Growth performance and intestinal histology in broiler chickens fed with dietary chitosan

Abstract

1. The effect of a low dietary chitosan content (0·6 g/kg) on growth performance, carcase quality, visceral organs and intestinal morphology was studied. 2. A total of 24 male Marshall Chunky broiler chicks were fed on a commercial basal diet with 0 (control) and 0·6 g/kg chitosan until 7 weeks of age. Body weight gain and feed intake were higher in the chitosan group but there were no differences in feed efficiency and breast meat, drumsticks and visceral organ weights. 3. There were no difference in intestinal villus height, villus area, cell area or cell mitosis except for significantly increased duodenal cell mitosis and ileal villus area in the chitosan group. 4. In the chitosan group, epithelial cells on the villus apical surface in the duodenum showed many kinds of morphological patterns such as protuberated cells, cell clusters, and deeper cells at sites of recently exfoliated cells. The ileal villus apical surface had protuberated cells, and most cells were attached by segmented filamentous bacteria. These villi showing rough surface of the duodenum and ileum were more in the chitosan group than in the control, although not statistically significant. 5. These results suggest that a low content of dietary chitosan improved growth performance, and this may be attributed due to the presence of hypertrophied villi and epithelial cells. © 2009 British Poultry Science Ltd.