Response of Intestinal Starch Digestion to Duodenal Infusion of Casein

Abstract

Mendoza, G.D. and Britton, R.A. 2003. Response of intestinal starch digestion to duodenal infusion of casein. J. Appl. Anim. Res., 24: 123–128.

To determine the effect of duodenal infusion of intact casein at 0, 20 or 40 g/d level on intestinal starch digestion, fifteen ruminally, duodenally and ileally fistulated sheep were assigned randomly to treatments. Treatments did not affect percent casein digestion in different parts of gastrointestinal tract. Starch digestion in the small intestine, expressed as a percentage of that entering, increased linearly (P<0.09) from 83 to 90 per cent in response to casein infusions. As more starch was digested in the small intestine (percentage of entering), less starch tended to be digested in the large intestine (linear, P<0.14). Intact casein infused into the duodenum increased the digestion of starch entering the small intestine by an unknown mechanism that presumably increased pancreatic amylase enzyme secretion.

Key words:

• Starch
• digestion
• small intestine
• casein
• sheep