Table 6. Effects of different dietary copper (Cu) sources and levels on jejunal morphology in growing pigs (n = 6/treatment).
| Cu source | Added Cu level (mg/kg) | Villus height (μm) | Crypt depth (μm) | Villus:crypt (μm/μm) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CuSO4 | 0 | 510.89 | 184.17 | 2.96 | |
| 50 | 595.36 | 159.62 | 4.13 | ||
| 100 | 459.72 | 178.99 | 2.69 | ||
| CuAA | 0 | 510.89 | 184.17 | 2.96 | |
| 50 | 525.43 | 174.98 | 3.08 | ||
| 100 | 558.81 | 185.78 | 3.34 | ||
| CuHMB | 0 | 510.89 | 184.17 | 2.96 | |
| 50 | 600.48 | 187.03 | 3.22 | ||
| 100 | 530.59 | 167.87 | 3.31 | ||
| SEM | 37.10 | 20.26 | 0.39 | ||
| p-value for source × level | 0.400 | 0.854 | 0.896 | ||
| Main effect of source | |||||
| CuSO4 | 521.99 | 174.26 | 3.26 | ||
| CuAA | 531.71 | 181.64 | 3.13 | ||
| CuHMB | 547.32 | 179.69 | 3.16 | ||
| SEM | 22.43 | 11.17 | 0.23 | ||
| p-value for source | 0.724 | 0.890 | 0.918 | ||
| Main effect of level | |||||
| 0 | 510.89 | 184.17 | 2.96 | ||
| 50 | 573.76 | 173.88 | 3.48 | ||
| 100 | 516.37 | 177.54 | 3.11 | ||
| SEM | 21.49 | 11.15 | 0.23 | ||
| p-value for level | 0.082 | 0.804 | 0.261 | ||
CuSO4, copper sulfate; CuAA, Cu-amino acid complex; CuHMB, Cu-hydroxy-4-methylthio butanoate chelate complex.