Effects of Cecropin and Synbiotics on the Intestinal Mucosal Morphology and Intestinal Mucosal Immune Cells of AA Broilers

In order to investigate the effects of cecropin and synbiotics on the intestinal mucosal morphology and intestinal mucosal immune cells of AA broilers. 480 of 1-day-old healthy AA broilers were chosen and randomly divided into 4 groups with 4 replicates per group and 30 broilers per replicate. The broilers in group Ⅰ(control group) were fed basal diet,while that in groups Ⅱ to Ⅳ were fed the basal diet supplemented with 0.5% cecropin,0.3% synbiotics,0.5% cecropin+0.3% synbiotics,respectively. The trial lasted for 42 days. The result showed that compared with group Ⅰ,the villus height of duodenum and ileum in group Ⅳ were extremely significantly increased (P<0.01).The crypt depth of jejunum and ileum in group Ⅱ,and that of small intestine in group Ⅲ were significantly or extremely significantly decreased (P<0.05;P<0.01).The villus height/crypt depth of small intestine in groups Ⅱ and Ⅲ,and that of duodenum and ileum in group Ⅳ were significantly or extremely significantly increased (P<0.05;P<0.01).The villus width of jejunum in group Ⅱ was significantly decreased (P<0.05),while the villus width of duodenum and jejunum in group Ⅲ,that of jejunum and ileum in group Ⅳ were extremely significantly decreased (P<0.01).The mucous thickness of jejunum in groups Ⅱ and Ⅲ were significantly increased (P<0.05),while that of small intestine in group Ⅳ was extremely significantly increased (P<0.01).The number of the intraepithelial lymphocyte of ileum in group Ⅱ was significantly increased (P<0.05),and that of duodenum in group Ⅲ and small intestine in group Ⅳ were extremely significantly increased (P<0.01).The number of the goblet cell of duodenum in group Ⅲ,duodenum and ileum in group Ⅳ were extremely significantly increased (P<0.01).The mast cell of jejunum in group Ⅳ was significantly increased (P<0.05).In conclusion,both the cecropin and synbiotics could improve the small intestine mucosal structure and promote the small intestine mucosal immunocompetent cells proliferation in AA broiler, and the effect of combined utilization would be better.