Mitotic processes in hair follicles and the morphostructure of sheep skin upon inclusion of a water-soluble fatty acid complex into their diets

The study investigated the impact of a water-soluble fatty acid complex in sheep diets on skin and hair follicle morphostructure. Results showed that while the fatty acid emulsion did not affect the diameter of secondary hair follicle bulbs, it significantly increased the diameter of primary follicle bulbs from 269.8 μm to 292.2 μm. Enhanced dietary energy led to increased mitotic activity in both primary and secondary follicles, correlating with improved wool growth. Although total skin and epidermal thickness remained similar between groups, the experimental group showed a non-significant increase in dermal reticular layer thickness and a decrease in the papillary layer, affecting dermal strength. The density of hair follicles was higher in the experimental group, with a secondary to primary follicle ratio of 7.08 compared to 6.04 in the control group, despite no significant change in sebaceous gland lobe width.