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A total of 16 weaned piglets (21 days) were distributed into four pens and received for 28 days the experimental diets: a control diet, and the same diet supplemented with a 0.5% of LGlu. Performance of the piglets was monitored throughout the trial period, and on day 28 animals were slaughtered. Samples from the distal part of the ileum and of liver were obtained to be submitted to histological, histometrical, and imunohistochemical analyses.
No differences were found in growth performance between the two experimental groups. Microscopic anatomy of the liver and the ileum in the LGlu supplemented piglets was not different from that found in control fed piglets. Dietary supplementation of LGlu determined an increase in the height of the villus (168 vs 207 µm) and crypt depth (109 vs 166 µm). The study of the gut associated lymphoid tissue showed no differences between treatments. On the contrary, histometric evaluation on epithelial cells and lymphatic nodules showed that in the epithelial cells the supplementation of LGlu resulted in an increase in the proportion of mitotic cells and a reduction in the proportion of apoptotic cells. In the case of the lymphatic nodules, LGlu supplementation only resulted in a reduction in the apoptosis index.
Thus, the supplementation of the diet with LGlu may determine positive modifications on the intestinal mucosa, by interacting with both the enterocytes and the lymphoid tissue associated to the gut.
C Domeneghini, A Di Giancamillo, G Bosi, S Arrighi. 2006.Veterinary Research Communications. 30: 331-342
