The role of bile acids on the growth performance of piglets
n recent years, the role of bile acids in saving animal energy, promoting growth, improving meat quality and effectively decomposing mycotoxins has been gradually recognised by people. This paper mainly reviews the functions of bile acids on the growth performance of piglets.
The physiological functions of bile acids
Bile acids themselves are a kind of endogenous digestive fluid, which plays the role in the digestion and utilisation of crude fat in feed from the respective of emulsifying fat, activating lipase and transporting fatty acid in the whole process of fat digestion and absorption. As an important signal regulatory molecule, bile acids can regulate the synthesis, metabolism, transportation and energy metabolism of glucose, fatty acid and lipoprotein, which can affect the digestion and utilisation of crude fat, crude protein and energy in feed. In addition, bile acids can affect the secretion of hormones related to animal growth. At the same time, bile acids have the physiological functions of keeping the dynamic balance of cholesterol, protecting the liver and gallbladder, eliminating inflammation and sterilisation, decomposing endotoxin and mycotoxin, and improving animal immunity and carcass quality. These physiological functions are closely related to animal stress, health and growth.
Application of bile acids in piglet feed
The application of bile acids in piglet feed can improve the growth performance of piglets, improve the digestibility of nutrients in the whole intestine of piglets, and affect the secretion of serum related to hormones.
As shown in Table 1, compared with the control group, the final weight of piglets in the test group increased by 7.01%, the daily gain increased by 9.42%, and the FCR decreased by 0.08.
Table 1 - Effects of adding bile acids to diets on growth performance of weaned piglets.
Different superscript small letters in the same row showed significant difference between data (P < 0.05).
Source:(Experiment done by Lambers, Belgium; Experiment time: June 22nd -August 1st, 2017)
Total intestinal apparent digestibility of nutrients in weaned piglets
As shown in Table 2, compared with the control group, the apparent digestibility of crude protein of weaned piglets in bile acids treatment group tended to increase. The apparent digestibility of crude fat, total energy and dry matter in 80-100 mg / kg bile acid treated group were significantly increased.
Table 2 - Effects of adding bile acid to diets on total intestinal apparent digestibility of nutrients inweaned piglets (%, dry matter basis).
Different superscript small letters in the same row showed significant difference between data (P < 0.05).
