Question

Pig feed contains vegetables with a high content of raffinose-series oligosaccharides

a) Explain why farmers premix this feed with commercial -grade -glucosidase before feeding the pigs, as a means to increase weight gain?

Answer 1

Oligosaccharides contains a high concentraion of Carbohydrates.Oligosaccharide can ne devided into insoluble Oligosaccharides (mainly cellulose) and soluble Ologosaccharides ( composed mainly of pectic polymers which are partly soluble in water ).Monogastric animals like pig do not have enzymes to hydrolyzed these carbohydrates and thus their digestion occures by mieans of bacterial fermentation.The fermentation of Oligosaccharide carbohydrate produces short chain fatty acids that can be used as energy source by animal.The utilization efficiency of carbohydrates is related to the chemical structure,the level of inclusion in dietspecies and age of animal.In growing pigs,these effect,in particularin effect of gut viscosity,are often not so obvious.For Example Ethanol/water extarction removes the low molecular weight carbohydrate fractions,such as oligosaccharides which is devoide of anti-nutritive activities.The resultant product is high quality protien concentrate.That is why farmers premix this feed contais high content of raffinode -series oligosaccharides.