Tannic acid prevents post-weaning diarrhea by improving intestinal barrier integrity and function in weaned piglets

Table 6 Effects of tannic acid (TA) on intestinal morphology in weaned piglets

Item	Added tannic acid, %			SEM	P-value
	0	0.2	1.0	SEM	ANOVA	Linear	Quadratic
Duodenum
Villus height, μm	354.4	337.6	357.2	14.25	0.585	0.642	0.362
Crypt depth, μm	182.4^a	148.0^b	175.6^a	8.08	0.021	0.654	0.007
Villus height: Crypt depth	1.96^b	2.30^a	2.04^b	0.08	0.030	0.767	0.010
Mucosal thickness, μm	794.6	747.7	847.9	40.96	0.255	0.197	0.296
Intestinal wall thickness, mm	1.40	1.38	1.56	0.06	0.124	0.053	0.545
Jejunum
Villus height, μm	357.8	386.4	399.9	15.09	0.167	0.105	0.319
Crypt depth, μm	161.3	163.9	169.7	9.88	0.827	0.548	0.945
Villus height: Crypt depth	2.24	2.38	2.39	0.13	0.674	0.536	0.533
Mucosal thickness, μm	683.9	657.2	646.2	31.77	0.695	0.479	0.648
Intestinal wall thickness, mm	1.03	1.00	1.04	0.04	0.738	0.667	0.523
Ileum
Villus height, μm	353.6^a	385.3^a	288.9^b	21.11	0.017	0.012	0.124
Crypt depth, μm	176.7	166.1	140.9	10.05	0.063	0.021	0.794
Villus height: Crypt depth	2.01	2.38	2.04	0.15	0.195	0.626	0.085
Mucosal thickness, μm	542.0	533.2	593.0	63.85	0.777	0.508	0.821
Intestinal wall thickness, mm	1.05	1.15	1.13	0.08	0.674	0.625	0.465

CON, piglets receiving a basal diet; CON + 0.2% TA, piglets receiving a basal diet supplemented with 0.2% TA; CON + 1.0% TA, piglets receiving a basal diet supplemented with 1.0% TA
^a,bMean values with unlike superscript letters were significantly different (P < 0.05)

ISSN: 2049-1891