Three experiments were conducted to investigate interactions between acetate and glucose metabolism in sheep fed on roughage-based diets, and to establish whether the clearance rate of an intravenous acetate load would provide a valid index of the dietary acetate:glucogenic precursors ratio. In Expt 1 lambs were fed on a basal diet of wheat straw and supplemented with propionate and protein. Both supplements increased glucose irreversible loss rate (ILR) although not to the same degree. Acetate clearance rates were increased by protein and propionate supplementation and were positively related to glucose ILR irrespective of precursor. In Expt 2 the effects of an increased dietary load of acetate given with or without propionate were investigated. Glucose ILR did not respond to acetate supplementation, but was increased when propionate was fed in addition to acetate. This was reflected in an unchanged ability to clear an intravenous acetate load from the blood when acetate alone was added, but an increased acetate clearance rate when propionate was fed in addition to acetate. In Expt 3 the effects of supplementation with various propionate: acetate ratios were investigated. Acetate clearance was consistently increased by an increased propionate: acetate ratio. These results show that the metabolism of excess acetate is responsive to the dietary supply of glucose precursors, and provide support for the concept that additional glucose precursors are necessary for the efficient utilization of acetate when roughage diets low in protein are fed

The purpose of the present studies was to examine the effect of ingestion of sodium and potassium salts of various fixed anions on blood pressure, and to assess interactions among electrolytes. In the first study, Sprague-Dawley rats fed on purified diets supplemented with Na salts of chloride, sulphate, bisulphate, carbonate and bicarbonate for 7 weeks developed higher blood pressures than rats fed on the basal diet. In a second study, rats fed on Na or K salts of HSO4, HCO3 or Cl had higher blood pressures than rats fed on the basal diet. Blood pressure measurements were not correlated with plasma volume, plasma renin activity, or plasma atrial natriuretic peptide concentrations at 7 weeks. Plasma renin activity was depressed in rats fed on supplemental Na and even more in rats fed on supplemental K salts rather than the basal diet. Generally, rats fed on supplemental Na excreted Na in urine and absorbed Na in the gut more efficiently than rats fed on the basal diet or diets supplemented with K, but the anions fed also altered Na absorption and excretion. In a third study, rats fed on diets supplemented with any Cl salt, but especially KCI, absorbed K more efficiently than those fed on the basal diet. In studies 1 and 2, the efficiency of urinary excretion of K was greatest when HCO3 and CO3 salts were fed and least when HSO4 salts were fed. Despite large variations in the efficiency of absorption and excretion of Na and K, tissue levels of the electrolytes remained constant.

Four diets were prepared in which cooked potatoes provided approximately 0.8 of the dry matter (DM) and all the polysaccharides. The potatoes were either boiled conventionally (unprocessed) or prepared by rehydrating a commercial ‘instant’ potato product with boiling water. The diets were fed to rats (six per diet) immediately after preparation or after storage at 4° for 48 h and observations made on site and extent of digestion and large bowel (LB) fermentation. All diets were equally well digested (overall means 0.95 and 0.96 for DM and organic matter (OM) respectively) with a significant proportion of this digestion occurring in the LB. More OM flowed to the LB with the ‘instant’ (0.18 of intake) than with the unprocessed potato diets (0.13 of intake) and was associated with markedly different fermentation patterns. When compared with rats fed on the unprocessed potato diets, those given ‘instant’ potatoes had smaller caecums with much shorter transit times, lower caecal pH, higher total volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentrations and a greater molar proportion of butyrate in these VFA. Storage of the diets for 48 h at 4° had relatively smaller effects on these variables. Possible mechanisms for the observed effects and implications for tissue metabolism and health are discussed. In addition, a simple and apparently novel method for quantifying coprophagy is proposed.

