To promote environmental and economic sustainability of agricultural practices, a shared objective of European policies is to improve circularity by reducing waste and promoting resource reuse. Within this framework, the valorisation of by-products from different production sectors represents a practical approach, for instance through their use in animal feed. In this context, dried postdistillation lees, a by-product consisting of wine sediments rich in protein (about 18% as fed) and bioactive compounds derived from grapes and spent yeast, may represent a promising feed ingredient for broiler chickens [1,2]. However, limited information is available on how this byproduct affect gut morphology and function, raising questions about its potential beneficial or detrimental effects on chicken intestinal health. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of the dietary inclusion of dried post-distillation lees on jejunal morphology in broiler chickens. A total of 450 male Ross 308 chickens were reared from 1 to 35 days of age in 18 pens (25 birds per pen, 6 pens per dietary treatment) and assigned to three dietary treatments: F0 (control diet), F3 (basal diet supplemented with 3% wine lees), and F6 (basal diet supplemented with 6% wine lees). At 35 days of age, birds were slaughtered and jejunal mucosa samples were collected from 6 animals per dietary treatment. Samples were taken at the midpoint between the end of the duodenal loop and Meckel’s diverticulum, fixed in paraformaldehyde in PBS (0.1 M; pH 7.4), dehydrated, and embedded in paraffin. Serial sections (4 μm) were stained with haematoxylin and eosin for morphometric evaluation, Alcian-PAS for goblet cell identification, and immunohistochemistry using antibodies against CD3 intraepithelial T lymphocytes and CD45 intraepithelial leukocytes. Image analysis was performed using QuPath software (v0.4.3). Villi height, crypt depth, and goblet cells were manually measured by two independent operators, while CD3 and CD45 positive cells were quantified semi-automatically by a single operator. Data were analysed using a mixed model with diet as a fixed effect and pen as a random effect. Morphometric and immunohistochemical results did not show significant differences among dietary treatments for villi height (on average 996 μm), crypt depth (143 μm), villus-to-crypt ratio 7|67, goblet cell density (21.4 no.), or CD3+ and CD45+ cell counts (4041 and 4102 cells/10,000 μm2, respectively). In conclusions, under the conditions of the present study, the dietary inclusion of wine lees up to 6% did not affect gut structural integrity or local immune status. Acknowledgments: Interconnected Nord-Est Innovation Ecosystem (iNEST), European Union Next-GenerationEU (PIANO NAZIONALE DI RIPRESA E RESILIENZA (PNRR) – MISSIONE 4 COMPONENTE 2, INVESTIMENTO 1.5 – D.D. 1058 23/06/2022, ECS00000043).
Effect of wine lees dietary inclusion on jejunal morphology and immune cell markers in broiler chickens
Fonsatti E.
;Pravato M.;Molin M.;Ballarin C.;Xiccato G.;Trocino A.;Radaelli G.
2026
Abstract
To promote environmental and economic sustainability of agricultural practices, a shared objective of European policies is to improve circularity by reducing waste and promoting resource reuse. Within this framework, the valorisation of by-products from different production sectors represents a practical approach, for instance through their use in animal feed. In this context, dried postdistillation lees, a by-product consisting of wine sediments rich in protein (about 18% as fed) and bioactive compounds derived from grapes and spent yeast, may represent a promising feed ingredient for broiler chickens [1,2]. However, limited information is available on how this byproduct affect gut morphology and function, raising questions about its potential beneficial or detrimental effects on chicken intestinal health. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of the dietary inclusion of dried post-distillation lees on jejunal morphology in broiler chickens. A total of 450 male Ross 308 chickens were reared from 1 to 35 days of age in 18 pens (25 birds per pen, 6 pens per dietary treatment) and assigned to three dietary treatments: F0 (control diet), F3 (basal diet supplemented with 3% wine lees), and F6 (basal diet supplemented with 6% wine lees). At 35 days of age, birds were slaughtered and jejunal mucosa samples were collected from 6 animals per dietary treatment. Samples were taken at the midpoint between the end of the duodenal loop and Meckel’s diverticulum, fixed in paraformaldehyde in PBS (0.1 M; pH 7.4), dehydrated, and embedded in paraffin. Serial sections (4 μm) were stained with haematoxylin and eosin for morphometric evaluation, Alcian-PAS for goblet cell identification, and immunohistochemistry using antibodies against CD3 intraepithelial T lymphocytes and CD45 intraepithelial leukocytes. Image analysis was performed using QuPath software (v0.4.3). Villi height, crypt depth, and goblet cells were manually measured by two independent operators, while CD3 and CD45 positive cells were quantified semi-automatically by a single operator. Data were analysed using a mixed model with diet as a fixed effect and pen as a random effect. Morphometric and immunohistochemical results did not show significant differences among dietary treatments for villi height (on average 996 μm), crypt depth (143 μm), villus-to-crypt ratio 7|67, goblet cell density (21.4 no.), or CD3+ and CD45+ cell counts (4041 and 4102 cells/10,000 μm2, respectively). In conclusions, under the conditions of the present study, the dietary inclusion of wine lees up to 6% did not affect gut structural integrity or local immune status. Acknowledgments: Interconnected Nord-Est Innovation Ecosystem (iNEST), European Union Next-GenerationEU (PIANO NAZIONALE DI RIPRESA E RESILIENZA (PNRR) – MISSIONE 4 COMPONENTE 2, INVESTIMENTO 1.5 – D.D. 1058 23/06/2022, ECS00000043).
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