A Histochemical Study Of The Small Intestine Of Adult Male Turkey (Meleagris Gallopavo )

Abstract

This study was designed to investigate histological and histochemical structures of the intestinal tract of adult (1-3years) male turkey (Meleagris gallopavo). Ten bird were collected from local suppliers in Diyala province. Birds were weighed and euthanized by Ketamine (100 mg /Kg) intravenous and xylazine (10mg/Kg)I\M injection, the intestinal wall had four tunicae; tunica mucosa, submucosa, muscularis, and serosa. The mucosa showed different shape, size and dimensions. The long finger or leaf-like villi in the duodenum, whereas, shorten and wider villi were seen in other segments of small and large intestine There was a significant difference in the microscopic measurements (height and width of villi, crypts depth and in the thickness of some tunicae of the small intestine wall. Histochemically, the goblet cells in the villi and crypts had mucin reaction and the type of mucin was both neutral and acidic mucin.