Hydrolytic capacity of digestive enzymes in duck caeca (Anas platyrhynchos).

CIMINARI ME, CALERO I, FUNES SC, CAVIEDES-VIDAL E.

Merlo, San Luis

Congreso; XXII Reunión Anual de la Sociedad de Biología de Cuyo; 2004

Sociedad de Biología de Cuyo

Chicken and geese have caeccal absorption activity of amino acids together with sugar and protein digestion. Enzyme breakdown activities by the caeca of ducks were measured. We predicted that the digestion of proteins and carbohydrates will be related to the level of these substrates in the diet. To test this prediction, we fed two groups of adult ducks during 15 days with either a high carbohydrate or high protein diet. At the end of treatment activities of maltase and aminopeptidase-N activity were assayed. Diet did not influence aminopeptidase-N activity but had effect on maltase activity (p<0.05). Maltase activity exhibited a positive correlation with the amount of carbohydrates in the diet. The contribution of the maltase and aminopeptidase-N of caeca to the total hydrolysis of carbohydrates and peptides was relatively small, 3.45% and 6.57% respectively. Nonetheless, the specific activities of the aminopeptidase-N reached values near those of the small intestine and, for maltase, half of the levels found in the small intestine. Thus, there is a moderate cecal contribution to carbohydrate and protein hydrolysis in these birds, although higher than for chickens (1.66% for maltase and 4.73% for aminopeptidase-N). In conclusion, the levels of specific activity attained for both enzymes suggest that the cacca may play an important role in digestion en the duck.