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Effects of low-protein diet on the intestinal morphology, digestive enzyme activity, blood urea nitrogen, and gut microbiota and metabolites in weaned pigs.
- Source :
-
Archives of animal nutrition [Arch Anim Nutr] 2019 Aug; Vol. 73 (4), pp. 287-305. Date of Electronic Publication: 2019 Jun 04. - Publication Year :
- 2019
-
Abstract
- This study investigated the effects of low-protein diet supplemented with Lysine (Lys), Methionine (Met), Threonine (Thr), and Tryptophan (Trp) on small intestine morphology, enzyme activity, blood urea nitrogen, and gut microbiota and metabolites in weaned piglets. Eighteen weaned pigs weighing an average of 9.57 kg received one of three treatments: a normal protein diet with 20% crude protein (CP, diet [NP]), a moderately reduced protein diet with 17% CP (MP), or a low-protein diet with 14% CP (LP). All three diets were supplemented with Lys, Met, Thr and Trp to meet essential amino acid requirements for post-weaned piglets according to the NRC (2012). Following a 45 d study period, piglets on the LP and MP diets demonstrated atrophic small intestinal morphology, with decreased villus heights and lower ratios of villus height to crypt depth ( p < 0.05); pepsin activity in the stomach was also reduced in these two groups ( p < 0.05). Increased plasma cholesterol and decreased blood urea nitrogen presented in the MP and LP groups compared with the NP group ( p < 0.05). Overall, gastrointestinal hormones were not affected by dietary protein levels with the exception of reduced somatostatin levels in the MP and LP groups. Jejunum and colon microbiota were not affected at either the phyla or genera level in any of the diets. Colonic ammonia nitrogen concentration was reduced in MP and LP groups. Dietary protein level had no effect on short chain fatty acids or biogenic amines. Our data suggest that reducing dietary protein levels by 3% (MP) or 6% (LP) in weaned pigs has the potential to decrease nitrogen emissions and impaired digestive capacity. Therefore, dietary protein level cannot be reduced by more than 3% in consideration of maladaptive changes to small intestinal morphology and pepsin activity in weaned piglets.
- Subjects :
- Animal Feed analysis
Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena drug effects
Animals
Blood Urea Nitrogen
Gastrointestinal Microbiome physiology
Intestines anatomy & histology
Intestines enzymology
Random Allocation
Sus scrofa anatomy & histology
Sus scrofa blood
Sus scrofa microbiology
Weaning
Bacteria metabolism
Diet, Protein-Restricted veterinary
Gastrointestinal Microbiome drug effects
Intestines drug effects
Sus scrofa physiology
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1477-2817
- Volume :
- 73
- Issue :
- 4
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Archives of animal nutrition
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 31163993
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1080/1745039X.2019.1614849