Concentrations and metabolism of volatile fatty acids in the fermentative organs of two species of kangaroo and the guinea-pig

作者：Susan Henning, F.J.R. Hird · 发表于：British Journal Of Nutrition · 年份：1970 · DOI：10.1079/bjn19700017 · 被引用次数：50 · 研究领域：Animal Nutrition and Physiology、Adipose Tissue and Metabolism、Meat and Animal Product Quality

1. Contents from the fermentative organs of the kangaroo and guinea-pig were found to have concentrations of total volatile fatty acids ranging from 50 to 140 mM. 2. In each instance acetic was the most abundant acid, followed by propionic, then n-butyric, Trace amounts of isobutyric, n-valeric and isovaleric acids were present. 3. When studiedin vitro, tissue from the wall of each fermentative organ was shown to metabolize butyrate to ketone bodies. Acetoacetate was the major ketone body. The presence of acetate and propionate did not affect ketogenesis from butyrate. 4. In the guinea-pig caecum most of the ketogenic activity resided in the mucosa. 5. The upper colon of the guinea-pig was as active as the caecum in metabolizing butyrate to ketone bodies. 6. For both the guinea-pig caecum and the kangaroo fermentative stomach, incubations with14C-labelled butyrate showed that the proportion oxidized to CO2was considerably less than that metabolized to ketone bodies.