![Sample our Environment & Agriculture journals, sign in here to start your access, latest two full volumes FREE to you for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5934/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Environment-Agriculture.jpg"})
Abstract
Ratriyanto, A., Eklund, M., Jezierny, D. and Mosenthin, R. 2009. Effect of betaine on ileal and total tract digestibilities and concentrations of bacterial metabolites in piglets. J. Appl. Anim. Res., 36: 185–190.
To investigate the effects of dietary betaine supplementation on ileal and total tract nutrient digestibilities and intestinal bacterial fermentation characteristics, 4 barrows (8.6 kg) were fitted with simple T-cannulae at the distal ileum. They were randomly allocated to a basal diet without or with 4.5 g betaine per kg assay diet (Betaine) with 4 repeated measurement periods. The betaine supplementation increased (P<0.05) ileal digestibility of dry matter by 1.2 percentage units and tended to increase ileal crude fiber (P=0.068) and glycine (P=0.057) digestibilities by 7.5 and 3.3 percentage units, respectively. Furthermore, betaine supplementation tended (P=0.117) to increase total tract crude fiber digestibility by 4.7percentage units. Moreover, dietary betaine inclusion increased ileal short-chain fatty acid and fecal diaminopimelic acid concentrations (P<0.05), which indicates intensified intestinal bacterial activity. In conclusion, dietary betaine stimulates bacterial fermentation of fiber in the small and large intestine.