Histological alterations to the pancreas and the intestinal tract producedby kabuli and desi chick pea (Cicer arietinum L.) diets in growing chicks

Two experiments were conducted to study the effect of inclusion of raw kabu li (0, 150, 300 and 450 g/kg) and desi (0, 75 and 150 g/kg) chick pea seed in broiler chicken diets (0-28 days) on the performance and the cytopatholo gical changes produced in the pancreas and jejunum of the chicks. Increasin g the proportion of raw kabuli chick pea seed in the diet (Experiment 1) ga ve a significant reduction (P < 0.05) in feed to gain ratio (25 %), weight gain (31 %) and feed consumption (13 %). The relative pancreas weight incre ased significantly (32 to 64 %) in birds fed 150 and 450 g/kg of kabuli chi ck pea Histological alterations showed a shortening and thickening of the v illi of the jejunum in birds fed the diet containing 450 g/kg of kabuli chi ck pea However, there were no disorders in pancreatic acinar cells. In the second experiment, the weight gain of birds fed 75 and 150 g/kg of r aw desi chick pea was significantly reduced (5 and 12 % respectively, P < 0 .05). Feed consumption and feed to gain ratio were unchanged. Relative panc reas weight increased significantly (3 %, P < 0.05) only at the highest lev el of desi chick pea inclusion. Morphological changes were observed in the pancreas with an increment of pancreatic acinar cells, but there was no alt eration in the structure of the jejunum. We conclude that the inclusion of kabuli (150 g/kg) and desi (75 g/kg) chick pea seed produced a negative eff ect on performance and structural alterations in the pancreas and the intes tinal villi that could be attributed to the presence of trypsin inhibitor a nd other antinutritional factors in the seed.