title: Effects of rice dreg protein and its hydrolysate on growth performance and small intestine morphology of early-weaned rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Protein hydrolysate has more efficient peptide absorption and less hypertonic protein absorption. This study aims to investigate the influences of rice dreg (RD) protein and its hydrolysate on growth and somatropic axis in early-weaned Sprague-Dawley rats in comparison with soybean (SB) protein.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with a SB diet control, a rice dregs protein hydrolysate (RD-H) diet decreased average daily feed intake and feed/gain in weeks 1 (P < 0.01) and 2 (P < 0.05), while an RD diet decreased average daily feed intake and feed/gain in week 1 (P < 0.01). Average daily body gain exhibited no significant differences between either treatment during the 28-day period. After 28 d, villus height and lamina propria depth of jejunum and duodenum were greater in the RD-H treatment than in RD and control treatments (P < 0.01), while serum urea nitrogen concentration was lower in RD and RD-H treatments than in the control (P < 0.05). There were no differences in serum growth hormone concentration, hepatic and muscle insulin-like growth factor-1 expression, and muscle growth hormone receptor expression at 7 and 28 d (P > 0.05), but hepatic growth hormone receptor expression was higher in RD-H treatment than in RD and control treatments after 7 d (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results showed that RD and RD-H diets improved feed utilisation efficiency in the first 2 weeks post-weaning and small intestine morphology at 28 d post-weaning for an early-weaned mammal compared with a SB diet.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology of Nanchang University, Jiangxi 330047, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Xiang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Hua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Xiong
authors.forename: Kaiwu
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Diwei
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yulong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.forename: Jinhui
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001806:Blood Urea Nitrogen; D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002149:Energy Intake / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D012275:Oryza / Q000737:chemistry*; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011492:Protein Hydrolysates / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011986:Receptors, Somatotropin / Q000378:metabolism*; D030262:Soybean Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D014886:Weaning; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D004044:Dietary Proteins; D010940:Plant Proteins; D011492:Protein Hydrolysates; D011986:Receptors, Somatotropin; D030262:Soybean Proteins