Fermentation de la cellulose et absorption d'acides gras volatils au niveau du caecum du lapin

Digestion of cellulose occurs in the caecum of the rabbit, in a manner similar to that of rumen fermentation in ruminants. Caecal contents exhibit cellulolytic properties. When incubated with extracts of caecal contents, with the exclusion of oxygen, at 37° C., colloïdal cellulose as well as carboxymethylcellulose are fermented into volatile fatty acids. These acids are easibly absorbed by the caecal epithelium, as attested by the fact that the amounts of volatile fatty acids in the blood of the mesenteric anterior vein are 8 to 10 times higher than in the blood of the mesenteric and carotid arteries.