Plasma suíno e ovo inteiro em rações de leitões desmamados sobre a estrutura e ultra-estrutura da mucosa intestinal

The objective of the study was to evaluate how the use of rations with added skim milk, increasing levels of swine plasma, increasing levels of whole egg and high inclusion of soybean meal in diets of piglets that were weaned at 21 days old influence the development of the structure and ultra-structure of intestinal mucous. Plasma and whole egg replaced, respectively, 25, 50 and 75 and 15, 30 and 45% crude protein of skim milk. At 27 and 35 days old, the animals were slaughtered and intestine samples were collected for further measurements of villous height, crypt depth, villous:crypt ratio and villous density. The whole egg added to the ration to replace up to 45% the crude protein of skim milk, maintained the intestinal mucous of the piglets. The use of ration with high level of soybean meal damaged the structure and ultra-structure of the intestinal mucous, thus showing the necessity of limiting the inclusion of soybean meal into the weaning ration. The use of plasma stimulates the development of the intestinal mucous, independently of feed intake, showing the potential of this ingredient to promote an increase of the intestinal epithelium and the nutrient digestion and absorption areas as well.