Postprandial kinetics of porto-arterial concentration differences of glucose (G), galactose (Gal), L-lactic acid (LA) and amino-N (AN) were studied in the piglet after the ingestion of 107 colony-forming units (cfu) Sporolactobacillus P44 (SP), or 106 cfu Bacillus cereus IP5832 (AC), or 106 cfu of a combination of Lactobacillus acidophilus, L. fermentum and L. brevis (AB)/g feed. Sixteen fistulated piglets (portal vein and brachiocephalic trunk; mean body weight 22 (SD 2) kg) were used. The diet was based on skimmed milk (320 g/kg), barley (300 g/kg), wheat bran (110 g/kg), maize (100 g/kg) and lactose (70 g/kg). The postprandial blood kinetics, four measurements per animal at 1-week intervals, were studied for 6 h after the ingestion of test meals of 400 g basal diet (BD) or this diet supplemented with the bacteria (SP, AC and AB respectively). Areas of porto-arterial concentration differences (APACD) of G, Gal and LA were not influenced by the bacteria supplements. APACD of AN was significantly higher after the ingestion of the SP diet than that estimated for BD.