Influence of Rumen Escape Starch on α-Amylase Activity in Pancreatic Tissue and Small Intestinal Digesta of Lambs

Two slaughter experiments were conducted to determine the effects of rumen escape starch, by altering dietary starch concentration and corn particle size, on ${\alpha}$-amylase activity in the pancreas and the small intestinal digesta of lambs. In experiment 1, 18 wether lambs (28.5${\pm}$1.6 kg) were fed low, medium or high starch diets for 35 d and slaughtered. Dietary starch concentrations linearly increased rumen escape starch (p<0.05). Pancreatic ${\alpha}$-amylase activity was lower (p<0.05) in lambs fed the low starch diet. When expressed per gram of digesta, ${\alpha}$-amylase activity was lower in lambs fed the low starch diet. However, expressed as total activity, ${\alpha}$-amylase in the digesta was greater in lambs fed the medium starch diet. In experiment 2, 12 wether lambs (23.5${\pm}$0.3 kg) were fed diets with finely cracked corn, coarsely cracked corn and whole corn. These dietary treatments continued for 35 d before tissue collection. Rumen escape starch increased with increasing corn particle size (p<0.05). ${\alpha}$-amylase activity in the pancreas and the small intestinal digesta was significantly greater (p<0.05) in lambs fed the coarsely cracked corn. These data suggest that increasing rumen escape starch results in a quadratic increase in total ${\alpha}$-amylase activity in the pancreas and the small intestinal digesta. Maximum ${\alpha}$-amylase activity is reached when rumen escape starch is about 100-120 g/d in 25-30 kg lambs.