Related Experiment Videos
Development of digestive functions in the newborn ruminant
Annales De Recherches Veterinaires. Annals of Veterinary Research
|January 1, 1983
Summary
Assessing neonatal digestive development requires tracking variable changes. In calves, a milk diet maintains high chymosin levels by stimulating its synthesis via casein until weaning.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal physiology
- Digestive adaptation
- Biochemical changes
Background:
- Evaluating digestive function development in neonates necessitates monitoring specific variable changes.
- Previous studies documented anatomical, biochemical, and physiological shifts during neonatal lamb and calf adaptation to extra-uterine life.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the importance of assessing relative variable changes for accurate evaluation of developing digestive functions in neonates.
- To provide examples of key biochemical adaptations, such as chymosin regulation in calves.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing observations on anatomical, biochemical, and physiological changes.
- Analysis of the role of diet (milk) in regulating enzyme synthesis.
Main Results:
- The milk diet, specifically casein, stimulates chymosin synthesis in neonatal calves.
- Chymosin, a key milk-clotting protease, remains at elevated levels until weaning due to this dietary stimulation.
Conclusions:
- Dietary components significantly influence the development and maintenance of specific digestive enzymes in neonates.
- Understanding these regulatory mechanisms is crucial for assessing digestive maturation in young mammals.