Abstract:
The purpose of this research was to investigate effect
of dietary betaine on intestinal morphology after an experimental coccidiosis.
Hence a total of 189 male and female broiler chicks were randomly assigned
to 9 floor cages. Chicks were fed a basal diet supplemented with 0, 0.6
or 1.2 g kg-1 betaine. All birds were inoculated orally with
Eimeria oocysts on day 28. Duodenal morphology parameters and lesions
were scored by microscopic observation on intestine samples which were
taken at day 42 of age. Adding 1.2 g kg-1 betaine to diet diminished
intestinal lesions (p<0.05). Dietary supplementation with 0.6 or 1.2
g kg-1 betaine significantly (p<0.01) increased intraepithelial
lymphocytes as well. Level of additive betaine had no effect on the ratio
of villus height/crypt depth or villus surface area. Lamina propria of
duodenum became thicker in the intestine of chickens which received more
supplemental betaine via their diet. In conclusion, since the number of
intraepithelial lymphocytes and thickness of lamina propria represent
the condition of gut immune response, it seems that dietary betaine may
immunomodulate the gastrointestinal tract of broilers. In addition, betaine
effect on villus morphology measured later in life differed from what
had been measured already earlier in life of the chicks.
H. Hamidi, J. Pourreza and H. Rahimi, 2009. Dietary Betaine Affect Duodenal Histology of Broilers Challenged with a Mixed Coccidial Infection. Pakistan Journal of Biological Sciences, 12: 291-295.
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