EFFECT OF DIETARY GLUTAMINE SUPPLEMENTATION ON INTESTINAL ENZYMES OF EARLY-WEANED PIGLETS

Forty Largewhite,Landrace and Beijingblack piglets weaned at the 21d of age were randomly assigned to one of two groups.The treatment group diet contained 1.2% glutamine.The diets were calculated to be isonitrogenous and isoenergetic.There were five replicates in each treatment and four piglets in each replicate.Five piglets from each dietary treatment were killed at the 35d and 49d of age to study effect of dietary glutamine supplementation on intestinal enzymes.The results showed that dietary glutamine supplementation reduced the fall of intestinal lactose activities of piglets at the 49d of age,and significantly increased duodenum mucosa and tissue leucylaminopeptidase activities of piglets at the 35d and 49d of age.There was a trend for jejunum leucylaminopeptidase activities to rise at the 35d of age,but not significantly altered.There was no significant change of ileum leucylaminopeptidase activities of piglets at the 35d and 49d of age.There was no significant difference between treatment and control for the activities of alkaline phosphatase.The results suggested that dietary glutamine improved leucylaminopeptidase activities,but not significantly effected the activities of lactase and alkaline phosphatase.