GLUTAMINA NA DIETA DE POEDEIRAS LEVES SUBMETIDAS AO ESTRESSE PELO CALOR E À TERMONEUTRALIDADE

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of glutamine supplementation of the diet on intestinal mucosa morphology, performance, and egg quality of commercial laying hens, submitted to heat stress and thermoneutral conditions. In this study, 96 (Isa Babcock) laying hens at 35 weeks of age were used and distributedin a completely randomized design according to a 2x2 factorial arrangement, with two levels of ambient temperature (thermoneutral and hot) and two levels of glutamine in the diet (0.0 and 1.0% of inclusion), in 6 replicates of 4 hens per box. Feed intake, daily eggproduction, feed conversion per kilogram of eggs, and egg quality were obtained in two periods of 28 days each. Heat stress decreased egg production and quality, and glutamine supplementation improved egg quality and feed conversion. The heat and glutamine upplementationprovided an increase in calliciform cells quantity in duodenum and ileum, respectively. Significant morphological modifications in the intestinal mucosa of laying hens were not found.