Efecto de la inclusión de grasa amarilla en el alimento balanceado sobre la integridad intestinal de pollos broiler en la granja Santa Inés.

Abstract

The present study aimed to analyze the effect of including yellow fat in balanced feed on the intestinal integrity of broiler chickens. An experiment was designed with five treatments, including a control group (without fat) and four increasing levels of yellow fat inclusion to replace normal fat (25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%). Morphometric parameters of the intestinal mucosa (length, width, and depth of villi and crypts) were evaluated, and a hepatic histopathological analysis was conducted to determine the presence of cellular swelling and steatosis. It is important to note that these levels correspond to the amount of yellow fat replacing normal fat in the chickens' diet. The results showed that the treatment with 50% yellow fat had the greatest villus length and thickness, as well as an adequate serosal thickness and shallower crypt depth, indicating better intestinal integrity. At the hepatic level, this treatment also showed less damage, with mild steatosis and no cellular swelling. In contrast, higher inclusion levels (75% and 100%) caused intestinal and hepatic morphological changes, such as increased crypt depth and moderate degrees of steatosis. It is concluded that controlled inclusion of 50% yellow fat in balanced diets may be a viable and safe nutritional strategy capable of improving intestinal health and maintaining hepatic function in broiler chickens, provided its quality and oxidation degree are controlled.