Effect of dietary crude protein level on jejunal brush border enzyme activities in weaned pigs

Forty weaned pigs (7.0 ± 0.5 kg, mean ± SD) were used to determine the effects of feeding a low crude protein, amino acid-supplemented diet to piglets on the activities of jejunal brush border enzymes. Pigs were randomly allotted to two diets: a 222 g crude protein (HCP) per kg diet, or a 173 g crude protein per kg diet supplemented with amino acids (LCP). Pigs fed the HCP diet had higher small intestine weight compared with those fed the LCP diet on day 7 after weaning. Diet had no effect on the specific activities of jejunal sucrase, lactase, leucine aminopeptidase, aminopeptidase A, aminopeptidase N and dipeptidyl peptidase IV. The activities of sucrase and lactase decreased (p < 0.05) from day 3 after weaning to day 7, but the activities of leucine aminopeptidase and aminopeptidase N increased. The results showed that feeding a low protein diet supplemented with amino acids according to the ideal protein ratio to piglets had no negative effect on the development of jejunal brush border enzymes.