Pulse ingredients are heavily used in the global pet food industry, but little is known about how diets that contain different amounts of total dietary fiber and starch affect the fecal bile acids (BAs) and metabolites produced. The objective of this study was to understand how the inclusion of pulse ingredients at the sacrifice of grains or pea starch affected the excretion of fecal BAs and metabolites, such as short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in healthy adult dogs. Twenty-eight dogs received 1 of 4 experimental diets for 20 wk (n = 7): a pulse-free, corn-inclusive diet (Ctl) or a grain-free (GF) diet containing either 15%, 30%, or 45% pulse ingredients. All diets were processed similarly, with the same batches of ingredients. All dogs consuming pulse-inclusive diets had lower branched-chain fatty acid concentrations than the Ctl group. The Pulse30 group had greater concentrations of propionic acid than dogs consuming the Ctl diet. Moreover, dogs consuming diets with more pea starch had greater lithocholic acid excretion, suggesting that amylose may affect BA metabolism to a greater extent than other types of carbohydrates. The inclusion of 30% whole pulse ingredients enhanced SCFA production, while 45% inclusion did not affect total BA excretion in healthy dogs.

Read the full article in the Journal of Animal Science.