β-Glucans and Resistant Starch Alter the Fermentation of Recalcitrant Fibers in Growing Pigs

PLoS One. 2016 Dec 2;11(12):e0167624. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0167624. eCollection 2016.

Abstract

Interactions among dietary ingredients are often assumed non-existent when evaluating the nutritive value and health effects of dietary fiber. Specific fibers can distinctly affect digestive processes; therefore, digestibility and fermentability of the complete diet may depend on fiber types present. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of readily fermentable fibers (β-glucans and resistant starch) on the degradation of feed ingredients containing more persistent, recalcitrant, fibers. Six semi-synthetic diets with recalcitrant fibers from rapeseed meal (pectic polysaccharides, xyloglucans, and cellulose) or corn distillers dried grain with solubles (DDGS; (glucurono)arabinoxylans and cellulose) with or without inclusion of β-glucans (6%) or retrograded tapioca (40%) substituted for corn starch were formulated. Six ileal-cannulated pigs (BW 28±1.4 kg) were assigned to the diets according to a 6×6 Latin square. β-glucan-extract increased apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of non-glucosyl polysaccharides (accounting for ~40% of the fiber-fraction) from rapeseed meal (6%-units, P<0.001), but did not affect non-glucosyl polysaccharides from DDGS. Retrograded tapioca reduced ATTD of non-glucosyl polysaccharides from rapeseed meal and DDGS (>10%-units, P<0.001), indicating that the large amount of resistant starch entering the hindgut was preferentially degraded over recalcitrant fibers from rapeseed meal and DDGS, possibly related to reduced hindgut-retention time following the increased intestinal bulk. Fermentation of fiber sources was not only dependent on fiber characteristics, but also on the presence of other fibers in the diet. Hence, interactions in the gastrointestinal tract among fibrous feed ingredients should be considered when evaluating their nutritive value.

MeSH terms

  • Animal Feed*
  • Animals
  • Dietary Fiber / pharmacology*
  • Digestion / physiology*
  • Nutritive Value
  • Starch* / chemistry
  • Starch* / pharmacology
  • Swine
  • beta-Glucans* / chemistry
  • beta-Glucans* / pharmacology

Substances

  • Dietary Fiber
  • beta-Glucans
  • Starch

Grants and funding

This work was jointly financed by the European Union (europa.eu), European Regional Development Fund (ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/en/funding/erdf/) and The Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation (https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/ministeries/ministerie-van-economische-zaken), Pieken in the Delta (www.rvo.nl/subsidies-regelingen/pieken-de-delta), the Municipality of Groningen (https://gemeentegroningen.nl), the Province of Groningen (www.provinciegroningen.nl) as well as the Dutch Carbohydrate Competence Center (CCC WP7, www.cccresearch.nl), supported by Agrifirm Group (www.agrifirm.com), Duynie Holding (www.duynie.nl), Nutreco Nederland B.V.(www.nutreco.com), University of Alberta (https://ualberta.ca), and Wageningen University (www.wageningenur.nl). Except for the University of Alberta and Wageningen University, funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.