Effects of guar gum on plasma urea, insulin and glucose in the growing pig

1. Six growing pigs fitted with portal and arterial blood cannulas were given a barley-fishmeal diet, either alone or supplemented with guar gum at 60 g/kg basal diet. Blood samples were taken during 8 h following test meals given at 08.00 hours. 2. Ingestion of the guar-gum-supplemented diet appeared to increase systematically portal and arterial levels of plasma urea. At peak values, 4 and 5 h after the test meal, this effect was statistically significant (P less than 0.05). 3. Irrespective of which diet was given, portal and arterial blood samples, withdrawn at the same time, were found to have about the same concentration of urea. This was found throughout the 8 h studied and implies that no net exchange of urea between the circulation and the gastrointestinal tract, as a whole, took place. 4. In the time-period 30-60 min following the test meal, guar gum significantly reduced the postprandial hyperglycaemia and hyperinsulinaemia in portal blood.