After 4 weeks of feeding, the plasma alternative complement
pathway activity (expressed as ACH50 units) of animals fed the B2
diet increased significantly compared to control group (Table 5).
Plasma lysozyme and peroxidase activities as well as the HK respiratory
burst (evaluated through superoxide anion and nitric oxide
production) did not change among dietary treatments. At the
end of the feeding trial, plasma lysozyme activity of animals fed the
A1 diet were significantly higher than control ones. No other parameters
differed among experimental groups.
3.3. Intestinal morphology
Anterior intestinal morphology was evaluated at the end of the
feeding trial. In order to standardize potential variation in intestinal
section sizes and thickness muscular layer, measured parameters
were then related to respective total area (Table 6). The animals fed
the A2 diet showed the larger section area of anterior intestine and
higher number of goblet cells per villi. The villi length was improved
in the A1 group, that showed the least villi density and per section
area. The dietary B1 showed the least villi length, section area and
goblet cells per villi, but the highest villus length per area and
density. However, no significant differences between groups were
detected in the parameters described. Attention was given to
abnormal morphologies, such as fused villi and leucocyte