Fumonisins affect the intestinal microbial homeostasis in broiler chickens, predisposing to necrotic enteritis

Table 4 Length of small intestinal segments

Organ	Control diet	FBs contaminated diet	P
Total length small intestines^a (cm)	139.0 ± 2.95	130.5 ± 2.37	0.033*
Duodenum (% of total length)^b	16.9 ± 0.40	17.2 ± 0.35	0.656
Jejunum (% of total length)^b	43.1 ± 0.69	41.7 ± 0.45	0.118
Ileum (% of total length)^b	40.0 ± 0.71	41.1 ± 0.37	0.184

Animals were randomly divided in two experimental groups, each group consisting of three pens. One group was fed a control diet and one was fed a FBs contaminated diet (18.6 mg FB₁+FB₂/kg feed). Six birds (3♂/3♀) per pen were euthanized on day 15 and the length of small intestinal segments was recorded.
Data presented as mean ± SEM.
^aTotal length small intestines including all three segments: duodenum, jejunum and ileum; ^b% of total length = (length segment (cm)/total length small intestines (cm)) × 100; (*) significantly different (P < 0.05)/trend (P < 0.10).

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