Histomorfometria do epitélio omasal de ovinos alimentados com dietas baseadas em palma forrageira

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of diets based on forage palm on histomorphometric and histopathological parameters of omasum epithelium and ovine abomasum submitted to forage palm diets. Thirty-two lambs with no defined racial pattern were used, male, uncastrated, with a mean age of six months and initial body weight of 21 ± 2.06 kg, housed in individual stalls equipped with feeder and drinking fountain. The animals were distributed in a completely randomized design with four treatments and eight replicates. The experimental period was 73 days and the experimental treatments consisted of a base diet (elephant grass hay, maize corn meal, soybean meal, urea and mineral salt) and three other diets in which elephant grass hay was replaced in 68% by genotypes of forage palm (small, IPA-Sertânia or Mexican elephant ear), all formulated to allow weight gain of 200 g day-1. After 73 days of confinement, the animals were weighed and slaughtered following the norms in force in the country. The weights of the stomachs and their respective contents were quantified, as well as tissue samples of the omasum and abomasum were collected for histological analysis. Up to the present moment, it can be stated that the diets based on forage palm provided greater stomach weight, with lower content.