Gastrointestinal Tract Of Piglets Research Articles

Weaned piglets display low gastrointestinal digestion of pea (Pisum sativum L.) lectin and pea albumin 2.

A study was conducted to investigate the biochemistry of digestion of field pea (Pisum sativum L.) albumins and globulins in the stomach and along the small intestine of weaned piglets with a particular emphasis on the respective roles of these compartments in pea protein digestion. Twenty-four piglets were weaned at 28 d of age. They were allocated to 2 diets (control and pea) and 3 slaughter times (3, 6, or 9 h after the last meal) in a 2 x3 factorial arrangement of treatments in a randomized complete block design. Pea flour provided 30% of total dietary protein in the pea diet. The diets were fed for 2 wk after weaning. After slaughter, gastrointestinal tract (GIT) compartments were weighed, digesta were collected, and pH was measured. Digesta from the stomach and cranial, middle, and caudal small intestine (SI) were extracted for soluble proteins and analyzed for specific pea proteins using SDS-PAGE, immunoblotting, and mass spectrometry. Tissue weight of the whole GIT (P = 0.015), cecum (P <0.001), and colon (P <0.001) was greater in the pea diet. Digesta pH in the stomach and caudal SI was lower (P = 0.02) in the pea diet than the control diet. In the stomach, vicilin, lectin, and pea albumin 2 were not digested, whereas legumin was only partly digested. Legumin and vicilin were totally digested in the SI in less than 3 h. A resistant peptide of 15 kDa located at the N-terminus of pea albumin 2 was transiently detected at 3 h. A protein band at 20 kDa was consistently identified as lectin. It was present in high intensity in intestinal digesta of pea-fed piglets at all times after the meal compared with those fed the control diet (P <0.001). Various proteins of, presumably, endogenous origin displayed differential digestion patterns between the control and the pea-fed piglets (P<0.05). In conclusion, differences in digestion between specific pea proteins were observed along the GIT of piglets. They could be partly explained by differences in protein digestion in the stomach.

Changes in the fermentation end-product profile in the GIT of piglets during post-colostrum suckling period

Pre-weaning development of microbial activity has an effect on post-weaning establishment of the gastro-intestinal tract (GIT) microbiota. An in vivo study was conducted, to evaluate the effect of age on fermentation end-product profiles during the post-colostrum suckling period, as the variation in composition of mature milk is minimum. Sixteen piglets from two litters (eight per litter) were selected. During the study, piglets had free access to sow's milk, but no creep feed, nor antibiotic treatments. Two piglets from each litter were sacrificed on d 11, 18, 25 and 32 of age. The digesta samples were collected from the beginning and end of the small intestine, caecum and colon. Samples were analyzed for fermentation end-product concentrations. Combining the results from all the GIT sites, it was observed that, total VFA concentration increased with age of the piglets. There was a significant rise in acetic acid concentrations, with a significant decrease in lactic acid concentrations from d11 to d32, while the proportions of SCFA, (acetic acid not, vert, similar 72%, propionic acid not, vert, similar 15% and butyric acid not, vert, similar 6% of total VFA) and ammonia concentrations remained unchanged. These results clearly suggest that, the microbial activity in terms of fermentation end-product profile skewed from lactic acid to acetic acid as a major product during the post-colostrum suckling period. This may be attributed to lower substrate availability due to increased number of microbes or increased diversity in the microbiota in time.

Effect of benzoic acid on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, nitrogen balance, gastrointestinal microflora and parameters of microbial metabolism in piglets

