Metabolic profiling of lymph from pigs fed with β-glucan by high-resolution 1H NMR spectroscopy

To gain information about the effect of ingesting different β-glucan sources on intestinal lymph metabolic profile, 10 growing pigs (30–36 kg) were fitted with a catheter in the jejunal lymphatic trunk, and lymph samples collected continuously -1 to 8 h postprandial and again at 24 h after feeding a diet containing either 0.4% added yeast or barley β-glucan and compared to a Control diet. The lymph samples were analysed by proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) spectroscopy and subsequently subjected to chemometric analysis.The dominant resonances in the 1H NMR spectra of lymph arose primarily from fatty acids and the glycerol backbone in triglycerides. Weak signals from carbohydrates and aromatic compounds were also observed. The chemometric analysis demonstrated that the levels of mono- and poly-unsaturated lipids were reduced by the β-glucan enriched diets. Furthermore, indications of increased lymph viscosity induced by barley β-glucan compared to yeast β-glucan were observed.