Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-x5gtn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-10T05:45:34.439Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Estimating fermentative amino acid catabolism in the small intestine of growing pigs1

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 July 2015

D. A. Columbus ,
J. P. Cant  and
C. F. M. de Lange
D. A. Columbus
Affiliation:
Department of Animal and Poultry Science, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
J. P. Cant
Affiliation:
Department of Animal and Poultry Science, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
C. F. M. de Lange*
Affiliation:
Department of Animal and Poultry Science, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
*
†E-mail: cdelange@uoguelph.ca
Get access

Abstract

Fermentative catabolism (FAAC) of dietary and endogenous amino acids (AA) in the small intestine contributes to loss of AA available for protein synthesis and body maintenance functions in pigs. A continuous isotope infusion study was performed to determine whole body urea flux, urea recycling and FAAC in the small intestine of ileal-cannulated growing pigs fed a control diet (CON, 18.6% CP; n=6), a high fibre diet with 12% added pectin (HF, 17.7% CP; n=4) or a low-protein diet (LP, 13.4% CP; n=6). 15N-ammonium chloride and 13C-urea were infused intragastrically and intravenously, respectively, for 4 days. Recovery of ammonia at the distal ileum was increased by feeding additional fibre when compared with the CON (P<0.05) but was not affected by dietary protein (0.24, 0.39 and 0.14 mmol nitrogen/kg BW/day for CON, HF and LP, respectively; P<0.05). Lowering protein intake reduced urea flux (25.3, 25.7 and 10.3 mmol nitrogen/kg BW/day; P<0.01), urinary urea excretion (14.4, 15.0 and 6.2 mmol N/kg BW/day; P<0.001) and urea recycling (12.1, 11.3 and 3.23 mmol nitrogen/kg BW/day; P<0.01) compared with CON. There was a rapid reduction in 15N-ammonia enrichment in digesta along the small intestine suggesting rapid absorption of ammonia before the distal ileum and lack of uniformity of enrichment in the digesta ammonia pool. A two-pool model was developed to determine possible value ranges for nitrogen flux in the small intestine assuming rapid absorption of ammonia. Maximum estimated FAAC based on this model was significantly lower when dietary protein content was decreased (32.9, 33.4 and 17.4 mmol nitrogen/kg BW/day; P<0.001). There was no impact of dietary fibre on estimates of small intestine nitrogen flux (P>0.05) compared with CON. The two-pool model developed in the present study allows for estimation of FAAC but still has limitations. Quantifying FAAC in the small intestine of pigs, as well as other non-ruminants and humans, offers a number of challenges but warrants further investigation.

Keywords

amino acidsfermentative catabolismfibregrowing pigs
Type
Research Article
Information
animal , Volume 9 , Issue 11 , November 2015 , pp. 1769 - 1777
Copyright
© The Animal Consortium 2015 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

1

A partial summary of these results was presented at the 11th International Symposium on Digestive Physiology of Pigs (Columbus et al., 2010).

