Inclusion of different levels of inulin on productive parameters and intestinal morphology in fattening guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus)

ABSTRACT: This study evaluated the effect of three inulin levels (0.1%, 0.2%, 0.4%) supplemented as a substitute for an antibiotic growth promoter (AGP, zinc bacitracin) and control in guinea pigs raised human consumption. Fifty 14-day-old male were used. Productive parameters (weight gain, total dry matter intake, feed conversion ratio (FCR)) intestinal morphology duodenum, jejunum, ileum at slaughter (70 days age) evaluated. An inverse relationship was observed between FCR (linear effect; P = 0.006). There no statistically significant treatments on intake weight gain (P > 0.05). A linear level villi’s length (VL), width (VW), length/depth (VL/DC) duodenum; VW jejunum; VL <0 .05) reported. In conclusion, increasing doses found morphological duodenum’s integrity, differences effects added to diet treatment with AGP found.