Protozoan parasitic infections of the chick intestine and protein digestion and absorption
Turk, D.E.
Journal of Nutrition 102(9): 1217-1221
1972
ISSN/ISBN: 0022-3166 PMID: 5057208 Document Number: 48195
Parasitic infections of the duodenum (Eimeria acervulina), jejunum (Eimeria necatrix), and ileum, caeca and colon (Eimeria brunetti) were established in chicks and the digestion and absorption of 14C generally labelled chlorella protein were studied. The infections were untreated and allowed to proceed through the infective, acute, recovery and postrecovery phases. In all trials all infections decreased rate of weight gain in 4-week-old chicks from days 6 to 28 of the infection. Visible intestinal damage (haemorrhage, oedema and necrotic foci) occurred in all infections on day 6, but healed by day 14 in all but the E. necatrix infections which had healed by day 28. Protein digestion and absorption were decreased during the acute phase of infection with E. necatrix compared with uninfected birds, indicating that the jejunal area of the intestine was most critical for these functions. Protein digestion and absorption were not much decreased in the other infections during the acute phase, indicating that the duodenum, ileum, caeca and colon were less critical for protein digestion and absorption. Increases in the amount of protein absorption were seen in the infected birds during the recovery phase above the amount of absorption in uninfected birds.