Abstract
The postnatal development of the intestinal disaccharidases has been studied in ruminant and non-ruminant calves up to the age of 6 months, and the changes occurring during the weaning period have been compared. The postnatal changes occurred in 2 phases. In the first phase, during the first 4 weeks after birth, the β-disaccharidases decreased and a-disaccharidases increased. These changes could not be influenced by dietary substances. In the second phase, during the weaning period, further similar changes occurred which were influenced by diet. Feeding a lactose-containing liquid diet and preventing the functional development of the rumen prevented the continued decrease in β-disaccharidase activity after the fourth week, and also maintained higher levels of trehalase. The major changes in the pattern of distribution of lactase, cellobiase and trehalase activities occurred about the second week after birth, and after the eighth week, when a regular pattern was established. The pattern of distribution of maltase activity did not change markedly with age.
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