In order to investigate the effects of benzoic acid on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, nitrogen balance and gastrointestinal microflora of piglets, we conducted a performance experiment and a separate balance study. The performance experiment involved four different dietary treatments: (1) basal diet (negative control); (2) basal diet supplemented with benzoic acid at 5 g/kg; (3) basal diet supplemented with benzoic acid at 10 g/kg; (4) basal diet supplemented with potassium diformate at 12 g/kg. Each dietary treatment was assigned to nine replicate groups, each consisting of two piglets. Live weight, daily weight gain, feed intake and feed conversion ratio were monitored as performance parameters over a 35-day period. Supplementation of the diet with benzoic acid resulted in a dose-dependent increase in feed intake and body weight gain and an improved feed conversion ratio. Piglets fed the diet supplemented with benzoic acid at 10 g/kg outperformed the control piglets in mean feed intake, body weight gain and feed conversion ratio by 9%, 15% and 6% respectively. Growth performance of the piglets fed the diet with benzoic acid at 10 g/kg was similar to that of piglets fed the diet supplemented with potassium diformate. In the balance experiment three groups of six piglets each were fed either a control diet or diets supplemented with benzoic acid at 5 or 10 g/kg respectively. Benzoic acid did not significantly affect nutrient digestibility but increased nitrogen retention. Piglets fed the diets supplemented with benzoic acid at 5 or 10 g/kg retained 5% and 6% more nitrogen, respectively, than control piglets. Supplementation of benzoic acid did not influence the pH value or the concentration of ammonia in the gastrointestinal tract but reduced the number of bacteria in the digesta. In the stomach the number of total aerobic, total anaerobic, lactic acid forming and gram-negative bacteria was reduced; in the duodenum the presence of benzoic acid reduced the number of gram-negative bacteria and in the ileum the number of total aerobic bacteria in a dose-dependent manner. Benzoic acid also considerably reduced the concentration of acetic acid in the duodenum. In conclusion, the data of this study suggest that benzoic acid exerts strong antimicrobial effects in the gastrointestinal tract of piglets and therefore enhances growth performance and nitrogen retention.

Difference in in vitro fermentability of four carbohydrates and two diets, using ileal and faecal inocula from unweaned piglets

AbstractAn experiment was conducted to examine differences in the in vitro fermentability of four carbohydrate‐rich feed ingredients and two weaning piglet diets with and without these ingredients, using both the ileal contents and the faeces of unweaned piglets as inocula. In the first part of the experiment, cumulative gas production was measured over time, using faecal inocula mixed from nine specially raised crossbred piglets (no creep feed or antibiotics) at 3 weeks of age. Inulin, lactulose, unmolassed sugar beet pulp, wheat starch and the two diets were used as substrates and fermented in vitro for 72 h. Gas production was measured as an indicator of the kinetics of fermentation. Fermentation end‐products, including volatile fatty acids and ammonia, and organic matter loss, were also measured. For the fermentations of feed ingredients, samples were also collected for polymerase chain reaction/denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis analyses initially and after the fermentation process, to study changes in the composition of the bacterial community. This procedure was repeated 1 week later, using ileal contents from the same piglets as inoculum. There were significant differences between the inocula, in terms of both overall fermentation characteristics and composition and between the substrates. There was also a significant interaction between inocula and substrates, which suggests that there were potentially important differences in the microbial activity occurring in these two areas of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). For the two diets, one with and one without addition of these fermentable ingredients, there were significant differences in terms of the kinetics, but less so in terms of the end‐products of fermentation. It was concluded that inocula from both the small and large intestine should be used to obtain a more accurate assessment of potential feed ingredients which will stimulate fermentation in the piglet GIT. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry

In vitro fermentation of fructo-oligosaccharides and transgalacto-oligosaccharides by adapted and unadapted bacterial populations from the gastrointestinal tract of piglets

