14 miniswines (with multiple catheterization and 30% TBSA full thickness burns) were randomly and equally divided into N-Gln group and GLN group. Animals of GLN group were supplied with L-glutamine by 0.64%/kg.d and N-GLN group received equal amount of non-glutamine amino acids. Portal venous blood flow and gut absorptions of glucose, amino acids as well as fat were determined on PBD (post burn day) 1, 4, 7 and 10. The results indicated that the gut absorption obviously decreased in both group on PBD1, but the absorption of glucose and amino acids were much higher in Gln group than that of N-Gln group (P < 0.01). The absorptions of glucose, fat amino acids quickly increased in Gln group from PBD4, and tended to reach the preburn level on PBD7 and PBD10, meanwhile N-Gln group exhibited a slow increase of gut absorption. The absorptions of glucose, fat and amino acids were obviously lower than those of preburn on PBD7 and PBD10 (P < 0.01). This result suggests that oral feeding of glutamine improves efficiently the gut absorptive function after severe burns.