Carbohydrate utilization in the pre-ruminant calf

Abstract

1. Changes in blood sugar levels after giving carbohydrates have been used to assess carbohydrate utilization in pre-ruminant calves aged between 10 and 50 days.2. Glucose, galactose and lactose were readily utilized by all calves; the utilization of glucose and galactose increased with age, whereas that of lactose remained constant.3. Maltose and fructose utilization was low in young calves and increased slightly with age.4. Sucrose and starch were not utilized.5. Studies with three older pre-ruminant calves (aged 53, 88 and 106 days) in which the carbohydrates were infused into the proximal duodenum showed that glucose, galactose, lactose and xylose all caused marked increases in the level of blood reducing sugar, whereas fructose and sucrose caused no increase, and maltose was intermediate. Xylose and galactose caused very little change in the blood glucose concentration.6. It appeared that preferential uptake occurred of glucose from a glucose-galactose mixture.7. A non-linear relationship was found between the concentration of glucose or galactose infused and the increase in the level of blood reducing sugar.