TABLE 1.
Intestinal morphology and CD3+ T-cell abundance in the duodenum and jejunum of chickens that received a normal diet or a diet supplemented with 1 g berberine/kg feed for 12 or 21 days posthatcha
| Histologicalparameter | Day 12 |
Day 21 |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Control | BBR | P value | Control | BBR | P value | |
| Duodenum | ||||||
| Villus height (μm) | 1,416 ± 150 | 1,550 ± 90 | 0.0479 | 1,757 ± 111 | 1,806 ± 183 | 0.6100 |
| Crypt depth (μm) | 146 ± 25 | 122 ± 15 | 0.0959 | 165 ± 17 | 126 ± 24 | 0.0462 |
| Villus-to-crypt ratio | 10.13 ± 1.64 | 12.98 ± 1.50 | 0.0131 | 10.93 ± 0.92 | 15.18 ± 3.12 | 0.0684 |
| CD3 (area %) | 6.84 ± 0.75 | 5.20 ± 0.87 | 0.0212 | 7.21 ± 1.31 | 6.01 ± 1.36 | 0.1340 |
| Jejunum | ||||||
| Villus height (μm) | 598 ± 147 | 583 ± 107 | 0.3800 | 801 ± 144 | 783 ± 51 | 0.6450 |
| Crypt depth (μm) | 99 ± 28 | 73 ± 12 | 0.9810 | 119 ± 24 | 84 ± 12 | 0.0328 |
| Villus-to-crypt ratio | 6.40 ± 1.01 | 8.49 ± 1.35 | 0.1020 | 6.91 ± 1.10 | 9.68 ± 1.30 | 0.0205 |
a
Data are expressed as the mean ± standard deviation (n = 12). Villus height and crypt depth results are based on at least 9 measurements per histological section. CD3 analysis was based on 4 microscopic fields of view per section. Bold values represent significant P values (P < 0.05). Control, normal diet; BBR, 1 g berberine/kg-supplemented diet.