Effect of replacement of lactose with partially hydrolysed rice syrup on small intestine development in weaned pigs from 7 to 21 days

BACKGROUND: Feeding pigs with manufactured liquid diets has led to an increase in weaning weights compared with pigs receiving pelleted dry feed. Several alternative dietary ingredients are utilised in manufactured liquid diets other than by‐products of the dairy industry, especially as sources of carbohydrates. Postnatal gut development is important not only for protecting the neonate from enteric pathogens but also for digestion and the absorption of nutrients for growth. The present experiment was designed to study the effect of partially hydrolysed rice syrup as a replacement for lactose in manufactured liquid diets on the development of the small intestine in weaned pigs from 7 to 21 days. RESULTS: The replacement of lactose with partially hydrolysed rice syrup did not affect ileal and duodenal (P > 0.1) disaccharidase activity on day 14 or duodenal sucrase activity on day 21 but increased jejunal disaccharidase activity on day 14 and decreased small intestinal disaccharidase activity on day 21 (P < 0.05). The replacement did not affect alkaline phosphatase activity, the mucosal protein/DNA ratio or intestinal morphological measurements on either day 14 or day 21. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that partially hydrolysed rice syrup could be used as a replacement for lactose in manufactured liquid diets for neonatal pigs. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry