Postprandial portal glucose and lactate fluxes, insulin production, and portal vein-drained viscera oxygen consumption in growing pigs fed a high-fiber diet supplemented with a multi-enzyme cocktail.

Information on effects of supplementing fibrous diets with exogenous enzymes on nutrient absorption and energetic demands of visceral organs is scarce. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of supplementing a high-fiber (HF) diet with a multi-enzyme cocktail (MC) on net glucose and lactate portal fluxes, insulin production, and O consumption by the portal-drained viscera (PDV) and whole animal in growing pigs. The MC supplied (analyzed values) 5,397 U of xylanase, 162 U of β-glucanase, and 2,000 U of protease per kg of diet, and guaranteed minimum activities of 1,000 U of α-amylase and 25 U of pectinase per kg of diet. Three isocaloric-nitrogenous diets based on corn and soybean meal with 0% (control) or 30% distillers' dried grains with solubles (DDGS; 1:1 corn and wheat mixture; HF) and HF supplemented with MC (HF + MC) were used. Five gilts (initial BW = 22.8 ± 1.6 kg) fitted with permanent catheters in the portal vein and carotid artery (for blood sampling), and ileal vein (to infuse para-amino hippuric acid to measure blood flow rate) were fed the 3 diets at 4% BW once daily at 0900 h for 7 d in a replicated 3 × 3 Latin square design. On d 7, pigs were placed in an open-circuit indirect calorimeter to measure whole-animal O consumption and sample blood for 7 h postprandial. Net glucose and insulin production were calculated from portal-arterial differences × portal blood flow, and PDV O consumption was calculated as arterial-portal O differences × portal blood flow. Diet had no effect on postprandial whole-animal O consumption, flow rate, and lactate flux. In addition, diet had no effect on overall mean postprandial PDV O consumption. Pigs fed control had greater ( < 0.05) portal insulin and glucose fluxes, from 90 to 300 min and net glucose flux from 90 to 240 min postprandial. However, pigs fed control and HF + MC had similar net glucose flux, which was greater ( < 0.05) than in pigs fed the HF diet. In conclusion, diets did not affect the energetic demand of the PDV but adding MC to the HF diet improved postprandial net glucose portal flux in growing pigs.