References

Ball, RO and Aherne, FX 1987. Influence of dietary nutrient density, level of feed intake and weaning age on young pigs. II. Apparent nutrient digestibility and incidence and severity of diarrhea. Canadian Journal of Animal Science 67, 1105–1115.Google Scholar
Bikker, P, Dirkzwager, A, Fledderus, J, Trevisi, P, le Huerou-Luron, I, Lalles, JP and Awati, A 2006. The effect of dietary protein and fermentable carbohydrates levels on growth performance and intestinal characteristics in newly weaned piglets. Journal of Animal Science 84, 3337–3345.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bindelle, J, Leterme, P and Buldgen, A 2008. Nutritional and environmental consequences of dietary fibre in pig nutrition: a review. Biotechnologie Agronomie Societe et Environnement 12, 69–80.Google Scholar
Columbus, DA, Cant, JP and de Lange, CFM 2010. Estimating fermentative amino acid losses in the upper gut of pigs. Livestock Science 133, 124–127.Google Scholar
Columbus, DA, Lapierre, H, Htoo, JK and de Lange, CFM 2014. Nonprotein nitrogen is absorbed from the large intestine and increases nitrogen balance in growing pigs fed a valine-limiting diet. Journal of Nutrition 144, 614–620.Google Scholar
Dierick, NA, Vervaeke, IJ, Decuypere, JA and Henderickx, HK 1986. Influence of the gut flora and of some growth-promoting feed additives on nitrogen-metabolism in pigs. 1. Studies in vitro. Livestock Production Science 14, 161–176.Google Scholar
Htoo, JK, Araiza, BA, Sauer, WC, Rademacher, M, Zhang, Y, Cervantes, M and Zijlstra, RT 2007. Effect of dietary protein content on ileal amino acid digestibility, growth performance, and formation of microbial metabolites in ileal and cecal digesta of early-weaned pigs. Journal of Animal Science 85, 3303–3312.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jackson, AA, Picou, D and Landman, J 1984. The non-invasive measurement of urea kinetics in normal man by constant infusion of 15N15N-urea. Clinical Nutrition 38, 339–354.Google Scholar
Jackson, AA, Gibson, NR, Bundy, R, Hounslow, A, Millward, DJ and Wootton, SA 2004. Transfer of 15N from oral lactose-ureide to lysine in normal adults. International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition 55, 455–462.Google Scholar
Jeaurond, EA, Rademacher, M, Pluske, JR, Zhu, CH and de Lange, CFM 2008. Impact of feeding fermentable proteins and carbohydrates on growth performance, gut health and gastrointestinal function of newly weaned pigs. Journal of Animal Science 88, 271–281.Google Scholar
Libao-Mercado, AJ, Zhu, CL, Fuller, MF, Rademacher, M, Seve, B and de Lange, CFM 2007. Effect of feeding fermentable fiber on synthesis of total and mucosal protein in the intestine of the growing pig. Livestock Science 109, 125–128.Google Scholar
Libao-Mercado, AJO, Zhu, CL, Cant, JP, Lapierre, H, Thibault, JN, Seve, B, Fuller, MF and deLange, CFM 2009. Dietary and endogenous amino acids are the main contributors to microbial protein in the upper gut of normally nourished pigs. Journal of Nutrition 139, 1088–1094.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mansilla, WD, Columbus, DA, Htoo, JK and de Lange, CFM 2015. Nitrogen absorbed from the large intestine increases whole-body nitrogen retention in pigs fed a diet deficient in dispensable amino acid nitrogen. Journal of Nutrition 145, 1163–1169.Google Scholar
Mariotti, F, Pueyo, ME, Tome, D and Benamouzig, RM 2001. Guar gum does not impair the absorption and utilization of dietary nitrogen but affects early endogenous urea kinetics in humans. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 74, 487–493.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Matthews, DE and Downey, RS 1984. Measurement of urea kinetics in humans: a validation of stable isotope tracer methods. American Journal of Physiology – Endocrinology and Metabolism 246, E519–E427.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Metges, CC 2000. Contribution of microbial amino acids to amino acid homeostasis of the host. Journal of Nutrition 130, 1857S–1864S.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mosenthin, R, Sauer, WC and de Lange, CFM 1992a. Tracer studies of urea kinetics in growing pigs: I. The effect of intravenous infusion of urea on urea recycling and the site of urea secretion into the gastrointestinal tract. Journal of Animal Science 70, 3458–3466.Google Scholar
Mosenthin, R, Sauer, WC and Ahrens, F 1994. Dietary pectin’s effect on ileal and fecal amino acid digestibility and exocrine pancreatic secretions in growing pigs. Journal of Nutrition 124, 1222–1229.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mosenthin, R, Sauer, WC, Henkel, H, Ahrens, F and de Lange, CFM 1992b. Tracer studies of urea kinetics in growing pigs: II. The effect of starch infusion at the distal ileum on urea recycling and bacterial nitrogen excretion. Journal of Animal Science 70, 3467–3472.Google Scholar
National Research Council (NRC) 1998. Nutrient Requirements of Swine, 10th edition. National Academy Press, Washington, DC, USA.Google Scholar
Nelson, JE and Ruo, TI 1988. Assay of stable isotope labelled urea in biological fluids by selected ion monitoring. Clinica Chimica Acta 175, 59–66.Google Scholar
Nyachoti, CM, Omogbenigun, FO, Rademacher, M and Blank, G 2006. Performance responses and indicators of gastrointestinal health in early-weaned pigs fed low-protein amino acid supplemented diets. Journal of Animal Science 84, 125–134.Google Scholar
Oba, M and Allen, MS 2003. Effects of diet fermentability on efficiency of microbial nitrogen production in lactating dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 86, 195–207.Google Scholar
Partanen, K, Jalava, T and Valaja, J 2007. Effects of a dietary organic acid mixture and of dietary fibre levels on ileal and faecal nutrient apparent digestibility, bacterial nitrogen flow, microbial metabolite concentrations and rate of passage in the digestive tract of pigs. Animal 1, 389–401.Google Scholar
Souffrant, WB 2001. Effect of dietary fibre on ileal digestibility and endogenous nitrogen losses in the pig. Animal Feed Science and Technology 90, 93–102.Google Scholar
Thacker, PA, Sauer, WC and Jorgensen, H 1984. Amino-acid availability and urea recycling in finishing swine fed barley-based diets supplemented with soybean-meal or sunflower. Journal of Animal Science 59, 409–415.Google Scholar
Thacker, PA, Bowland, JP, Milligan, LP and Weltzien, E 1982. Effects of graded dietary protein levels on urea recycling in the pig. Canadian Journal of Animal Science 62, 1193–1197.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Torrallardona, D, Harris, CI and Fuller, MF 2003. Pigs’ gastrointestinal microflora provide them with essential amino acids. Journal of Nutrition 133, 1127–1131.Google Scholar
Tuchman, M, Caldovic, L, Daikhin, Y, Horyn, O, Nissim, I, Nissim, I, Korson, M, Burton, B and Yudkoff, M 2008. N-carbamylglutamate markedly enhances ureagenesis in N-acetylglutamate deficiency and propionic acidemia as measured by isotopic incorporation and blood biomarkers. Pediatric Research 6, 213–217.Google Scholar
Wenk, C 2001. The role of dietary fibre in the digestive physiology of the pig. Animal Feed Science and Technology 90, 21–33.Google Scholar
Yang, YX, Dai, ZL and Zhu, WY 2014. Important impacts of intestinal bacteria on utilization of dietary amino acids in pigs. Amino Acids 46, 2489–2501.Google Scholar
Zhu, CL, Lapierre, H, Rademacher, M and de Lange, CFM 2003. Pectin infusion into the caecum reduces the utilization of threonine intake for body protein deposition and urea flux in growing pigs. 9th International Symposium on Digestive Physiology in Pigs, May 14–18, Banff, AB, Canada, pp. 346–348.Google Scholar
Zijlstra, RT, Jha, R, Woodward, AD, Fouhse, J and van Kempen, TATG 2012. Starch and fiber properties affect their kinetics of digestion and thereby digestive physiology in pigs. Journal of Animal Science 90, 49–58.Google Scholar