Improving Feed Fat Utilization: Bile Acids Are Indispensable!
For fats to be absorbed by animals, they must first undergo emulsification, digestion, and absorption.
In feed production, an additional step is often included: emulsification.
Why is this necessary? Can't animals emulsify fats on their own?
Studies have shown that piglets at weaning have underdeveloped digestive functions, with insufficient secretion of fat-digesting enzymes and bile. To improve fat utilization, emulsification of the feed is required.
Experimental data from Tancharoenrat et al. (2013) indicated that for broiler chickens fed diets with different types of fats, the ability to digest and absorb fats at the juvenile stage was significantly lower than at the adult stage.
Freeman et al. (1968) reported that the ability of piglets' small intestines to absorb fat particles exceeded their capacity to form fat particles within the intestines.
Garanina (1981) and Alier (1987) found that adding 8% fat to the diet inhibited bile secretion in piglets.
Cera et al. (1988) observed that adding 6% corn oil to the feed significantly reduced the length of small intestinal villi in early-weaned piglets, particularly during weeks 2-3 post-weaning.
In aquatic animals, especially crustaceans like shrimp and crabs, which lack a gallbladder and cannot secrete bile, exogenous supplementation of bile acids is essential to aid in the digestion and absorption of lipid nutrients.
Against the backdrop of modern farming development, livestock production is expected to achieve better performance, faster growth, and lower costs. However, animals, particularly young ones, often secrete insufficient bile, leading to inadequate fat emulsification and incomplete absorption.
Bile acids and phospholipids in bile play a crucial role in the emulsification of lipid substances in the intestines.
References:
[1] Luo Congyan. The Role of Emulsifiers in the Digestion and Absorption of Fats in Early-Weaned Piglets[J]. China Feed, 1995, (24):16-18.
[2] Ge Xiaoke, Li Lu, Ma Xiaojiao, et al. Effects of Dietary Bile Acid Supplementation on Liver and Lipid Metabolism in Broilers Fed Diets with Different Fat Levels[J]. Jiangsu Agricultural Sciences, 2019, 47(21):236-241. DOI:10.15889/j.issn.1002-1302.2019.21.057.
