Trophic effect of bee pollen on small intestine in broiler chickens

In this study, the effects of bee pollen on the development of digestive organs were evaluated in broiler chickens. A total of 144 1-day-old AA broiler chickens were randomly and equally divided into two groups, assigned as the control group and the pollen group, respectively. The control group was fed with a basic diet, while the pollen group was fed with a basic diet supplemented with 1.5% bee pollen over a period of 6 weeks. At the end of each week, the digestive organs were obtained for comparison from 12 broilers randomly selected from each group. The results demonstrated that compared to the control group, the small intestine villi from the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum were longer and thicker in the pollen group. This difference was more significant during early development, especially through the first 2 weeks. Bee pollen increased the length of the villi by 37.1% and 29.4% in the duodenum, 28.1% and 33.7% in the jejunum, and 18.6% and 16.2% in the ileum in week 1 and 2, respectively. Furthermore, the small intestinal glands were developed at a higher density in the pollen group, and the depth of the glands was significantly increased by bee pollen in the first 2 weeks. These findings suggest that bee pollen could promote the early development of the digestive system and therefore is a potentially beneficial food supplement for certain conditions, such as short bowel syndrome.