Histological and Histochemical Studies on the Stomach of Ostrich (Struthio camelus)

Abstract

The present study was carried on six apparent healthy adult ostrich (struthio camelus) of both sexes. After slaughtering, the stomach was dissected out and small pieces from the proventriculus (papillated and non papillated parts), cranial sac, middle gizzard, caudal sac and pyloric regions were collected and fixed immediately in 10% neutral buffered formalin and bouin’s solutions. Then they processed and stained with different histological and histochemical stains. Also, small pieces (1mm) from the previous samples were fixed in paraformaldehyde-glutaraldehyde in phosphate buffer and then they were examined for the ultrastructural features. This study revealed that the stomach of ostrich was consisted of three parts; proventriculus (glandular stomach), gizzard (muscular stomach) and pyloric region. The proventriculus was a large dilated sac and connected to the esophagus at esophageal proventricular junction and to the gizzard at the proventricular gizzard junction.