Evaluation of a simple non-invasive 13C breath test to evaluate diet effects on gastric emptying in pigs

Abstract

A study was carried out to validate gastric emptying using non-invasive 13C breath test against total evacuation of the stomach content through a gastric cannulae. Three different diets were used; a high soluble fibre diet based on sugar beet pulp, a high insoluble fibre diet based on wheat bran and a low dietary fibre diet. Six gastric cannulated pregnant sows used in the total evacuation study were fed each of the diets for one week and the stomach content were evacuated in a randomized order 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 5 h after feeding on 5 subsequent days. In addition, a sample was taken 0.5 h prior to feeding (15.5 h after the previous meal) on the day when the 5 h sample was taken. In the breath test four pregnant sows were placed in respiration chambers and the 13C marker was added in the morning meal and air samples were collected up to 18 h at the outlet from the chambers and detected on an infra red isotope spectrometry (IRIS) analyzer. Feeding the sugar beet diet high in soluble fibre and high water-binding capacity reduced the physical activity. Gastric emptying estimated using non-invasive breath test with 13C labelled isotope was comparable to that observed with total collection of the gastric content. Thus, the breath test is applicable for evaluating dietary effects on gastric emptying and potentially improves the behaviour and well being of gestating sows and lends confidence to applicability in clinical human trials.