The Comparative Effects of Corn and Cassava Diets on Physiological Properties of Gastrointestinal Tract of Broilers

Abstract

This experiment was conducted to investigate the comparative effects of corn, cassava chip and cassava pellet diets on physiological properties of the digestive tract of the broilers. Forty-eight day-old Cobb broilers were randomly divided into 3 groups receiving 3 dietary treatments. The diets containing corn, cassava chips, or cassava pellets as the basal feed ingredient are isonitrogenous, isocaloric, and semipurified. The experimental diets were pelleted and fed ad libitum to the animals. At 28 days of age, 8 out of 16 birds per group were euthanized and organ samples were collected. The broilers fed the cassava pellet diet showed lower gizzard weight than those fed corn or cassava chip diets (P<.05). Liver weights of broilers fed cassava diets were higher (P<0.05) than those fed corn diets. Sucrase and maltase activities in duodenum and sucrase activity in jejunum of the broilers fed corn diet were significantly lower (P<0.05) than those fed cassava chip and cassava pellet diets. There were no significant differences in mucosal protein as well as sucrase and maltase activities in ileum of broilers in all 3 groups. Broilers fed
cassava chip diets showed higher percentage of caecal butyrate than those fed corn or cassava pellet diets.