Table 5.
Effect of P. acidilactici LC-9-1 on histomorphology of the small intestinal sections in broilers (n = 6).
| Items | Intestine | Treatment | SEM | p-Value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CON | PA | ||||
| Day 21 | |||||
| Jejunum | Villus length, μm | 1310.05 | 1336.47 | 21.775 | 0.569 |
| Crypt depth, μm | 182.32 | 185.83 | 3.672 | 0.654 | |
| V/C ratio | 7.20 | 7.25 | 0.205 | 0.914 | |
| Epithelial thickness, μm | 199.15 | 213.10 | 4.415 | 0.117 | |
| Ileum | Villus length, μm | 869.15 | 908.50 | 16.191 | 0.241 |
| Crypt depth, μm | 206.20 | 200.14 | 4.888 | 0.561 | |
| V/C ratio | 4.24 | 4.56 | 0.121 | 0.205 | |
| Epithelial thickness, μm | 219.77 | 231.23 | 6.354 | 0.392 | |
| Day 42 | |||||
| Jejunum | Villus length, μm | 1338.93 | 1478.31 | 41.007 | 0.088 |
| Crypt depth, μm | 239.87 | 234.10 | 1.749 | 0.100 | |
| V/C ratio | 5.59 | 6.32 | 0.198 | 0.063 | |
| Epithelial thickness, μm | 234.83 | 246.49 | 6.461 | 0.392 | |
| Ileum | Villus length, μm | 842.92 | 1030.13 ** | 31.481 | <0.001 |
| Crypt depth, μm | 219.55 | 212.67 | 3.880 | 0.401 | |
| V/C ratio | 3.86 | 4.85 ** | 0.175 | <0.001 | |
| Epithelial thickness, μm | 349.36 | 342.28 | 7.313 | 0.651 | |
CON = control group, broilers were fed a corn–soybean basal diet, PA = P. acidilactici group, broilers were fed a basal diet containing 5.5 × 109 CFU/kg P. acidilactici LC-9-1. V/C ratio = villus length (μm)/Crypt depth (μm). SEM = standard error of means. The values with superscript (*) in the same row were significantly different, ** p ≤ 0.01.