Utilization of Various Sugars by the Young Dairy Calf

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Abstract
Twenty-one fasted male calves, whose ages ranged from 1 to 14 wk. were studied to test their ability to utilize several chemically pure sugars and 2 commercial corn syrups. The levels of blood-reducing sugars, determined at regular intervals over a 4 hr. period following oral administration of the sugars, were used as the measure of utilization of each sugar studied. Sugars in aqueous solution were fed to calves following a 24-hr. fast, at the rate of 2 g of sugar per pound of body weight. Glucose, lactose, and galactose gave marked elevations in blood-reducing sugars and produced no diarrhea. Calves were unable to utilize sucrose, while the uptake of fructose and maltose was comparatively low. Diarrhea resulted from the feeding of each of these sugars. Sucrose inverted by invertase or citric acid was readily utilized.