DIETARY PECTINS EFFECT ON ILEAL AND FECAL AMINO-ACID DIGESTIBILITY AND EXOCRINE PANCREATIC SECRETIONS IN GROWING PIGS

The effect of dietary pectin on apparent ileal and fecal digestibiliti es of protein and amino acids and on pancreatic secretions was studied in two experiments with growing pigs (initial weight 70 kg). Four bar rows were fitted with simple T-cannulas for collection of ileal digest a; another four barrows were fitted with permanent re-entrant cannulas for collection, sampling and subsequent return of pancreatic juice. D ietary pectin included at a level of 7.5 g/100 g in a cornstarch-based diet significantly depressed apparent ileal and fecal protein and ami no acid digestibilities. This depression in the small intestine could be attributed to both an increase in endogenous protein secretions and a decrease in the efficiency of digestion. in the large intestine, pe ctin was used by intestinal microbes as the principal energy source to catabolize nitrogenous compounds and to stimulate bacterial nitrogen assimilation, thus altering the amino acid profile of protein voided i n feces. The inclusion of pectin did not affect the flow of pancreatic juice or the total secretion of protein, lipase, trypsin and chymotry psin. However, there was a significantly lower secretion of cu-amylase , which was a direct result of the replacement of starch by pectin. Th e results demonstrate that pectin may have a detrimental effect on the processes of protein digestion and absorption but does not affect the secretion of pancreatic proteolytic enzymes in pigs.