Influence of meal frequency on postprandial variations in the production and absorption of volatile fatty acids in the digestive tract of conscious pigs.

Five Large White pigs of 62.2 +/- 1.4 kg mean body weight were fitted with permanent catheters in the portal vein and carotid artery and with an electromagnetic flow probe around the portal vein to study the absorption of volatile fatty acids (VFA) by measuring the concentration of these metabolites in hourly blood samples, and by determining the portal blood flow rate for a period of 12 h after intake of a single 800-g meal (6% crude fiber) preceded by 12 or 24 h of fasting.

[Effect of the nature of carbohydrates in pig diets on the intestinal absorption of volatile fatty acids].

The appearance of nutrients (amino nitrogen and reducing sugars) and microbial metabolites (volatile fatty acids, VFA) was measured quantitatively in five pigs. After ingestion of a semi-synthetic diet (RFL) containing 22% lucerne meal (6% crude fibre), the absorption of reducing sugars (RS) in the small intestine was high (97.8%) and that of VFA low (880 +/- mmoles/24 hrs.

[Influence of purified cellulose level in the diet of pigs on intestinal absorption of volatile fatty acids].

Nutrient and volatile fatty acid (VFA) absorption to portal blood was measured twice at 7 days interval in five pigs fed a semi-synthetic diet containing 6 (R6) or 16% (R16) purified cellulose for 21 or 7 days. The daily absorption (24 hrs.) of VFA in the large intestine which was larger (NS) when the cellulose level rose, increased significantly (P less than 0.