Degradation of grass and grass fructan by equine gastrointestinal digesta in vitro

Abstract

The degradation of grass fructan in vitro under conditions simulating the equine foregut was investigated. An extract enriched for fructan obtained from timothy grass (Phleum pratense) was incubated with digesta from the equid stomach and small intestine. In all incubations with gastric and small intestinal digesta, there was evidence of partial depolymerisation of fructan polymers to oligomeric fructan. There was no net loss of total fructan (polymeric plus oligomeric fructan) when the timothy grass fructan was incubated with gastric digesta. However, there was limited loss of total fructan when incubated with small-intestinal digesta. This may suggest that grass fructan is not substantially degraded in the equid foregut, and therefore would pass into the hindgut where it may be fermented.