Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan.
Anim Sci J. 2009 Apr;80(2):157-62. doi: 10.1111/j.1740-0929.2008.00622.x.
This study aimed to evaluate the effect of sugar alcohol as an energy source for cecal microbes on digestibility, cecotrophy (i.e. reingestion of microbial products of cecum, cecotrophs) and performance in rabbits. Thus, we fed rabbits an experimental diet that included 5% of D-mannitol, and collected hard feces and cecotrophs to be analyzed for crude protein (CP), acid detergent fiber (ADF), ether extract (EE), crude ash (CA) and dry matter (DM). Cecotrophic behavior of the rabbits was also observed. Feeding D-mannitol increased (P < 0.01) digestibility of ADF, resulting in a decrease (P < 0.05) in the concentration in hard feces. The increase (P < 0.05) in CP concentration was attributed to lower (P < 0.05) digestibility. D-mannitol had a similar modulatory effect on CP and ADF concentrations in hard feces and cecotrophs. Accordingly, estimations of the proportion of nutrients recycled by cecotrophy to dietary intake (PR), obtained by the two calculation methods, showed an increase (P < 0.01) in PR of CP and a decrease (P < 0.05) in that of ADF. Daily weight gain and feed efficiency increased (P < 0.05) for D-mannitol-fed rabbits, while daily feed intake decreased (P < 0.05). These results suggest the possibility of using D-mannitol as a stimulator of cecal microbial growth and cellulolytic activity, and therefore, improved rabbits performance.
本研究旨在评估糖醇作为盲肠微生物能量来源对消化率、盲肠食糜（即盲肠微生物产物的再摄取，盲肠食糜）和兔子性能的影响。因此，我们给兔子喂食了一种含有 5%山梨糖醇的实验饲料，并收集硬粪便和盲肠食糜进行粗蛋白（CP）、酸性洗涤剂纤维（ADF）、乙醚提取物（EE）、粗灰分（CA）和干物质（DM）分析。还观察了兔子的盲肠食糜行为。山梨糖醇的喂养增加（P < 0.01）了 ADF 的消化率，导致硬粪便中 ADF 浓度降低（P < 0.05）。CP 浓度的增加（P < 0.05）归因于消化率降低。山梨糖醇对硬粪便和盲肠食糜中 CP 和 ADF 浓度具有类似的调节作用。因此，两种计算方法得出的通过盲肠食糜对饲料摄入（PR）进行的营养素再循环比例估计表明，CP 的 PR 增加（P < 0.01），而 ADF 的 PR 降低（P < 0.05）。山梨糖醇喂养的兔子日增重和饲料效率增加（P < 0.05），而日采食量减少（P < 0.05）。这些结果表明，山梨糖醇可能被用作盲肠微生物生长和纤维素酶活性的刺激物，从而提高了兔子的性能。
