Effects of dry whey powder and calcium butyrate supplementation of corn/soybean-based diets on productive performance, duodenal histological integrity, and Campylobacter colonization in broilers

Table 3 Effects of dietary treatments on duodenal histomorphological variables

Age (days)	Variables	Co	Bu	Wh	BuWh	p-value¹
14	Villus height (μm)	1288.5 ± 24.5	1276.3 ± 26.9	1289.8 ± 25.4	1267.4 ± 26.9	NS
	Crypt depth (μm)	176.8 ± 4.0^a	146.3 ± 4.4^b	145.0 ± 4.2^b	150.7 ± 4.4^b	***
	Villus/Crypt ratio	7.4 ± 0.3^b	9.1 ± 0.33^a	9.1 ± 0.3^a	8.5 ± 0.3^a	***
28	Villus height (μm)	1561.6 ± 43.5^c	1748.9 ± 44^b	1792.9 ± 51.9^b	2179.9 ± 45.8^a	***
	Crypt depth (μm)	153.5 ± 4.2^b	167.4 ± 4.3^ab	180.0 ± 5.0^a	172.9 ± 4.4^a	***
	Villus/Crypt ratio	10.4 ± 0.4^b	10.8 ± 0.4^b	10.1 ± 0.5^b	12.9 ± 0.4^a	***
42	Villus height (μm)	1409.6 ± 26.9^b	1552.1 ± 26.4^a	1611.4 ± 28.6^a	1647.0 ± 38.3^a	***
	Crypt depth (μm)	182.2 ± 3.8^ab	173.0 ± 3.7^bc	190.3 ± 4^a	159.1 ± 5.4^c	***
	Villus/Crypt ratio	7.9 ± 0.2^c	9.1 ± 0.2^b	8.7 ± 0.2^bc	10.5 ± 0.3^a	***

Co, basal control diet with no supplementation; Bu, basal diet supplemented with 0.1% calcium butyrate; Wh, basal diet supplemented with 6% whey; BuWh, basal diet supplemented with 0.1% calcium butyrate and 6% whey
Values were expressed as least square means ± SEM representing 5 birds/group
^a,b,cMeans in a row not sharing a common superscript are significantly different
¹Significance of the effect of Diet (NS: not significant; *: p < 0.05; **: p < 0.01; ***: p < 0.001)

ISSN: 1746-6148