An in vitro study was performed to investigate the fermentation of fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) and transgalacto-oligosaccharides (TOS) by bacteria harvested from the gastrointestinal tract of piglets. In addition, the apparent ileal digestibility of FOS and TOS was measured. Thirty piglets were fed either a semi-synthetic control diet or the control diet supplemented with 40 g FOS or 40 g TOS per kg ( n = 10). After 29 days, the piglets were killed and the gastrointestinal contents collected for the in vitro experiment and chemical analysis. The results demonstrated that bacteria from the stomach were nearly incapable of degrading FOS and TOS, whereas bacteria from the distal small intestine to some extend fermented FOS and TOS. Fermentation of FOS and TOS with bacteria from the stomach and distal small intestine was not affected by the dietary treatment of the piglets. Bacteria from the caecum and mid colon of the piglets showed the highest capacity to degrade FOS and TOS in vitro and the microbiota seemed to adapt to the dietary FOS. Caecal bacteria from piglets fed the FOS diet had tendencies to increased production rate of organic acids ( P < 0.1), propionic acid ( P < 0.1) and valeric acid ( P < 0.1) and significantly higher production rate of butyric acid ( P < 0.05) from FOS as compared with bacteria from piglets fed the control and TOS diet. Colonic bacteria from piglets fed the FOS diet also had significantly higher production rates of butyric acid ( P < 0.05) and capronic acid ( P < 0.01). In addition, significantly lower molar proportions of acetic acid ( P < 0.05) and propionic acid ( P < 0.05), and a significantly higher molar proportion of capronic acid ( P < 0.05) were observed for colonic bacteria from piglets fed the FOS diet as compared with the control diet. Fermentation of TOS by bacteria from the caecum and mid colon was generally not affected by the dietary treatment of the piglets. It was estimated that the capacity for microbial degradation of the dietary FOS and TOS during passage of the stomach and small intestine of the piglets was approximately a proportion of 0.20 for FOS and 0.16 for TOS. The coefficient of apparent ileal digestibility (CAID) was 0.57 (range 0.39–0.89) for FOS and 0.56 (range 0.31–0.82) for TOS. In conclusion, a proportion between 0.20 and 0.60 of FOS and TOS are degraded by the microbiota in the small intestine of piglets and the microbiota of the large intestine adapt to the administration of FOS in the feed.

The Effects of Fiber Source on Organ Weight, Digesta pH, Specific Activities of Digestive Enzymes and Bacterial Activity in the Gastrointestinal Tract of Piglets

The aim of this study was to explore the effects of fiber sources on gut development and bacterial activity in the gastrointestinal tract of piglets. Eighteen crossbred (Duroc×Landrace×Yorkshire) barrows were fed a basal diet based on corn plus soybean meal or similar diets in which a portion of the corn and soybean was replaced by 5% wheat bran or 5% sugar beet pulp. The results indicate that pigs fed diets containing 5% wheat bran or 5% sugar beet pulp had lower liver weights than control pigs (p<0.01). The relative weight of the pancreas in pigs fed diets containing 5% sugar beet pulp was greater than that of control pigs or pigs fed diets containing 5% wheat bran (p<0.05). The pH of the ileal digesta of pigs fed the diet containing 5% wheat bran was higher than that of control pigs or pigs fed the diet containing 5% sugar beet pulp (p<0.05). The lipase activity in the distal jejunum, proximal, and distal ileum of pigs fed the control diet was higher than that of pigs fed the diets containing 5% wheat bran or 5% sugar beet pulp (p<0.05). The concentration of volatile fatty acids anterior to the caecum was greater for the pigs fed the diet containing 5% sugar beet pulp, while the concentration of volatile fatty acids posterior to the ileum was greater for the pigs fed the diet containing 5% wheat bran. This means that sugar beet pulp increased the bacterial fermentation pre- caecum, while wheat bran increased the bacterial fermentation post-ileum. The concentration of bacterial nitrogen and bacterial protein/total protein in ileal digesta of pigs fed the control diet was higher (p<0.05) than that of pigs fed the diets contained either fiber source. Bacterial protein/total protein in the feces of pigs fed the diet containing 5% sugar beet pulp was higher than that of pigs fed the control diet. This means that inclusion of 5% wheat bran or sugar beet pulp in diets influenced the development of the digestive tract of piglet. The mechanism by which dietary fiber reduced specific activity of lipase needs further consideration. Dietary fiber influenced the bacterial activity in the digestive tract of piglets, sugar beet pulp increased the fermentation in the upper gastrointestinal tract, and while wheat bran increased the fermentation in the lower gastrointestinal tract. (Asian-Aust. J. Anim. Sci. 2002. Vol 15, No. 10 : 1482-1488)

Effect of K-diformate in starter diets on acidity, microbiota, and the amount of organic acids in the digestive tract of piglets, and on gastric alterations.

