Abstract

The present study was conducted to evaluate the influence of dietary fiber on the activities of malic enzyme and citrate lyase involved in fatty acid metabolism in the colon epithelium of pigs. Thirty-six weaned 5 weeks old crossbred (YorkshirexSwedish Landrace) piglets originating from twelve litters were randomly assigned to either a low fiber diet containing 10% non-starch polysaccharides (NSP), a control diet containing 14.7% NSP or a high fiber diet containing 20% NSP. The activity of malic enzyme in the colonic epithelium of pigs significantly (p<0.05) increased with age during the suckling-weaning transition. There was a tendency (p<0.10) of decreased malic enzyme activity in the colonic epithelium of pigs fed on the high fiber diet. At week 6, a lowered (p<0.01) activity of malic enzyme in pigs fed on the low fiber diet compared with that in pigs fed on the high fiber and the control diets. Nevertheless, there were no significant differences in the activity of citrate lyase observed either between pigs with different ages or between pigs fed with various diets. The current data suggest that piglets during the suckling-weaning transition have a limited capacity to synthesize fatty acids from carbohydrate derivatives in the coloncytes. In addition, lipogenesis in coloncytes was enhanced with age during the suckling-weaning transition. A tendency (p<0.10) to an increased capacity to utilize acetyl-CoA in coloncytes of pigs has been observed for the high fiber diet. Moreover, the present work indicated that dietary fiber resulted in a lowered rate of lipogenesis and a reduced activity of malic enzyme

Published in

Asian-Australasian journal of animal sciences
2003, Volume: 16, number: 10, pages: 1524-1528
Publisher: ASIAN-AUSTRALASIAN ASSOC ANIMAL PRODUCTION SOCIETIES

SLU Authors

• Zhu, Yaohong

  • Department of Clinical Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Lundh, Torbjörn

  • Department of Applied Animal Science and Welfare, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

UKÄ Subject classification

Veterinary Science
Animal and Dairy Science


Publication identifier

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5713/ajas.2003.1524

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/9779