Experimental conditions for measuring the effect of the noncaloric fat substitute olestra on the availability of dietary nutrients were established in the weanling domestic pig. To evaluate the tolerance of the pig for dietary fat levels similar to those in the human diet, groups were fed a standard corn-soy-based swine feed with and without 14% (30% of energy) added fat for 4 wk. To evaluate the adequacy of a purified diet to produce good growth, groups of pigs were fed purified diets providing 30% of energy from fat and micronutrients at 1, 1.3 or 1.6 times the NRC's requirements for 5- to 10-kg swine. Cumulative body weight gain, digestible feed efficiency and a lack of adverse effects showed that the pig can tolerate diets providing 30% of energy from fat and that a purified diet providing the NRC's requirements for micronutrients produces growth comparable to a nutritionally complete swine feed. To determine whether tissue concentrations of vitamins A, D, E and K in the pig respond to olestra and dietary concentrations of the vitamins, two groups were fed purified diet providing 1 or 1.6 times the NRC's requirements for micronutrients and 4.8% olestra. Significant increases occurred in the serum concentration of 25-hydroxyergocalciferol and liver concentrations of retinol and alpha-tocopherol with increasing dietary concentrations of the vitamins. Olestra reduced the tissue concentrations of vitamins A, D and E. Prothrombin time was not affected by dietary concentration of either phylloquinone or olestra. To determine the amount of UV light exposure required to produce 50-80% of vitamin D status from vitamin D3, a range typical of humans, two groups of pigs were fed the NRC requirement for vitamin D and exposed to 15 or 45 min/d of UV light. Serum concentration of 25-hydroxycholecalciferol increased with increased exposure time. UV exposure of 1-2 min/d was calculated to be sufficient to produce 50-80% of total vitamin D status from vitamin D3. No antemortem observations indicated an adverse olestra effect.

In a 26-wk study, five groups (n = 10) of domestic pigs were fed 0.25, 0.5, 1.1, 3.3 or 5.5% olestra; three groups were fed 0.25% with graded levels of vitamins A and E; and one group was fed 5.5% with added vitamins A and E and exposed to UV light. In a 39-wk study, two groups (n = 10) were fed 0.25% olestra with or without added vitamins A and E. In each study, a control group was fed basal diet with no olestra, and a group was killed at d 0 for base-line nutrient measurements. The diets provided the NRC's requirements of micronutrients for 5- to 10-kg pigs, with the following two exceptions: vitamin D was provided at twice the requirement in the 26-wk study and vitamin K was provided at 20% of the requirement in the 39-wk study. One purpose of the studies was to determine the amounts of vitamins A and E required to restore tissue concentrations of those vitamins to control concentrations. A second purpose was to determine the effects of olestra on the status of vitamins A, D, E, K and B12, and folate, iron, calcium and zinc when pigs eat olestra at intakes similar to estimated human intake for a period covering major growth and developmental phases, including sexual maturation. Olestra reduced tissue concentrations of vitamins A, D and E but did not affect prothrombin time or the status of the water-soluble nutrients. The amount of vitamin A required to restore liver concentration to control concentration was 93 microg retinyl palmitate/g olestra. Restoration levels for serum and liver concentrations of vitamin E were 2.2 and 2.1 mg d-alpha-tocopheryl acetate/g olestra. Olestra did not affect growth or digestible feed efficiency in either study, indicating that the absorption and utilization of macronutrients were unaffected. There were no antemortem observations or changes in clinical chemistry or hematology that would indicate an adverse effect of olestra.

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