Comparative Study of Duodenal Histology in Three Lamb Breeds Fed Two Different Rations

Ration composition may significantly impact the nutrient absorption, duodenal parameters, intestinal health and feed efficiency of animals.

The objective of this study was to analyse the impact of concentrate- and forage-based diets on essential morphological parameters of the duodenum, including villus height, villus width, crypt depth and goblet cell density, in three different lamb breeds.

Forty-five lambs, aged between 2.5 and 3 months and with an average weight of around 20 kg, were selected. The lambs were fattened on two different diets consisting of pelleted concentrate and alfalfa hay in predetermined ratios: 70% concentrate + 30% forage and 70% forage + 30% concentrate. When the lambs reached 40 kg, they were slaughtered, and duodenum tissue samples were collected for analysis.

Histological characteristics were assessed by evaluating duodenal tissues from lambs of three breeds-Akkaraman, Karayaka and Herik-across the two dietary groups within each breed, and the essential parameters of the villus were measured. Akkaraman lambs exhibited lower goblet cell count and villus height (VH) as compared to Karayaka and Herik lambs. Goblet cell count and VH were higher in concentrate-fed lambs, except for Karayaka lambs. However, goblet cell density was similar across Akkaraman, Karayaka and Herik lambs. Herik lambs had higher VH, villus width (VW) and villus surface area as compared to Akkaraman and Karayaka. Villus parameters were generally lower in concentrate-fed lambs, except for Herik lambs.

Overall, the study suggests that altering the roughage-concentrate ratio did not significantly affect duodenal mucosa parameters. However, differences were observed across genotypes, particularly in Herik lambs, indicating potential associations between duodenal parameters and genotype.