Digestibility of water-soluble pectin and organic acid losses in intact or cecectomized adult cockerels.

Two experimental diets consisting of a basal diet either undiluted or diluted with 1% pectin-based gelling agent were given to intact or cecectomized adult cockerels for a balance experiment. The digestibilities of the water-soluble added pectin were 83.2 and 61.4% in intact and cecectomized birds (P < .05), respectively. Lactic acid excretion varied from 407 to 2,692 mg/kg, acetic acid from 790 to 1,214 mg/kg, propionic acid from 108 to 240 mg/kg, and butyric acid from 50 to 90 mg/kg dry matter intake. Organic acid excretions were the lowest for intact birds fed the basal diet and the highest for cecectomized birds fed the pectin diet. Addition of pectin induced an increase (P < .001) in organic acid excretion, especially for lactic acid in cecectomized birds. Organic acid excretion was greater (P < .001) in cecectomized than in intact cockerels. The increase in organic acid excretion induced by pectin addition amounted to 9 and 62% of the digested fraction of pectin in intact and cecectomized cockerels, respectively. The results showed the water-soluble nonstarch polysaccharides to be digested both in ceca and upper tract. It was also shown that the major part of organic acids produced from fermentation are absorbed in the ceca.