 ± 0.17 a | 3.98 ± 0.24 b | <0.01 | <0.01 |
| GCC | 130.36 ± 1.64 | 71.56 ± 6.23 b | 80.55 ± 2.57 ab | 89.01 ± 4.02 a | 74.01 ± 5.14 b | <0.01 | <0.01 |
# The regressions were considered significant at p ≤ 0.05. a,b,c,d Means within the same row carrying different superscripts were significantly different (p ≤ 0.05). SPC0: control diet (basal diets with no additives); SPC0.250: basal diets supplemented with 0.250 g SPC kg–1 diet; SPC0.5: basal diets supplemented with 0.5 g SPC kg–1 diet; SPC0.75: basal diets supplemented with 0.75 g SPC kg–1 diet; SPC1: basal diets supplemented with 1 g SPC kg–1 diet. VH: villus height, VW: villus width, CD: crypt depth, and GCC: goblet cell count.