Pancreas morphology and duct system of swamp buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis)

Abstract

Swamp buffaloes have been important to Thai countryfolk for centuries. However, it's meat consumption has increased continuously. Since meat and offal of cattle are very similar, pancreas might be used to differentiate buffalo offal from cow offal. Pancreases from 10 adult buffaloes of both sexes were obtained and studied anatomically. Studies revealed that, unlike human and other animals, buffalo pancreas had a unique F-shape with left lobe, right lobe, body, and uncinate process. There was no main pancreatic duct. Only one accessory pancreatic duct was found open into minor duodenal papilla similar to those of cow. Furthermore, unlike human and all animals, buffalo minor duodenal papilla was situated at the caudal duodenal flexure, almost 1-foot away from the major duodenal papilla. These anatomical findings were first reported here and suggested unique characters of buffalo pancreas. These will be beneficial for initial species identification and could be fundamental information for further studies.