author(s)
R Buragohain, BN Saikia, AK Samanta and TK Rajkhowa

abstract
The study was for comparative assessment of gut morphology of grower-finisher LWY pigs fed dry feed, non-fermented liquid feed and fermented liquid feed prepared with Lactobacillus acidophilus and Enterococcus faecium. After 180 days of feeding trial, 3 pigs from each group were slaughtered and duodenal, jejunal and ileal samples were collected and processed following standard procedures for histo-morphological study. Significant (P< 0.05) improvements of villi height, crypt depth and apparent villi surface area were recorded in all the sections of small intestine of pigs fed fermented liquid feed as compared to pigs fed dry and non-fermented liquid feed. Histo-morphology enumerated in all the three segments of the small intestine revealed that the villi and epithelial cellular structures were normal indicating that feeding of fermented and non-fermented liquid feeds did not have any adverse effect. The tips of the villi showed hyper-cellularity with more mononuclear cells and crypts between the villi were also observed to have more mononuclear epithelial cells in pigs fed fermented liquid feed. Except in pigs fed dry feed and non-fermented liquid feed, numerous lymphoid follicles were also observed above the lamina propria of the duodenal sections of pigs fed fermented liquid feed. No significant difference was observed between pigs fed fermented liquid feeds with different inoculums. The findings of the study revealed that feeding of liquid feed/fermented liquid feed had favourable effect on the development of the intestinal epithelium and infiltration of mononuclear cells with large number of glandular epithelium and lymphoid follicles in the intestinal sections of pigs fed fermented liquid feed might be the indication of better digestive efficiency and immune status of pigs.