Histochemical Study of Alkaline Phosphatase Activity in the Chicken Intestine

The distribution of non-specific alkaline phosphatase (AP) in normal duodenum, rest small intestine and caecum of chicken has been studied by a catalytic histochemistry method. Embryos and chickens ranging between day 11 prior to and day 60 after hatching were used and the findings of AP reaction were correlated with the age. In the small intestine, during foetal life, the AP activity started to be weakly positive to the 11 day of incubation, becoming gradually stronger afterwards and after hatching. As far as in the caecum was concerned, a weak reaction was also observed during foetal life becoming stronger in its base (Basis ceci) after hatching. The body (Corpus ceci) and the tip (Apex ceci) of the caecum presented a slight or moderate reaction up the 21 day and a strong one from the 25 day onwards.