Published online by Cambridge University Press: 02 September 2010
Sixty-four pigs were given diets containing lactose or starch as the major source of carbohydrate in two separate experiments conducted between 7 and 28 days of age.
In the first experiment, pigs were offered lactose, wheat starch, wheat or extruded wheat. Performance over the whole experimental period, of pigs given lactose or wheat, was similar, but greater than that of pigs given wheat starch. Apparent digestion of wheat diets was less than that of the other diets. In the second experiment, performance of pigs given lactose or wheat was also similar over the whole experiment. However, between 7 and 14 days of age in both experiments, weight gains and food conversion ratios of pigs given wheat were less than those of pigs given lactose.
The activity of maltase and amylase in the intestinal mucosa, and amylase in the pancreas, increased between 7 and 28 days of age. The maltase and amylase activity in the intestinal mucosa and pancreas of the pigs given wheat was greater than that of the pigs given lactose, while the activity of lactase in the intestinal mucosa was greater in the pigs given diets containing lactose than in those pigs given wheat.
In a third experiment, it was found that most of the hydrolysis and absorption of starch occurred in the duodenum and jejunum of the pigs, and had been completed before the ileum.