Effects of poorly hydrolizable ingredients in mixed feeds on pancreatic exocrine function in chickens

Abstract

The response of the pancreas to the use of the poorly hydrolysable ingredients (wheat bran and sunflower meal) in the mixed feed diet was shown under the conditions of the chronic experiments on chickens. The proteolytic enzyme activity decreases by 22–36% as compared to the control because of a 10% decrease in the dietary crude protein level. The lipase activity increases by 17–26% due to an increase in the dietary crude fat content, while the amylase activity remains significantly unchanged with an increase in the dietary amount of nonstarch polysaccharides. The process of the pancreatic adaptation to the new dietary feed generally occurs through a change in the activity of pancreatic enzymes rather than the volume of pancreatic juice. This can indicate the fine adjustment of the digestive system to any change in feed quality.