Diet Preference, Feed Efficiency and Expression of the Sodium-Dependent Glucose Transporter Isoform 1 and Sweet Taste Receptors in the Jejunum of Lambs Supplemented with Different Flavours
Felista Mwangi,
Areen Dallasheh,
Mugagga Kalyesubula,
Naama Reicher,
Chris Sabastian,
Sameer J. Mabjeesh
Affiliations
Felista Mwangi
Department of Animal Science, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 760001, Israel
Areen Dallasheh
Department of Animal Science, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 760001, Israel
Mugagga Kalyesubula
Department of Animal Science, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 760001, Israel
Naama Reicher
Department of Animal Science, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 760001, Israel
Chris Sabastian
Department of Animal Science, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 760001, Israel
Sameer J. Mabjeesh
Department of Animal Science, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 760001, Israel
This study investigated the effect of dietary flavour supplements on the preference, feed efficiency and expression of the sweet taste receptor family 1 members 2 and 3 (T1R2 + T1R3), and sodium-glucose linked transporter 1 (SGLT1) genes in the lambs’ small intestines. Eight, five-month-old, Israeli crossbred Assaf lambs were offered 16 different non-nutritive commercial flavours in rolled barley and ground corn. Capsicum and sucram were the most preferred non-aroma flavours (p = 0.020), while milky (p T1R2, T1R3 and SGLT1 relative gene expression evaluated from the proximal jejunum biopsies. Flavour had no significant effect on the feed intake (p = 0.934), but capsicum increased the average daily weight gain per metabolic body weight (p = 0.049). The T1R3 gene was expressed highest in the mix treatment (1.7; p = 0.005). Collectively, our findings indicate that flavours can be used to motivate feed acceptance and improve the weight gain in lambs.
