Intestinal histology of newborn goat kids fed lyophilized bovine colostrum

Enteric histology of newborn goat kids fed lyophilized bovine colostrum (LBC) was studied. At 0, 7, and 14 h of life 15 male newborns received 5% of body weight of lyophilized bovine colostrum and 14 male newborns goat colostrum (GC), both with 55 mg/ml of IgG. Samples of duodenum, jejunum, and ileum were collected at 18, 36, and 96 h of life for analyses of villus height, crypt depth, muscle layer thickness, partial volume of the absorptive mucosa (Vv), density of the absorptive mucosa (Sv), and quantification of goblet cells. Three animals were sampled without colostrum intake (0 h). The histomorphometry was not different between GC and LBC in all segments. In the jejunum, the villus height differed in sampling times (36 h > 0 h and 18 h). The maximum villus height was observed in the jejunum. In the jejunum, crypt depth differed in the sampling times (96 h > 0 and 18 h). Interaction between intestinal segment and sampling times was observed to crypt depth (duodenum 18 h > jejunum 18 h and duodenum 96 h > ileum 96 h). In the ileum, the muscle layer thickness differed in the sampling times (36 h > 0 and 18 h and 96 h > 0 h). The greatest thickness of muscle layer was observed in the duodenum and at 96 h the muscle layer was thicker than at 18 h. The ileum showed the highest Vv at 36 h. The Vv was the highest in the jejunum and higher at 36 h than at 96 h. In the jejunum, an interaction between the treatment and sampling times to goblet cells number (LBC 18 h < GC 18 h and GC 96 h > LBC 96 h) was observed. The ileum showed the greatest number of goblet cells. The ingestion of lyophilized bovine colostrum did not determine any consequences for enteric histology in the first 4 days of goat kids' life.