Effect of dietary copper and fat on nutrient utilization, digestive enzyme activities, and tissue mineral levels in weanling pigs.

Abstract

Two 15-d nutrient balance trials were conducted using a total of 32 weanling barrows (averaging 6.8 kg, 26 d). The effect of the addition of 15 or 250 ppm Cu (as CuSO4.5H2O) to diets containing 0 or 5% added animal fat on nutrient utilization, digestive enzyme activities, and tissue mineral levels in weanling pigs was investigated. In each trial, four groups of four littermate barrows were randomly assigned to one of four treatments in a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement. The addition of 250 ppm Cu improved apparent fat digestibility and apparent nitrogen retention (P < .02). The addition of 5% fat increased apparent fat digestibility (P < .01). There were no Cu x fat interactions (P > .10) for any of the digestibility indices measured. The addition of 250 ppm of Cu stimulated small intestinal lipase (P < .01) and phospholipase A (P < .05) activities but had no effect (P > .10) on pancreatic lipase or phospholipase activities and no effect on trypsin, chymotrypsin, or amylase activities in the small intestine or the pancreas. The addition of 250 ppm Cu to the diet increased Cu (P < .001) in plasma, liver, and kidney and decreased Fe in plasma (P < .05) and liver (P < .02). The addition of 5% fat increased Fe in kidney (P < .05) and heart (P < .08). Copper x fat interactions were observed for spleen Ca (P < .01), Mg (P < .08), Na (P < .05), and K (P < .08) and spleen weight (P < .05). In additional in vitro assays, increased Cu concentrations tended to consistently stimulate purified porcine pancreatic lipase activity (linear, P < .01) but not purified porcine pancreatic phospholipase A activity (P > .10). The results from this study indicate that 250 ppm Cu stimulated intestinal lipase and phospholipase A activities, leading to an improvement of dietary fat digestibility in weanling pigs.

Influence of tetrabasic zinc chloride and copper sulphate on growth performance and some physiological parameters in the digestive tract of weanling piglets

“…The discrepancy may be attributed to Zn source and animals used in the experiments. The lack of effect of CuSO 4 on the enzyme activities in this experiment is in agreement with previous reports (Luo and Dove, 1996;Hedemann et al, 2006). Surprisingly, the addition of CuSO 4 to the diet containing 1500 mg Zn/kg TBZC had a negative effect on trypsin activities in duodenal contents and chymotrypsin activities in both pancreatic tissue homogenates and jejunum contents.…”

Effect of ingestion of copper bhasm on red cell indices, iron parameters and essential elements in chicks

“…A high intake of copper was reported to decrease iron in pig liver (17,18) and plasma (18). Our findings are just the reverse.…”

The impact of feed additives on the microbial ecology of the gut in young pigs

“…Shurson et al (1990) also found that high Cu generally reduces villus height and width and crypt depth in germ-free pigs, whereas it increases these parameters in conventional pigs. 250 ppm Cu (as copper sulphate) has also been shown to stimulate intestinal lipase and phospholipase A 2 activities, leading to an improvement of dietary fat digestibility in weaning pigs (Luo et al, 1996), and to increase protein utilisation, most probably through activation of pepsin activity (Kirschgessner et al, 1976). These findings are in agreement with investigations with growth promoting antibiotics which have also been found to increase fat and protein digestibility.…”