title: Development of disaccharidase activity in the small intestine of broiler chickens.
abstract: 1. The changes in disaccharidase activity in the small intestine of broiler chickens were investigated in isolated enterocytes on d 18 of embryonic development and d 1, 7, 21, 35 and 56 after hatching. 2. The specific activities of maltase, lactase and trehalase were greatest on d 18 of embryonic development. After hatching, maltase specific activity gradually decreased until d 18. 3. After d 7 postnatally only traces of lactase and trehalase activity were found in the enterocytes. 4. Significant sucrase activity was found on d 18 of embryonic development and the activity of this enzyme increased 2-fold after hatch and remained generally constant up to d 35, after which the enzyme specific activity declined.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, Physiology and Biochemistry, Poultry Research Institute, Kostinbrod, Bulgaria.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chotinsky
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Toncheva
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Profirov
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002642:Chick Embryo; D002645:Chickens / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D004186:Disaccharidases / Q000378:metabolism*; D020895:Enterocytes / Q000201:enzymology*; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000201:enzymology*; D013393:Sucrase / Q000378:metabolism; D014198:Trehalase / Q000378:metabolism; D000520:alpha-Glucosidases / Q000378:metabolism; D001616:beta-Galactosidase / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004186:Disaccharidases; D000520:alpha-Glucosidases; D001616:beta-Galactosidase; D014198:Trehalase; D013393:Sucrase