Applying different morphometric intestinal mucosa methods and the correlation with broilers performance under Eimeria...

Area of Science:

• Animal Science
• Veterinary Pathology
• Gastroenterology

Background:

• Intestinal villi (VH, VW) and crypts (CD, CW) are traditionally measured to assess nutrient absorption surface area.
• These morphometric measurements can overlook inflammatory changes and immature cell presence, which negatively impact gut functionality and animal performance.
• Existing methods may not fully capture the complex relationship between intestinal structure, inflammation, and zootechnical outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare traditional villi/crypt morphometry with the I See Inside (ISI) scoring methodology.
• To explore the correlation between these assessment methods and zootechnical performance in broilers.
• To determine if ISI scoring provides a more accurate reflection of intestinal health and its impact on performance than morphometry alone.

Main Methods:

• Broiler chickens were divided into nonchallenged (NC) and Eimeria-challenged (CH) groups.
• Jejunum samples were collected at 22 days for histological analysis, measuring villus height (VH), villus width (VW), crypt depth (CD), crypt width (CW), VH:CD ratio, and villi absorptive surface (VAS).
• The same villi were scored using the ISI methodology, evaluating 8 parameters of the inflammatory process.

Main Results:

• The challenged (CH) group exhibited higher ISI scores, increased VW, CD, and CW, and reduced VH, VH:CD ratio, and VAS compared to the nonchallenged (NC) group.
• Villi/crypt morphometry did not correlate with zootechnical performance metrics.
• The presence of Eimeria oocysts and higher ISI total scores were positively correlated with feed conversion ratio (FCR) (P < 0.05), indicating worse performance.

Conclusions:

• Increased villus size due to immune processes does not necessarily equate to improved intestinal functionality or animal performance.
• The ISI scoring system, which assesses the type of intestinal alteration, shows a direct impact on zootechnical performance.
• ISI scoring is a more effective tool than single-metric surface evaluation for assessing intestinal health and predicting animal performance in challenged broilers.