INFLUENCE OF IN OVO ADMINISTRATION OF OYSTER MUSHROOM EXTRACT ON MORPHOLOGICAL AND HISTOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF INTESTINES OF BROILER CHICKENS.

This study investigated the influence of in ovo administration of oyster mushroom aqueous extract on intestinal development of broiler chickens. A total of 600 hatching eggs of Arbor acre strain of broiler chickens were used in this experiment. The eggs were divided into three treatments; T1: Control (non-injected eggs), T2: in ovo administration of 0.1 ml of oyster mushroom aqueous extract and T3: in ovo administration of 0.2 ml of oyster mushroom aqueous extract. In ovo injection of eggs was carried out on the 18th day of incubation and hatched chicks were brooded for 2 weeks and the experiment lasted for six weeks. At the starter and finisher (7th and 56th days of age) phases, two birds per replicate were randomly selected for intestinal evaluation. Data collected were subjected to Analysis of Variance using General Linear Model. Results from the starter phase showed jejunal villus height significantly (p < 0.05) ranged from 290.62 µm in birds in T1 to 415.60 µm in birds in the T3 group. Moreover, jejunal crypt depth ranged from 51.96 µm to 115.62 µm, while muscular wall thickness ranged from 53.94 µm to 139.23 µm with the highest recorded in the T2 birds. In finisher broilers, there was significant (p < 0.05) difference among treatments for duodenum length, muscular wall thickness of the ileum and colon length. Histological plates taken in the starter phase indicated no visible lesion in the villi across treatments with crypts appearing normal. However, finisher broilers in the T2 group had preeminent villi representation showing intact enterocytes and slightly high and more prominent crypts. Therefore, to improve jejunal morphology in the starter phase as well as increased intestinal length and superior duodenal histology in the finisher phase of broiler chickens, in ovo administration of 0.1 ml oyster mushroom aqueous extract is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]