EFFECT OF BILIARY-SECRETION ON DIGESTION IN THE PIG

The apparent digestibility of a diet was studied either after ligature of the bile duct or after discontinuous removal of bile secretion in the growing pig. Feces and urine were collected during a 10-day period in bile duct-ligated pigs, and over three 5-day periods in bile-fistulated pigs. The latter were subjected to three treatments each over the three periods: 1) re-entry of bile into the duodenum; 2) introduction of a salt mixture (Na: 150 meq/l; Cl: 120 meq/l; HCO3: 40 meq/l); 3) no re-entry of either bile or the salt mixture. Apparent energy digestibility was mainly affected after ligature of the bile duct (-31.6%) or after removal of bile from the intestinal lumen (-23%). This decrease was essentially due to a decrease in the total lipid apparent digestibility (-53% after bile duct ligation and -31.7% after bile removal). Apparent nitrogen and energy derived from carbohydrate digestibilities were unaffected. In the fistulated pigs the intraduodenal introduction of the salt mixture did not improve decreased apparent digestibilities.