Effects of heat-killed Lactobacillus plantarum L-137 on morphology of intestinal villi and epithelial cells in broiler chickens

Abstract

A total of 48, 7-day-old male broiler chickens were fed 0, 1, 2 and 4 mg/kg dietary heat-killed Lactobacillus plantarum L-137 (HK-LP L-137) on growth performance and intestinal histology. Feed intake was increased in 2 and 4 mg/kg HK-LP L-137 groups (p<0.05), and body weight gain of these groups was better than the control. Intestinal villus height, villus area, cell area and cell mitosis numbers in the duodenum, jejunum and ileum did not show a difference among groups. On the epithelial cells of the intestinal villus apical surface, many protuberated cells were observed in all intestinal segments of the 2 and 4 mg/kg HK-LP L-137 groups, suggesting that the epithelial cells might hypertrophy in the 2 and 4 mg/kg HK-LP L-137 groups. Many segmented filamentous bacteria were appeared in all the HK-LP L-137 groups than the control, suggesting that the immune system would be activated by HK-LP L-137. These morphological results suggest that the present 2 and 4 mg/kg HK-LP L-137 might activate intestinal function by increasing segmented filamentous bacteria, inducing a little better body weight gain.