Concurrent studies of the flow of digesta in the duodenum and of exocrine pancreatic secretion of calves

Abstract

1. The flow of digesta through the duodenum and the concurrent secretion of the pancreas were studied in four Friesian calves given four milk-substitute diets. The diets were: reconstituted, ‘mildly’ pre-heated, spray-dried skim-milk powder with (SKF) or without (SK) margarine fat or with 50% of the skim-milk powder in diet SKF replaced by soya-bean flour (ASKF) or fish-protein concentrate (BSKF), together with dried whey. The diets were given ad lib. twice daily from 13 to 37 d of age, each diet being given for 6 consecutive days. Collections of duodenal digesta and pancreatic secretions, from cannulas, were made for 12 h after feeding the 6th and 12th meals (‘experimental’ meals) for each diet 2. The diets fed as ‘experimental’ meals contained polyethylene glycol (PEG) as a fluid (whey) marker and goat's milk containing [3H]lysine as a marker for total protein; β-carotene was added as a lipid marker to the three diets containing margarine fat 3. Over the 12 h postprandial period, the patterns of duodenal digesta flow and secretion of pancreatic fluid did not differ markedly between the four diets. The abomasal outflow of both nitrogen and lipid in a 12 h postprandial period was related to their intakes from the ‘penultimate’(5th and 11th) meals for diets SKF and SK but to their intakes at the ‘experimental meals’ for diets ASKF and BSKF. Secretion of pancreatic enzyme activity was highest during the 1st hour after feeding but the main outflow from the abomasum of total N and lipid occurred 5–10 h after feeding 4. The time required for all the whey marker (PEG) to pass through the duodenum was similar for diets SKF and SK, but only 53 and 42% respectively of the ingested protein marker passed through the duodenum in the 12 h after feeding. More acid appeared to be secreted by the abomasum when diet SK was given; also less undigested protein passed out of the abomasum after giving this diet. It is concluded that the physical absence of fat globules in the abomasal clot increases the degree of proteolysis 5. The secretions of pancreatic fluid and pancreatic enzyme activity were all markedly lower for diet SK than for diet SKF 6. With diets containing non-milk proteins (ASKF and BSKF), abomasal proteolysis was less efficient and the ingested protein passed out of the abomasum more rapidly than for diet SKF. There was no difference in the rate of abomasal outflow of the whey fluids between diets SKF, ASKF and BSKF 7. In comparison with diet SKF, diets ASKF and BSKF tended to induce less pancreatic enzyme secretion over a 12 h postprandial period, with the exception of lipase 8. There appeared to be no direct relationship between the quantities of any of the pancreatic enzymes secreted during a postprandial period and either the concurrent flow of duodenal digesta or the total quantities of dietary constituents passing through the duodenum.