EFFECTS OF A MICROBIAL PROBIOTIC (SPOROLACTOBACILLUS P44) ON POSTPRANDIAL PORTO-ARTERIAL CONCENTRATION DIFFERENCES OF GLUCOSE, GALACTOSE AND AMINO-NITROGEN IN THE GROWING PIG

Postprandial kinetics of porto-arterial concentration differences of g lucose (G), galactose (Gal), L-lactic acid (LA), amino-nitrogen (AN) a nd urea (U) were studied in the pig after the ingestion of 10(7) colon y-forming units (cfu) of Sporolactobacillus P 44 per g of feed. Eight fistulated pigs (portal Vein and brachiocephalic trunk; mean body weig ht 70 +/- 4 kg) were used. The diet was based on skimmed milk (32%), b arley (30%), maize (10%) and lactose (7%). The postprandial blood kine tics, 4 conducted per animal at I-wk intervals, were studied during th e 3 h following the ingestion of test meals of 1 000 g basal diet (BD) or the same diet supplemented by the bacteria (SD). The apparent abso rption was estimated from the area between the portal and arterial con centrations. The areas of porto-arterial differences of G, Gal and AN of SD for the first 3 h after the meal were significantly higher after SD ingestion than those measured after BD intake. Plasma concentratio ns of U and porto-arterial differences of U and LA were not modified b y the probiotic. These effects disappeared immediately after dietary s upplement interruption, suggesting that added bacteria presence in the intestinal lumen was fundamental to the modifications observed in app arent absorption.