Activities of enzymes involved in fatty acid metabolism in the colon epithelium of piglets fed with different fiber contents diets

Abstract

The present study was conducted to evaluate the influence of dietary fiber on the activities of malic enzyme and citrate lyase involved in fatty acid metabolism in the colon epithelium of pigs. Thirty-six weaned 5 weeks old crossbred (YorkshirexSwedish Landrace) piglets originating from twelve litters were randomly assigned to either a low fiber diet containing 10% non-starch polysaccharides (NSP), a control diet containing 14.7% NSP or a high fiber diet containing 20% NSP. The activity of malic enzyme in the colonic epithelium of pigs significantly (p<0.05) increased with age during the suckling-weaning transition. There was a tendency (p<0.10) of decreased malic enzyme activity in the colonic epithelium of pigs fed on the high fiber diet. At week 6, a lowered (p<0.01) activity of malic enzyme in pigs fed on the low fiber diet compared with that in pigs fed on the high fiber and the control diets. Nevertheless, there were no significant differences in the activity of citrate lyase observed either between pigs with different ages or between pigs fed with various diets. The current data suggest that piglets during the suckling-weaning transition have a limited capacity to synthesize fatty acids from carbohydrate derivatives in the coloncytes. In addition, lipogenesis in coloncytes was enhanced with age during the suckling-weaning transition. A tendency (p<0.10) to an increased capacity to utilize acetyl-CoA in coloncytes of pigs has been observed for the high fiber diet. Moreover, the present work indicated that dietary fiber resulted in a lowered rate of lipogenesis and a reduced activity of malic enzyme.