Objective of this research was to evaluate the benefits and the best level of cell wall of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (PCSc) added on the diet, on intestinal morphology of Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica), during the production phase. 400 Japanese quails (42 to 154 days of age), were distributed in a complete random design, with five treatments and 10 replicates with 8 birds each. It was used five diets with different levels of cell wall of S. cerevisiae (0; 0.5; 1.0; 1.5; 2.0kg t-1). Diet was fed ad libitum during all the experimental period. The variables were: height and width of the villus, width / height ratio of the villi and depth of the intestinal crypt. Height, width and height and width ratio of the intestinal villi were influenced by the inclusion of PCSc in the diet, while the crypt depth was not influenced by the addition of PCSc. The inclusion of the cell wall of S. cerevisiae in the diet up to 1.7kg t-1 brought positive changes in the morphology of the intestinal epithelium of Japanese quail (C. c. japonica) in the production phase.
Coturnix coturnix japonica; intestinal villi; prebiotic