The aim of this investigation was to study the effect of K-diformate on the intraluminal pH, microbial composition in digesta and feces, organic acids along the digestive tract, and alterations of the gastric epithelium of pigs. Pigs (n = 36) weaned at 28 d of age were allotted to two groups and fed without (control diet) or with 1.8% supplemental K-diformate. Fecal samples were taken from the rectum on d 0, 1, 3, 5, 7, 14, 21, and 28 postweaning. Half of the animals from each group were killed on d 7 and the other half on d 29 postweaning. Growth performance was not different for both groups (P > or = 0.73). The gastric epithelium was not negatively affected by K-diformate (P = 0.25). Potassium-diformate decreased (P < or = 0.04) or tended to decrease (P < or = 0.10) the counts of total anaerobic bacteria, lactic acid bacteria, and yeasts in feces and digesta samples from the stomach, distal small intestine, cecum, and middle segment of the colon. The pH along the gastrointestinal tract of piglets was not affected by K-diformate (P > or = 0.30). On d 7, the concentration of lactic acid along the gastrointestinal tract was similar with both diets (P = 0.15). On d 29, the concentrations of lactic acid tended to be lower along the small intestine (P < or = 0.08) and the stomach (P = 0.11) of the pigs fed K-diformate. Formic acid in digesta was detected at significant levels only in the distal segment of the small intestine of the control pigs (from 4 to 11 mmol/kg of wet digesta), whereas considerable amounts were measured in the stomach (from 23 to 40 mmol/kg of wet digesta) and all segments of the small intestine (from 7 to 25 mmol/kg of wet digesta) in the K-diformate-fed pigs on both days. On d 7, pigs fed the K-diformate diet had a tendency (P < or = 0.08) to have higher concentrations of organic acids (acetic + propionic + butyric) in the digesta of the distal small intestine, cecum, and proximal colon. On d 29, both groups had similar concentrations of these acids, irrespective of the segment of the gastrointestinal tract (P = 0.95). Our study showed that the addition of K-diformate to a starter diet for piglets decreased total anaerobic bacteria, lactic acid bacteria, coliforms, and yeasts in feces and in digesta from various segments of the gastrointestinal tract, without affecting the gastric or intestinal pH.

The effect of Lactobacillus spp. on the attachment of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli to isolated porcine enterocytes

A total of 43 strains of lactobacilli were isolated from the gastrointestinal tract of piglets at the time of weaning. Isolates, grown on solid media, were allocated to strongly adherent or non/weakly adherent groups on the basis of numbers attaching to isolated porcine enterocytes. Strains of Lactobacillus fermentum were disproportionally represented amongst the strongly-adherent strains and Lact. acidophilus and Lact. salivarius amongst the non/weakly-adherent group. Lactobacilli showed significantly better attachment ability when grown on agar than when grown in broth culture. Strongly adherent strains were not found to effect the attachment of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli to porcine enterocytes, tested under the conditions of exclusion (lactobacilli added to the enterocytes before E. coli), competition (lactobacilli and E. coli added simultaneously) and displacement (E. coli added before lactobacilli). Tests were made with [14C]-labelled E. coli. Suspensions of bacteria and enterocytes were passed through a filter selected to retain enterocytes but pass free bacterial cells. Counts (dpm) obtained from filters after solubilization were taken as a measure of E. coli attachment. Some strains of lactobacilli coaggregated with enterotoxigenic E. coli with K88 fimbriae, but not with a K88-negative mutants strain. These were excluded from the competitive exclusion experiments. In the apparent absence of a direct effect on the association of E. coli with host tissue, removal of potential gut pathogens by aggregation could contribute to the probiotic properties ascribed to lactic acid bacteria.

Postprandial gastrointestinal blood flow and oxygen consumption: effects of hypoxemia in neonatal piglets.

