Petrov, P., a. Bochukov, g. Penchev & v. Gerzilov, 2017.

Histostructure of different quality classes of fattened liver from mule ducks.

Bulg. J. Vet. Med., 20, No 4, 319–326.   DOI: 10.15547/bjvm.1034
 
This study encompassed a total of 15040 fattened liver samples, obtained during the four seasons of the year. The fattened liver quality was evaluated with regard to its weight and structure and classified in five classes. The analysis of the results indicated that the largest amount of fattened liver from the two highest quality classes – “Esc” and “E” was obtained during the autumn (85.46 % total), whereas in the other seasons the largest amounts of fattened liver were of the “AD” class. The spring was a period when an increase in the relative share of low-quality liver of grade “TV” (20.87 %) and “C” (5.07 %) was detected. The histological studies indicated that hepatocytes with large-drop fatty infiltration were predominant in liver of classes “Esc” and “E”, with preserved cellular boundaries, with the exception of sporadic cases in the “Esc” class, mostly in the autumn. A specific feature for the “AD” quality class was the prevalence of glandular tubules, with predominantly small- and medium-drop fatty infiltration occurring within their hepatocytes. Seasonal differences in the histostructure of the fattened liver were also detected. In the “TV” quality class two types of glandular tubules with small- and medium-drop fatty infiltration were observed. In some cases, large-drop fatty infiltration could be observed as well – mostly in the summer, and connective tissue between the glandular tubules was preserved, without fattening of its cells. In the “C” quality class, fatty infiltration was incomplete. The histological image showed mostly small-drop fatty infiltration in the cytoplasm of most hepatocytes.

Key words: fatty liver, force feeding, histology, mule duck, qualification