Role of Pregastric Esterase in the Abomasal Hydrolysis of Milk Fat in the Young Calf

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Abstract
The hydrolysis of milk fat in the abomasum of the calf was studied. Whole milk either was nipple-fed (oral feeding) or was placed directly into the abomasum (abomasal feeding). The latter system was used to minimize the entrance of pregastric esterase into the abomasum. At 1, 2 and 3 hr. after feeding, the contents of the abomasum were sampled and analyzed for total free fatty acids (FFA). The FFA from the oral-fed samples were separated into 3 fractions butyric, valeric and higher fatty acids. The mean concentrations of total FFA ([mu]M/5 g contents) were as follows for the oral and abomasal systems of feeding, respectively: 1 hr., 86, 19; 2 hr., 101, 20; and 3 hr., 120, 30. For the oral-fed samples, the mean concentrations of butyric, valeric, and higher fatty acids were as follows, respectively: 1 hr., 34, 7, 53; 2 hr., 19, 4, 77; and 3 hr., 11, 3, 119.
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