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Table 3 The effect of alfalfa hay or concentrate starter on rumen weight, volume, and ruminal papillae morphology of pre-weaned lambs1

From: Transcriptomic analysis reveals the molecular mechanisms of rumen wall morphological and functional development induced by different solid diet introduction in a lamb model

Item

M

MH

MC

SEM

P-value

Rumen weight and volume

 Rumen weight, g

371.13c

1242.50a

749.63b

83.74

< 0.001

 Emptied rumen weight, g

51.80b

154.00a

172.50a

11.72

< 0.001

 Emptied rumen weight/live body weight, %

0.53b

1.80a

1.75a

0.13

< 0.001

 Rumen volume, mL

716.25b

1528.75a

1199.38ab

111.12

0.005

Papillae morphology

 Length, mm

0.65c

1.79b

2.44a

0.07

< 0.001

 Width, mm

0.49c

0.80b

1.32a

0.04

< 0.001

 Density, n

310.00a

211.00b

158.00b

15.38

< 0.001

 Surface, mm2/cm2

195.14c

577.69b

1006.69a

84.82

< 0.001

Thickness of different stratum

 Total epithelia, μm

90.78c

123.91b

216.03a

3.00

< 0.001

 Stratum corneum, μm

13.42c

31.47b

48.78a

0.75

< 0.001

 Stratum granulosum, μm

13.11c

17.64b

36.00a

0.42

< 0.001

 Stratum spinosum and basale, μm

64.25b

74.81b

131.25a

2.43

< 0.001

 Muscles layer, μm

742.73c

1006.08a

856.71b

20.46

< 0.001

 Rumen wall, μm

1093.72b

1276.35a

1246.72a

22.86

0.001

  1. 1Values are shown as means ± pooled SEM, n = 8. Mean values within a column with unlike superscript letters were significantly different (P < 0.05). M goat milk group, MH goat milk plus alfalfa hay group, MC goat milk plus concentrate diet group