Effect of Emblica officinalis (Amla) Fruit Powder on Morphometry of the Intestinal Mucosa in Broiler Chicken

Abstract

A total of 300 day old commercial broiler chicks were randomly distributed into six treatments having five replicates consisting of ten birds each. The chicks fed with standard basal diet in two different growth phases i.e. starter (0-28d) and finisher (29-42 d). The first group was kept as control (T₁) and given basal diet without antibiotic, while second group (T₂) was given basal diet with antibiotic. In third (T₃), fourth (T₄) , fifth (T₅)  and  sixth (T₆) groups, basal diet was supplemented with amla fruit powder @ 0.25%, 0.50%, 0.75% and 1%, respectively. Then one bird from each replicate was slaughtered and ileal sample were collected for morphometric analysis. Mean villus height of the birds under different dietary treatments ranged from 984.56 µm to 1196.72 µm. Dietary supplementation of amla fruit powder increased the villi height and significant increment was observed in T₆ followed by T₅ and T_4. Height: Depth of intestinal crypts of the birds under different dietary treatments ranged from 5.44 to 8.12 and significant effect on the ratio of height: depth of intestinal crypts was recorded in the 0.75% amla powder supplemented group (T₅). The morphometric analysis results in the present study showed that the supplementation of antioxidants increased villus height but decreased crypt depth in broilers.