Table 1 The volatile fatty acids (VFA) content along the gastrointestinal tract of Nile tilapia fed with four experimental diets.
Enzymes | CON | ENZ | SEM | P value | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Probiotics | CON | PRO | CON | PRO | ENZ | PRO | ENZ*PRO | |
Volatile fatty acids (mM/L fresh digesta) | ||||||||
Stomach | ||||||||
 Acetic acid | 7.2 | 8.8 | 8.5 | 6.1 | 1.3 | ns | ns | * |
 Propionic acid | 1.6 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 0.3 | ns | ns | ns |
 Iso butyric acid | nd |  < 0.1 | 0.1 | nd | na | na | na | na |
 Butyric acid | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.2 | na | na | na | na |
 Iso valeric acid | 0.1 |  < 0.1 | 0.1 |  < 0.1 | na | na | na | na |
 Valeric acid | 0.2 |  < 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.1 | na | na | na | na |
 Total | 9.2 | 10.6 | 10.5 | 7.8 | 1.5 | ns | ns | ns |
Proximal | ||||||||
 Acetic acid | 9.7 | 16.2 | 12.2 | 15.2 | 1.6 | ns | ** | ns |
 Propionic acid | 1.8 | 3.0 | 2.1 | 2.4 | 0.4 | ns | # | ns |
 Iso butyric acid | nd | nd | nd | nd | na | na | na | na |
 Butyric acid | nd | 0.5 | nd | 0.2 | na | na | na | na |
 Iso valeric acid |  < 0.1 | 0.1 |  < 0.1 |  < 0.1 | na | na | na | na |
 Valeric acid |  < 0.1 | 0.1 |  < 0.1 |  < 0.1 | na | na | na | na |
 Total | 11.5 | 19.8 | 14.4 | 18.0 | 1.7 | ns | ** | ns |
Middle | ||||||||
 Acetic acid | 10.5 | 8.5 | 11.3 | 9.0 | 1.2 | ns | ns | ns |
 Propionic acid | 1.0 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.3 | ns | ns | ns |
 Iso butyric acid | nd |  < 0.1 | nd | nd | na | na | na | na |
 Butyric acid | 0.1 | 0.2 | nd | 0.1 | na | na | na | na |
 Iso valeric acid | 0.1 |  < 0.1 |  < 0.1 | nd | na | na | na | na |
 Valeric acid | 0.1 | 0.1 |  < 0.1 | nd | na | na | na | na |
 Total | 11.7 | 9.4 | 12.0 | 9.7 | 1.3 | ns | ns | ns |
Distal | ||||||||
 Acetic acid | 10.1 | 9.7 | 10.1 | 9.0 | 0.9 | ns | ns | ns |
 Propionic acid | 0.8 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 0.2 | ns | ns | ns |
 Iso butyric acid | nd | nd | nd | nd | na | na | na | na |
 Butyric acid | 0.1 | 0.1 | nd | nd | na | na | na | na |
 Iso valeric acid | nd | nd | nd | nd | na | na | na | na |
 Valeric acid | nd | nd | nd | nd | na | na | na | na |
 Total | 10.9 | 10.6 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 0.9 | ns | ns | na |
