Nutrients and animal health

摘要

Nutrient absorption is a highly complex process and one that is of vital importance to animal health, so what measures can be taken to ensure optimum results? BIOSURFACTANTS PLAY AN important role in assisting nutrient absorption, particularly of fats, from the gastrointestinal tract. During the digestion process fats, or triglycerides, are hydrolysed by the digestive enzyme lipase to generate a mixture of mono- and diglycerides and free fatty acids. Bile fluid is secreted from the gall bladder into.the gastrointestinal tract to help emulsify the dietary fats and to form structures called micelles. Micelles transport glycerides and fatty-acids to the walls of the gastro intestinal tract where they are absorbed by the villi of the small intestine. Within the intestinal cells, the fatty acids are resynthesised into triglycerides, which are exported to the lymph cells in the form of special particles called Chylomicrons. Bile is a very complex mixture and contains cholesterol, bile salts, bile pigments and phospholipids. The bile salts and phospholipids have well recognised emulsifying properties. Bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract are able to hydrolyse bile salts and form bile acids . which are less effective in micelle formation. This may reduce absorption of nutrients. These bacteria may not have an effect upon phospholipids, and therefore supplementation of diets with phospholipids is thought to help nutrient absorption.