Hydroxy methionine analog and DL-methionine: effects on intestinal and reproductive tract histomorphometry of light laying hens during the production phase

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Abstract

The bioefficacy of calcium salt of 2-hydroxy-4-(methylthio) butanoic acid (HMBA-Ca) as a methionine source was evaluated against DL-methionine (DLM) in light-laying hens by assessing histomorphometric and hepatic parameters. A total of 1,080 Hy-Line W80 laying hens were randomly assigned to a 2×4+1 (two methionine sources; four supplementation levels: 0.46 %, 0.54 %, 0.56 %, and 0.58 %; and one control group without supplementation). Birds fed DLM exhibited increased villus width, height, surface area, and villus-to-crypt ratio (p <0.05). The calculated bioefficacies were 99 %, 78 %, 83 %, and 79 %, respectively. Methionine supplementation reduced the probability of hepatic steatosis (p <0.05) and decreased the hepatic lipid profile (p <0.05). DLM increased epithelial thickness in the magnum, and the supplementation levels influenced the height and width of the uterine folds (p <0.05). The corresponding bioefficacy values were 70 %, 131 %, and 76 %, respectively. Regardless of the source, methionine supplementation benefited the development of the intestinal mucosa, uterus, and magnum and reduced the incidence of hepatic steatosis in this study. Based on the bioefficacy results, DLM demonstrated greater bioavailability than HMBA-Ca. A DLM level of 0.58 %, which yielded the best results, is recommended.
Keywords: intestinal morphometry; hepatic fat; uterine folds.

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2026-02-06

How to Cite

FERREIRA , Thamires da Silva; SOARES, Márcia das Neves; KANEKO , Isabelle Naemi; PINHEIRO , Sarah Gomes; COSTA, Fernando Guilherme Perazzo; JÚNIOR , Romilton Ferreira de Barros; SILVA, Joelma Vasconcelos Celestino da. Hydroxy methionine analog and DL-methionine: effects on intestinal and reproductive tract histomorphometry of light laying hens during the production phase. Brazilian Animal Science/ Ciência Animal Brasileira, Goiânia, v. 27, 2026. Disponível em: https://revistas.ufg.br/vet/article/view/82584. Acesso em: 7 feb. 2026.

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Vol. 27 (2026): Continuous publication

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ANIMAL SCIENCE

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