Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman and Iranian Society of Animal Science Journal of Livestock Science and Technologies 2322-3553 4 1 2016 05 04 Effect of wheat bran inclusion in barley-based diet on villus morphology of jejunum, serum cholesterol, abdominal fat and growth performance of broiler chickens 9 16 1374 10.22103/jlst.2016.1374 EN H. R. Taheri Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zanjan, 45371-38791 Zanjan, Iran. N. Tanha Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zanjan, 45371-38791 Zanjan, Iran. M. H. Shahir Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zanjan, 45371-38791 Zanjan, Iran. Journal Article 2015 10 10 This research was conducted to investigate the effect of inclusion of wheat bran (as a source of insoluble fiber) in a barley-based diet, fed from 11 to 42 d of age, on villus morphology of jejunum, serum cholesterol level, abdominal fat pad and growth performance of broiler chickens. Three hundred and thirty six 10-d-old female Ross 308 chicks were allocated to six diets with four replicates of 14 birds per diet. The diets were a corn-based diet (CN); barley-based diet without (BL) or with multi-enzyme (BL+E, 500 mg/kg of the diet, Rovabio Excel 10%); and barley based-diet that contained 4 (BL+WB4), 8 (BL+WB8) or 12 (BL+WB12) percent wheat bran. Average daily gain, average daily feed intake and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were measured from 11 to 42 d of age. Serum cholesterol level was measured on d 24. Villus height (VH) and villus surface area (VSA) of jejunum, and relative weight (% of body weight) of abdominal fat pad were measured at 42 d of age. The birds receiving CN, BL+E, BL+WB4 and BL+WB8 had significantly (<em>P</em> < 0.01) lower FCR than those feeding on BL. VH (<em>P</em> < 0.01) and VSA (<em>P</em> < 0.001) in the jejunum increased in birds receiving CN, BL+E and BL+WB12 compared with BL birds. Serum cholesterol level in birds fed with BL+WB12 diet decreased (<em>P</em> < 0.05) compared with CN birds. The birds fed with BL, B+WB4, B+WB8, B+WB12 diets showed lower (<em>P</em> < 0.05) relative weight of abdominal fat pad compared with CN diet. In conclusion, the results of this study showed, when broiler chickens fed barley-based diet, the inclusion of lower levels of wheat bran in diet could have a positive effect on feed efficiency, whereas serum cholesterol level, VH and VSA were influenced with the inclusion of highest level of wheat bran. https://lst.uk.ac.ir/article_1374_c1747f92b6ad42700dc15ffabd085d92.pdf