The effects of raw faba bean (Vicia faba L., minor) meal (VFM) and its fractions on the growth and nitrogen utilization of rats have been determined in two experiments. Two commercial varieties of VFM were tested, local VFM (409–439 g/kg diet) and Troy VFM (439 g/kg diet). The bean fractions tested were V. faba lectin-depleted protein (VFDP), V. faba lectin (VFL) and V. faba cotyledon residue (VFCR). All diets were supplemented with amino acids to target requirements. Body-weight, body N and lipid contents of rats fed on VFM were reduced significantly in comparison with control rats fed on lactalbumin. This was due, in part, to the lower digestibility of the protein, lipid and dry matter (DM) of VFM diets. As a result, net protein utilization (NPU) and biological value (BV) of faba bean proteins were less than expected. Urine and urea-N outputs of the VFM-fed rats were also elevated in both experiments. Increasing the energy content of local VFM diets led to significantly higher dry body-weight, body N and lipid contents, with the result that the NPU and BV values of the protein also increased. However, the NPU values for VFM-fed rats were still significantly lower than those for the controls in both experiments. In contrast, true N, lipid and DM digestibilities in rats given local VFM were not significantly affected by the difference in the energy content of the diets. The replacement of two-thirds of the lactalbumin in the diet with VFDP (65 g/kg) reduced dry body-weight, N and lipid contents, NPU and BV compared with the control rats, even though N, lipid and DM digestibilities were not significantly different. The nutritional performance of rats fed on lactalbumin-based diets containing 7 g VFL/kg was similar to that of the controls. Similarly, the inclusion of the cotyledon residue (237 g VFCR/kg diet) had no appreciable effect on any of the variables studied. As VFL and VFCR had no antinutritional effects in these rats, it appears that the low nutritional value of VFM for rats (NPU 0.66) results not only from the low digestibility of the bean proteins, but also from disturbances in N metabolism.

The short-term effects of whole milk and milk fermented by Pseudomonas fluorescens, of the amino acid composition of the diet and of feeding frequency on the level of plasma lipids, were investigated in six 1-year-old adult boars. The experimental diets contained equal amounts of protein, carbohydrates, fat and cholesterol. After an adaptation period of 5 d for each experimental treatment, blood was collected at regular intervals during 48 h and plasma levels of cholesterol, triacylglycerol, high-density-lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol and low-density-lipoprotein (LDL-cholesterol were examined). All variables except HDL-cholesterol showed distinct diurnal fluctuations, which were substantially influenced by feeding frequency. Variations in the amino acid composition of the experimental diets, which were within a physiological range, had no effect on the level of plasma lipids. Plasma lipid levels were significantly lower when the animals received the diets containing milk instead of the diet without milk: cholesterol, triacylglycerol, and LDL-cholesterol were reduced by 5.6, 5.8 and 10% respectively (pondered means) while HDL-cholesterol remained unaffected. Fermentation of whole milk by P. fluorescens reduced the lipid-lowering effect. Our findings suggest that the intake of diets containing milk results in a lower plasma cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol level than the intake of diets with a similar nutrient content which do not contain milk.

In rats, the effects of a 4-week supplementation of a fibre-free elemental diet with 100 or 200 g Plantago ovata seeds/kg was compared with that of the husks and wheat bran. The seeds increased faecal fresh weight up to 100%, faecal dry weight up to 50% and faecal water content up to 50%. The husks, at the high concentration only, were more effective and wheat bran less effective. Length and weight of the small intestine were not greatly affected by the seeds, but both variables increased significantly in the large intestine. The husks had more pronounced effects, especially in the small intestine, and wheat bran almost no effect. Faecal bacterial mass as estimated from the 2,6-diaminopimelic acid output was increased to the greatest extent by the seed-containing diet and by the high concentration of husks, but to a lesser extent by wheat bran. Faecal and caecal protein content was enhanced by the seeds and wheat bran, but to a lesser extent by the husks. Total acetate in caecal contents or faeces was highest on the seeds and husks diet and not elevated by wheat bran. Total faecal bile acid excretion was stimulated and β-glucuronidase (EC 3.2.1.31) activity reduced by both Plantago ovata preparations, but not by wheat bran. Mucosal digestive enzyme activities were inhibited to different degrees by all dietary fibres in the jejunum, and sometimes activated in the ileum. These results suggest that Plantago ovata seeds are a partly-fermentable dietary fibre supplement which increases stool bulk; metabolic and mucosa-protective effects are also probable.

The effect of different concentrations of tannin-rich field-bean (Vicia faba L.) hulls at 0, 20, 50, 150 and 300 g/kg dietary inclusion on the activities of lipase (EC 3.1.1.3) and α-amylase (EC 3.2.1.1) in digesta and pancreas and on the digestion of lipid and starch was studied in 2–3-week-old male broiler chicks. Low dietary concentrations of tannins (20 and 50 g hulls/kg) enhanced the activity of lipase in digesta from both the jejunum and ileum, the 20 g hulls/kg effecting the greatest enhancement, but no stimulatory effect on the activity of digesta α-amylase was observed. High dietary concentrations of tannins (150 and 300 g hulls/kg) inhibited both lipase and α-amylase activities in digesta from both the jejunum and ileum, the 30 g hulls/kg causing the most inhibition. Tannins did not increase the activities of lipase or α-amylase in pancreatic homogenates, but at high concentrations (150 and 300 g hulls/kg) they lowered slightly the pancreatic activity of α-amylase. Nutrient digestion was less influenced by the concentration of tannins than digesta enzyme activities.