The digestion process of the sugar alcohol isomalt in the intestinal tract of the pig

Abstract

In a study with twelve pigs of 60–70 kg live weight provided with a re-entrant cannula at the end of the ileum, and twelve intact, non-cannulated pigs, the fate of dietary doses of 100 and 200 g isomalt/kg during gastrointestinal passage was examined. From sugar analyses in ileal chyme it was calculated that 0.43 and 0.30 of the isomalt consumed was digested in the small intestine with the 100 and 200 g/kg doses of isomalt respectively. From findings on ileal energy digestibility it was calculated that, because of a secondary effect of isomalt on the digestion of the basal diet, isomalt digestibility in the small intestine was distinctly lower. In faeces no sugars were found, so faecal digestibility of isomalt was 1.00 for both doses. The bacterial fermentation in the large intestine of the isomalt not digested in the small intestine caused an increase in the faecal excretion of nitrogen and energy. This increased faecal excretion was hardly (nitrogen) or not (energy) compensated by a decreased urinary excretion.