In animal nutrition, ensuring good levels of amino acids is key to achieve optimal production parameters, through an in vitro trial, we evaluate the effect of intestinal conditioner pronutrients (IAP) on the absorption of amino acids (tryptophan and lysine) in an enterocytes culture.

Methodology

The cell culture (IPEC-J2 porcine enterocytes) is amplified until confluence is obtained, the enriched culture medium (DMEM) contains all the amino acids in excess. The confluence is reached after 4 days of incubation (37ᵒC with 5% CO₂).

After this first incubation, the following treatments are applied to the culture:

• Culture medium supplemented with intestinal conditioner pronutrients 1: 5000.
• Culture medium supplemented with intestinal conditioner pronutrients 1: 2500.
• Culture medium without supplement.

After another incubation (4 h 37°C with 5% CO₂) the supernatant is obtained by aspiration and the samples are analyzed through HPLC (high performance liquid chromatography) to measure the remaining concentration of lysine and tryptophan in the medium.

Results

The counting of the remaining amino acid in the culture medium shows that lower concentrations in the culture medium are a result of a greater absorption of amino acids. On the contrary, higher concentrations in the medium indicate lower absorption.

Compared with the control, the medium supplemented with PAI 1: 5000 increased the absorption of lysine by 3.49% and that of tryptophan by 5.28%. For the PAI 1: 2500 treatment the increase in absorption was 3.87% for lysine and 5.3% for tryptophan.

Conclusions

In view of the results, the application of intestinal conditioner pronutrients on porcine enterocytes culture has a statistically positive and significant effect on the absorption of lysine and tryptophan, observing a dose-effect relationship.

Based on this in vitro test and the field trials we have conducted, we can assume that intestinal conditioner pronutrients are an effective tool to increase the levels of amino acid absorption, with the consequent improvement in production parameters.

Considering the high costs of the amino acids, supplementing the diet with intestinal conditioner pronutrients can help to achieve a greater farm profitability, since it allows to adjust the level of amino acids inclusion.

Intestinal conditioner pronutrients are commercialized under the name of Alquernat Nebsui, by Biovet S.A.