Table 2 Microbial metabolites and pH in the faeces of sows fed a diet without (C) or with inulin (I)

pH

6.79 ± 0.23

6.63 ± 0.34

6.99 ± 0.34

6.59 ± 0.36

6.68 ± 0.12

6.63 ± 0.23

0.007

0.323

0.167

L-lactate (mmol/kg)

0.73 ± 0.55

0.70 ± 0.30

0.43 ± 0.28

0.28 ± 0.22

0.35 ± 0.18

0.24 ± 0.19

0.185

0.002

0.909

D-lactate (mmol/kg)

0.62 ± 0.64

0.54 ± 0.26

0.20 ± 0.20

0.14 ± 0.12

0.16 ± 0.12

0.11 ± 0.11

0.451

0.002

0.947

Ammonia (mmol/kg)

32.6 ± 19.5

47.0 ± 29.1

13.7 ± 9.64

20.2 ± 10.4

21.7 ± 10.2

27.3 ± 12.9

0.070

0.001

0.586

SCFA (mmol/l)

152 ± 44.4

155 ± 30.1

100 ± 31.4

123 ± 31.5

138 ± 38.3

158 ± 17.5

0.164

<0.001

0.602

Acetic acid (mol. %)

54.4 ± 3.61

53.7 ± 3.78

60.6 ± 4.11

56.8 ± 4.19

60.9 ± 4.35

59.1 ± 3.16

0.081

<0.001

0.388

Propionic acid (mol. %)

23.0 ± 1.08

22.6 ± 1.33

19.3 ± 2.03

20.9 ± 1.11

19.4 ± 1.40

19.9 ± 1.69

0.153

<0.001

0.053

i-butyric acid (mol. %)

2.87 ± 0.56

2.79 ± 0.33

2.87 ± 0.40

2.61 ± 0.55

2.52 ± 0.27

2.51 ± 0.32

0.337

0.037

0.641

n-butyric acid (mol.%)

13.0 ± 2.85

13.9 ± 2.62

10.4 ± 4.24

12.8 ± 3.36

11.1 ± 3.54

12.4 ± 1.71

0.152

0.025

0.711

i-valeric acid (mol. %)

4.05 ± 0.91

3.92 ± 0.51

4.06 ± 0.62

3.88 ± 0.86

3.62 ± 0.43

3.56 ± 0.53

0.538

0.068

0.950

n-valeric acid (mol. %)

2.66 ± 0.50

3.09 ± 0.70

2.77 ± 0.51

3.02 ± 0.63

2.45 ± 0.51

2.61 ± 0.45

0.147

0.012

0.467