The effects of feeding on gastrointestinal (GI) perfusion and oxygen transport in hypoxemic neonates is unknown. We evaluated these effects in unanesthetized, spontaneously breathing newborn piglets by comparing three experimental groups: nine hypoxemic piglets (mean PaO2 26 torr) which were fed with formula, six hypoxemic piglets (mean PaO2 27 torr) which were not fed, and four normoxemic piglets (mean PaO2 79 torr) which were fed and served as controls. The control-fed group exhibited an increase in stomach and small intestinal mucosal-submucosal blood flow within 30 min following feeding which was significantly greater than that observed in the hypoxemic fed piglets. GI O2 delivery and O2 uptake rose significantly (p less than 0.05) following a meal secondary to increases in total GI blood flow. Oxygen extraction was unchanged postprandially in the control group. In the hypoxemic nonfed piglets, total and regional GI blood flow was unaltered during hypoxemia. Reductions in arterial O2 content led to significant decreases in GI O2 delivery. Gastrointestinal oxygen uptake remained stable with a compensatory increase in GI O2 extraction. In the hypoxemic-fed piglets, hypoxia significantly decreased stomach blood flow and led to unchanged blood flow in the remainder of the GI tract. Significant reductions in arterial O2 content and GI O2 delivery were observed, accompanied by significant increases in O2 extraction. Hypoxemic fed animals did not exhibit the expected increase in O2 uptake to meet postprandial metabolic demands. When the hypoxemic insult was terminated, fed piglets demonstrated significant total and regional GI hyperemia leading to increased GI O2 uptake when compared with hypoxemic nonfed piglets.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Immunité chez le foetus et le nouveau-né : modèle porcin

An efficient placental barrier protects the pig fetus from all exogenous antigenic stimulation. The results of studies on different subpopulations of lymphocytes, histological localization, and stimulation as well as immunization in utero with allogeneic lymphocytes have confirmed that the pig fetus becomes immunocompetent at around 80 days of fetal life (total length of gestation: 115 days). Because the newborn piglet has had no "immunological experience" in utero, it can only elaborate a primary response which is often advantageous to pathogenic microorganisms. Under natural conditions, immune protection is provided by the mother in the form of colostrum. This colostrum provides systemic immunity and is followed by milk which insures local immunity in the piglet gastrointestinal tract. However, the great disadvantage of maternal antibodies is that they suppress the active synthesis of new antibodies in young pig. Thus, the beginning of active immunity in the piglet is a function of the ratio of maternal antibody level to the level of antigenic stimulation.

Gastrointestinal blood flow and oxygen consumption in awake newborn piglets: effect of feeding.

Regional and total gastrointestinal (GI) blood flow, O2 delivery, and whole-gut O2 extraction and O2 consumption were measured before and 30, 60, and 120 min after feeding in nonanesthetized, awake 2-day-old piglets. Cardiac output and blood flow to kidneys, heart, brain, and liver were also determined. Blood flow was measured using the radiolabeled microsphere technique. In the preprandial condition, total GI blood flow was 106 +/- 9 ml X min-1 X 100 g-1, while O2 extraction was 17.2 +/- 0.9% and O2 consumption was 1.99 +/- 0.19 ml O2 X min-1 X 100 g-1. Thirty minutes after slow gavage feeding with 30 ml/kg artificial pig milk, O2 delivery to the GI tract and O2 extraction rose significantly (P less than 0.05) by 35 +/- 2 and 33 +/- 2%, respectively. The increase in O2 delivery was effected by a significant increase in GI blood flow, which was localized to the mucosal-submucosal layer of the small intestine. O2 uptake by the GI tract increased 72 +/- 4% 30 min after feeding. Cardiac output and blood flow to non-GI organs did not change significantly with feeding, whereas arterial hepatic blood flow decreased significantly 60 and 120 min after feeding. The piglet GI tract thus meets the oxidative demands of digestion and absorption by increasing local blood flow and tissue O2 extraction.