[Physico-chemical stimulation of dietary origin and digestive motility in the rabbit]

The effects on gastrointestinal motility of two different diets, one containing dehydrated lucerne and the other dehydrated beet pulp (both being either coarsely or finely ground before pelleting) were studied in 16 unanesthetized 50-60-day old rabbits fed ad libitum. The rabbits fed with lucerne had better antroduodenal and ileo-caecal coordination, a higher level of electrical activity on the duodenum, and more frequent migrating myoelectric complexes on the jejunum and ileum than those fed with beet pulp. Furthermore, the rabbits fed the finely ground pellets showed weak electrical activity on the ileum and poor ileo-caecal coordination irrespective of fiber source, suggesting a unique effect of size per se on these portions of the digestive tract.