Histological Investigations on the Effects of Feeding with a Diet Containing Red Hot Pepper on the Uropygial Gland of a Rooster

Authors: BERRİN ZIK, HATİCE ERDOST

Abstract: In the present study, differences occurring in the uropygial glands of roosters fed with a diet containing red hot pepper from 1-day old until 5-months old, were investigated in their histological and morphometrical aspects. It was determined in the experimental group that the lipid content of cells in the sebaceous zone of the uropygial gland was more than that of the controls, and the thicknesses of the tubulus walls and the length of the tubulus increased depending on both age and the effect of red hot pepper. It was observed that in the cells of the glycogen zone; while glycogen and neutral mucins were abundant in the control group, acid mucins were abundant in the experimental group. At the same time, the thicknesses of the tubulus walls and the length of the tubulus increased depending on age in the control group, but in the experimental group the length of the tubulus increased depending on age, while red hot pepper had a reductive effect on the thicknesses of the tubulus walls. In conclusion, in the experimental group, an increase was observed in the activity of the uropygial gland and this increase was in favour of lipid secretion, on the other hand red hot pepper had an enhancing effect on the secretion of acid mucins and a lowering effect on the secretion of glycogen and neutral mucins.

Keywords: Uropygial Gland, Histology, Red Hot Pepper

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