Dynamic changes in digestive capability may contribute to compensatory growth following a nutritional insult in newly weaned pigs.
We have previously demonstrated that feeding low complexity diets (LOW) compromises growth performance of pigs during the first 3 wk after weaning and induces compensatory growth and improved feed efficiency thereafter. A study was undertaken to explore physiological mechanisms involved in compensatory growth following a nutritional insult. Fifty-six pigs were weaned at 21 ± 2 d of age and fed high complexity diets (HIGH) for 6 wk. All pigs received the same grower diet thereafter. Pigs were killed at weeks 2, 4, and 8 after weaning and proximal jejunum and distal ileum were sampled for evaluation of histology and enzyme activity. In the proximal jejunum, villus height was lower (P = 0.03) at week 2 in pigs on LOW than HIGH but not different at week 4. There was no effect of diet on crypt depth; villus height:crypt depth ratio increased (P = 0.02) from week 2 to week 4 in pigs on LOW but was not changed in pigs on HIGH. Diet did not impact gut morphology at the distal ileum. Enzyme activity was lowest (P < 0.05) at week 2 for sucrase and aminopeptidase N (APN) and lowest (P < 0.06) at week 8 for lactase. Sucrase activity was numerically higher at week 4 in pigs fed LOW but numerically higher at week 8 in pigs fed HIGH. Lactase and APN activity were not affected by diet. Compensatory growth observed in pigs following a nutritional insult after weaning may be due in part to improved digestive capability.
Department of Animal and Poultry Science, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada.
C L
CL
Levesque
L
L
Skinner
J
J
Zhu
C F M
CF
de Lange
D000821:Animal Feed / Q000032:analysis*; D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D004032:Diet / Q000662:veterinary*; D004063:Digestion / Q000502:physiology*; D007422:Intestines / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology; D013552:Swine / Q000254:growth & development*