DIETARY SACCHAROMYCES CEREVISIAE PRODUCT ALTERS INTESTINAL HISTOMORPHOLOGY AND MUCIN HISTOCHEMISTRY IN BROILER CHICKENS

Abstract

The increasing withdrawal of in-feed antibiotics from poultry production has intensified the search for safe and effective alternatives capable of supporting growth and maintaining intestinal health. The present study evaluated the effects of a Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermented product on the gross morphology, histomorphometry and histochemical characteristics of the intestine in broiler chickens. 50-day-old Vencobb-430 broilers were randomly divided into control and treatment groups, with the treatment group receiving a maize–soybean basal diet supplemented with an S. cerevisiae fermented product. Six birds from each group were sacrificed on days 21 and 42 for assessment of intestinal morphology and histological changes. Live and dressed weights, intestinal weight and length were recorded. Tissue samples from the duodenum, jejunum, ileum and caecum were examined using routine histological and special staining techniques, including haematoxylin and eosin, Van Gieson, Verhoeff, Mallory’s triple stain, periodic acid–Schiff and Alcian blue. Villus height, epithelial cell height, tunic thickness and caecal lymphoid-nodule diameter were quantified by image-based micrometry. Supplementation with the S. cerevisiae fermented product resulted in higher live and dressed weights, increased intestinal length and weight, and marked improvements in intestinal histomorphometry. Villus height was significantly greater in the supplemented birds across the small-intestinal segments, with the most pronounced increase observed in the duodenum. The mucosal and muscular layers were also thicker, accompanied by increased numbers of goblet cells and larger caecal lymphoid nodules. More intense PAS and Alcian blue reactions indicated increased glycogen and acid mucopolysaccharide content in the intestinal epithelium, goblet cells and glands. Overall, dietary supplementation with an S. cerevisiae fermented product enhanced intestinal structural development, mucosal protection and gut-associated lymphoid tissue in broilers. These findings suggest that S. cerevisiae fermented products may serve as promising antibiotic-free feed additives for supporting intestinal health and productive performance in broiler chickens.