The reduced numbers of bacteria could be
Table 4 Microbial metabolites and pH in the digesta of suckling piglets, where the mother sows received a diet
without (C) or with inulin (I)
Stomach Small intestine Caecum Rectum
C (n1 = 8) I (n = 8) C (n2 = 8) I (n = 8) C (n3 = 8) I (n = 8) C (n4 = 8) I (n = 8)
pH 3.27 ± 0.44 2.74 ± 0.75 6.78 ± 0.12 6.71 ± 0.64 6.07 ± 0.15 6.20 ± 0.24 6.15 ± 0.49 6.36 ± 0.62
L-lactate (mmol/kg) 12.9 ± 2.68 7.68 ± 8.85 8.25 ± 4.13 7.79 ± 3.86 0.34 ± 0.25 0.25 ± 0.19 0.54 ± 0.83 0.22 ± 0.15
D-lactate (mmol/kg) 16.7 ± 5.64 13.0 ± 16.9 1.40 ± 1.08 1.21 ± 1.21 0.32 ± 0.23 0.22 ± 0.22 0.08 ± 0.07 0.09 ± 0.06
Ammonia (mmol/kg) 3.00 ± 0.92a 2.09 ± 0.71b 3.95 ± 2.09 3.63 ± 1.94 31.9 ± 13.5 23.4 ± 6.60 13.6 ± 4.70 **
SCFA (mmol/l) 3.90 ± 2.22 3.74 ± 2.14 4.82 ± 2.23 3.57 ± 3.64 55.6 ± 15.0 49.2 ± 17.0 22.8 ± 10.8 15.3 ± 8.07
Acetic acid (mol.%) 3.33 ± 1.75 3.52 ± 1.93 4.40 ± 2.08 3.28 ± 3.41 36.5 ± 9.78 33.9 ± 11.4 13.9 ± 6.75 9.68 ± 4.01
Propionic acid (mol.%) 0.12 ± 0.10 0.12 ± 0.20 0.31 ± 0.35 0.19 ± 0.30 10.8 ± 2.59 8.93 ± 3.26 3.83 ± 2.33 2.80 ± 2.36
i-butyric acid (mol.%) 0.01 ± 0.00a 0.01 ± 0.02b 0.02 ± 0.02 * 1.24 ± 0.49 0.90 ± 0.40 0.69 ± 0.48 0.47 ± 0.36
n-butyric acid (mol.%) 0.18 ± 0.04a 0.06 ± 0.07b 0.12 ± 0.11 0.11 ± 0.11 3.74 ± 1.68 3.10 ± 1.50 2.07 ± 1.61 1.21 ± 1.12
i-valeric acid (mol.%) 0.27 ± 0.52a 0.03 ± 0.03b 0.04 ± 0.03 0.03 ± 0.03 1.62 ± 0.56 1.13 ± 0.41 1.37 ± 0.87 0.86 ± 0.67
n-valeric acid (mol.%) 0.02 ± 0.01 0.00 ± 0.00 0.01 ± 0.01 0.01 ± 0.00 1.70 ± 0.72 1.16 ± 0.50 0.91 ± 0.57 0.47 ± 0.24
1Available sample size for analysis (stomach): For pH: n = 4/group; for L-lactate, D-lactate, acetic acid, propionic acid, i-butyric acid, and SCFA: n = 7 (C); for i-valeric
acid: n = 7 (C) and n = 7 (I); for n-butyric acid: n = 6 (C); for n-valeric acid: n = 4 (C) and n = 6 (I).
2Available sample size for analysis (small intestine): For pH: n = 4/group; for D-lactate: n = 7 (I); for propionic acid: n = 7 (C) and n = 6 (I); *for i-butyric acid: n = 3 (C)
and n = 1 (I); for n-butyric acid: n = 6 (C) and n = 7 (I); for n-valeric acid: n = 4 (C) and n = 5 (I); for ammonia: n = 5 (C) and n = 6 (I).
3Available sample size for analysis (caecum): For pH: n = 4/group; for D-lactate: n = 7/group; for ammonia: n = 7 (C) and n = 6 (I).
4Available sample size for analysis (rectum): For pH: n = 4 (C) and n = 3 (I); for L-lactate: n = 5/group; for D-lactate: n = 6 (C) and n = 5 (I); **for ammonia: n = 5 (C)
and n = 2 (I); for acetic acid, propionic acid, n-butyric acid, i-valeric acid and SCFA: n = 7 (C) and n = 6 (I); for i-butyric acid and n-valeric acid: n = 7 (C) and n = 5 (I).
Abbreviation: SCFA: short chain fatty acids.
Different letters in the same row indicate significant differences (P ≤ 0.05). Group comparisons were calculated separately for stomach, small intestine, caecum
and rectum.
Paßlack et al. BMC Veterinary Research (2015) 11:51 Page 4 of 8
due to a lower feed intake before and after farrowing,
which is commonly found in practice and was also
observed in the present study. Time-dependent changes
were also detected for the concentrations of the bacterial
metabolites in the faeces of the sows. Higher concentrations
of lactate (P = 0.002) and propionic acid (P < 0.001)
were measured on day 4 a.p. compared to the days 1 and
5 p.p., and lower concentrations of acetic acid (P < 0.001)
were detected on day 4 a.p. compared to the days 1 and 5
p.p. The total concentrations of SCFA (P