Background and Aim: Broiler chickens have emerged as a suitable alternative to beef and pork in supplying protein for human populations due to their rapid growth rate and lower production costs. Broiler chicken production, as one of the main branches of the poultry industry, is considered among the most efficient forms of livestock production. With the continual rise in demand for chicken meat, this industry is persistently evolving through ongoing advancements in breeding, nutrition, and management strategies, all aimed at enhancing broiler production and productivity. The large-scale expansion of broiler farming can lead to challenges like reduced growth performance, higher disease incidence, and impaired intestinal function in broilers. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of the plant hormone gibberellin on villus length and crypt depth in the small intestine, a critical site for digestion and absorption of nutrients in broiler chickens.
Materials and Methods: A total of 120 Ross 308 broiler chickens were assigned to four treatments: a control group and three groups receiving gibberellin at 100 ppm, 200 ppm, and 300 ppm in their drinking water, over a 42-day rearing period. The effects on villus length and crypt depth of the small intestine were evaluated.
Results and Conclusion: Histological observations indicated that different levels of gibberellin significantly increased villus length in the upper 10% of the small intestine. However, other morphological parameters of the intestine were not influenced by gibberellin. Based on the overall findings, gibberellin does not appear to exert a substantial effect on small intestinal morphology in broiler chickens.