Both measures of activity was reduced when sows were fed potato pulp and sugar beet pulp compared to pectin residue and barley/wheatcontrol diets (P=0.001), which suggest that high fibre soluble diets is superior in improving satiety of sows as compared to the high fibre insoluble diet and the low fibre control diet. Increased time to reach Tlag and T50 indicate delayed gastric emptying. The liquid phase emptying measured by the 13C-acetic acid was characterized by a low gastric emptying rate (high T50 and Tlag) in potato pulp, intermediate in sugar beet pulp and high emptying rate in sows fed pectin residue and control diets (low T50 and Tlag) (P=0.022). This ranking of diets agrees well with that observed for WBC and swelling and activity measures.
Feeding diets rich in soluble DF reduce the physical activity of sows and these satiating properties could be attributed to increased swelling and WBC in the stomach, which in turn delayed the gastric emptying rate of the liquid phase of gastric content. Measurements of gastric emptying turned out to be a practical tool for ranking of the ability of DF sources to reduce activity in sows.
H Jørgensen, PK. Theil, KE Bach Knudsen, 2010. Livestock Science, 134:37-40.