Development of digestive enzymes in the piglet from birth to 8 weeks. II. Intestine and intestinal disaccharidases

Abstract

The changes with age of intestinal mucosa, protein, lactase, maltase and sucrase were followed in the piglet between day 105 of gestation and 8 weeks after birth. Lactase and maltase activities appeared during fetal life in the whole of the small intestine. Activity of sucrase was recorded after the 1st postnatal week. Lactase activity was high at birth and reached a maximum at 1 week (X 2.5); maltase activity which was low at birth increased to the 8th week (X 143). Activities of all enzymes were low in the duodenum; lactase was most active in the jejumum. Similar activities of maltase and sucrase were found in the two distal parts of the small intestine. Specific activity (related to protein content) of lactase reached a maximum at the end of the 1st week after birth and decreased afterwards. Specific maltase and sucrase activities were higher in the 2nd week, decreased between the 2nd and 4th week and increased afterwards (maltase) or decreased to the 6th--8th week (sucrase).