Modern Hybrid Rye, as an Alternative Energy Source for Broiler Chickens, Improves the Absorption Surface of the Small Intestine Depending on the Intestinal Part and Xylanase Supplementation

SIMPLE SUMMARY: The use of rye in poultry diets is associated with impairments in poultry performance due to the increased content of non-starch polysaccharides (NSPs). The performance of the body also depends on its health status, which can be reflected in structural changes of organs and systems. The gastrointestinal tract is the primary site of possible interaction between various nutrients, so changes in nutrition may be reflected in intestinal morphology. New hybrid rye varieties have been developed with a lower content of NSPs. Xylanase supplementation attenuates the negative effects of NSPs on poultry performance. The current study evaluated the inclusion of modern hybrid rye and xylanase supplementation on the absorptive surface of the small intestine of broilers. The results of the current study showed that the inclusion of modern hybrid rye to a corn–wheat-based diet improved the absorptive surface of the small intestine of broilers, regardless of xylanase supplementation. ABSTRACT: The current study investigated the effects of the inclusion of modern hybrid rye (Brasetto variety) to a corn–wheat-based diet, with or without xylanase, on the absorptive surface of the small intestine of broilers. A total of 224 one-day-old male Ross 308 broiler chicks were randomly divided into four experimental groups with seven replicate cages of eight birds/replicate. A 2 × 2 factorial study design was used, with rye inclusion (0% or 20%) and xylanase supplementation (0 or 200 mg/kg of feed) as factors. Inclusion of rye increased duodenal and ileal crypt depth, villi height, the villus-to-crypt ratio and absorption surface area (p < 0.05), and ileal mucosa thickness and crypt width (p < 0.05). Xylanase supplementation attenuated the effects of rye in the duodenum and ileum and decreased the villi height and villus-to-crypt ratio in the jejunum (p < 0.05). Rye and xylanase had no effect on the spatial distribution of claudin 3 and ZO-1 protein, but xylanase supplementation reduced the amount of claudin 3 in the duodenum and jejunum (p < 0.05). The findings of this study indicate that 20% inclusion of modern hybrid rye to the diets of broilers improved the structure of the duodenum and ileum, but these effects were attenuated by xylanase supplementation.