Ligation of the pancreatic duct in pigs leads to severe maldigestion and malabsorption of crude nutrients. Supplementation with 24 capsules of Creon (Solvay Pharmaceuticals GmbH, Hannover, Germany) per meal led to an increased digestibility of crude nutrients. With regard to optimization of the treatment of EPI no essential improvements can be achieved by adding omeprazol or lecithin to the diet. In pancreatic duct-ligated pigs the isolated addition of omeprazol led to an increase of the pre-caecal digestibility of crude fat and organic matter. With additional enzyme substitution, the application of omeprazol did not result in an improved fat digestibility. Isolated addition of lecithin to the diet resulted in a reduced total digestibility of crude fat. Offering the diet twice a day and using a higher frequency of enzyme applications (four or six instead of only two applications) had no effects on the digestibilty of crude fat or organic matter. According to the observations in pancreatic duct-ligated pigs, the addition of missing enzymes to the diet led to the best treatment results in EPI. Administration of omeprazol or a higher feeding frequency as well as the application of enzymes in small proportion of the whole meal or dosages given consecutively over the day showed no advantages. Furthermore, the present study suggests that the addition of lecithin cannot be recommended in EPI, when given diets with butter as the predominant fat source as in human dietetics.

Ligation of pancreatic duct in pigs leads to a severe maldigestion of calcium and magnesium. Substitution of missing enzymes results in a 'normalization' of the digestibility rates of these elements. In comparison to controls the pre-caecal phosphorus digestibility decreased, but the total digestibility rates increased, after ligation of the pancreatic duct. Furthermore, the total amount of absorbed phosphorus was significantly higher in pancreatic duct ligated pigs. Further studies have to be carried out to investigate, whether phosphorus in exocrine pancreatic insufficiency is excreted with urine, as in this study the observed Ca:P-ratio in blood was in a physiological range. Without a forced renal excretion of phosphorus, consequences and risks (e.g. secondary hyperparathyroidism) of the regulation have to be considered. Regarding the elements sodium, potassium and chloride, an increased faecal excretion could be observed in pancreatic duct ligated pigs. As a substitution with enzyme products led to digestibility rates similar to those in controls, no losses of electrolytes have to be feared. Even though pancreatic juice seems to have influences on the digestibility of investigated trace elements (copper, zinc, iron and manganese), it did not lead to severe imbalances in the corresponding mineral metabolism.