Dietary oregano essential oil supplementation improves intestinal functions and alters gut microbiota in late-phase laying hens

Table 5 Effects of dietary supplementation with essential oil on ileal morphology of laying hens^a

Items^b	Treatments^c				SEM^d	P-value
Items^b	Control	EO100	EO200	EO400	SEM^d	ANOVA	Linear	Quadratic
VH, μm	587.61	609.70	731.26	585.89	25.92	0.145	0.922	0.153
CD, μm	149.58	144.35	161.19	125.41	5.67	0.156	0.159	0.143
VCR	4.02	4.23	4.60	4.64	0.11	0.128	0.029	0.064

^a n = 8 replicates per treatment at the end of week 12
^b VH, villus height; CD, crypt depth; VCR, villus height to crypt depth ratio
^c Control, hens received a basal diet; EO100, EO200 and EO400, hens received a basal diet supplemented with 100, 200 or 400 mg/kg oregano essential oil, respectively
^d SEM, standard error of the mean

ISSN: 2049-1891