Table 3 The effect of the inclusion of safflower oil and vitamin C in the broiler chicken diet on the intestine’s morphometric measures

 Villous height

1062.06

1153.6

777.17^b

1314.63^a

1231.77^a

749.15^b

1461.17^a

975.87^b

889.01^b

1149.3^ab

1487.6^a

80.75

0.52

<  0.01

<  0.01

 Villous width

176.40

134.42

85.84

181.84

198.56

15.09^b

260.98a

253.14^a

140.30^ab

111.89^ab

143.97^ab

26.19

0.36

0.08

<  0.01

 Crypt depth

286.02

241.77

98.61^b

482.31^a

210.76^b

33.64^d

616.55^a

207.86^c

189.42^cd

366.49^b

213.66^bc

45.77

0.58

0.00

<  0.01

 VH/CD

10.12

5.09

13.90^a

2.94^b

5.97^b

22.91^a

2.44^c

5.01^ab

4.89^ab

3.44^ab

6.93^b

1.72

0.09

<  0.01

<  0.01

 Mucosal depth

152.98^b

182.71^a

92.55^b

236.44^a

174.56^ab

21.52^e

301.97^a

135.46^d

163.34^cd

173.75^c

213.66^b

20.48

0.41

<  0.01

<  0.01

 GCC

121.42^a

15.33^b

20.13b

25.13^b

159.88^a

11.75^b

140.75^b

311.75^a

25.60^b

8.00^b

8.00^b

27.22

0.02

0.01

<  0.01

 IELI

46.75^a

22.00^b

15.25

49.25

38.63

9.00^b

77.50^a

53.75^ab

19.20^b

24.67^b

23.50^ab

7.59

0.05

0.09

<  0.01

 Villous height

880.92

865.20

895.05

843.87

880.27

840.36

797.62

1004.79

937.34

890.90

755.76

38.96

0.82

0.82

0.28

 Villous width

167.13

128.81

57.75^b

214.22^a

171.94^a

10.16^c

282.80^a

208.44^ab

103.01^bc

162.95^b

135.45^b

22.71

0.34

<  0.01

<  0.01

 Crypt depth

198.27

214.03

117.52^b

259.83^a

241.09^a

23.71^b

311.45^a

259.65^a

197.82^a

246.38^a

222.53^a

26.00

0.73

0.01

<  0.01

 VH/CD

14.98^a

4.29^b

20.95^a

3.81^b

4.15^b

37.46^a

2.58^b

4.89^b

4.43^b

5.05^b

3.40^b

3.13

0.04

<  0.01

<  0.01

 Mucosal depth

163.05^b

189.99^a

115.49

207.62

206.45

19.63^d

279.15^a

190.37^bc

187.82^ab

150.21^c

202.53^ab

20.89

0.46

0.05

<  0.01

 GCC

220.25^a

11.08^b

107.38

115.75

123.88

204.50^a

221.25^a

235.00^a

9.00^b

12.33^b

12.75^b

29.32

0.00

0.96

<  0.01

 IELI

82.75^a

22.33^b

23.75

65.63

68.25

17.00^b

109.00^a

122.25^a

32.40^b

16.33^b

14.25^b

11.40

0.001

0.11

<  0.01

 Villous height

629.71

691.81

500.30^c

651.94^b

830.04^a

436.86^c

625.73^abc

826.55^a

578.01^bc

692.5^ab

833.52^a

39.06

0.37

0.00

<  0.01

 Villous width

187.66

176.16

111.90b

207.60ab

226.22a

20.44c

226.46^ab

316.08^a

188.99^b

207.83^b

136.37^b

23.50

0.78

0.04

<  0.01

 Crypt depth

110.09^b

179.74^a

94.61^b

166.83^a

173.30^a

33.82^c

127.34^b

169.10^b

175.32^ab

190.10^a

177.5^ab

14.40

<  0.01

0.01

<  0.01

 VH/CD

7.68^a

4.02^b

8.38^a

4.32^b

4.84^b

12.95^a

5.19^b

4.89^b

3.82^b

3.44^b

4.80^b

0.86

0.01

0.04

<  0.01

 Mucosal depth

152.91

159.03

94.55^b

179.00^a

194.37^a

33.69^b

213.80^a

211.25^a

149.55^a

150.21^a

177.50^a

16.89

0.84

<  0.01

<  0.01

 GCC

219.33

158.92

127.00^b

336.50^a

103.88^b

245.50^ab

375.25^a

37.25^bc

87.00^c

263.33^a

170.5^abc

38.18

0.37

<  0.01

0.01

 IELI

79.58

253.58

363.25

93.63

42.88

7.25^b

160.00^b

71.50^b

578.20^a

31.67^b

14.25^b

50.15

0.16

0.20

0.01