Effect of dietary fibre on nitrogen retention and fibre associated threonine losses in growing pigs

Apart from being an energy source, dietary fibre is also discussed to act as anti-nutritional factor reducing apparent precaecal protein and amino acid (AA) digestibility due to reduced absorption or increased endogenous secretion or both. However, the amounts of protein and AA of endogenous origin determined at the terminal ileum in cannulated animals do not represent the total losses associated with endogenous secretion. A high proportion of secreted protein is reabsorbed and does not reach the terminal ileum, and losses occur during synthesis of endogenous protein. Therefore, the present study used an alternative indirect approach, taking the reduction of nitrogen (N) retention in a threonine (Thr) limited diet as a sensitive indicator for fibre-associated Thr losses. Two experiments were conducted with 12 castrated male pigs each between 37 and 75 kg body weight to measure the effect of the intake of Thr and 150 and 300 g/d fibre from wheat bran (Exp. 1), or 150 g/d fibre from rape seed, cassava leaves, and cassava root peels, respectively (Exp. 2), on N retention. During two (Exp. 1) and three (Exp. 2) balance periods the animals were subjected to the dietary treatments according to a cross-over design. All animals received 1350 g/d of a wheat-soybean-based diet supplemented with free AA to ensure Thr being the first-limiting AA. To determine the effect of Thr on N retention, intake of the basal diet was reduced to 1150 g/d and supplemented with corn starch to reach equal energy intake and an unchanged AA pattern. With increasing BW additional starch was added to all diets to ensure a constant energy intake of 1.25 MJ ME/kg BW(0.75). Since the fibre sources contained small amounts of Thr, N retentions were corrected for precaecal digestible Thr intake originating from the fibre sources according to the Thr effect on N retention as determined in experiment 1. Corrected N retentions were affected by fibre level (p = 0.007) and source (p < 0.001). Fibre-associated Thr losses amounted to 3.3, 3.2, 1.2, and 1.1 g/kg fibre from wheat bran, rapeseed, cassava leaf, and cassava root peel, respectively. It is concluded that Thr losses per gram of dietary fibre depend on the fibre source and that fibre concentration and source in pig diets should be considered as a factor affecting Thr requirement.     

Effect of dietary fibre on nitrogen retention and fibre associated threonine losses in growing pigs

Apart from being an energy source, dietary fibre is also discussed to act as anti-nutritional factor reducing apparent precaecal protein and amino acid (AA) digestibility due to reduced absorption or increased endogenous secretion or both. However, the amounts of protein and AA of endogenous origin determined at the terminal ileum in cannulated animals do not represent the total losses associated with endogenous secretion. A high proportion of secreted protein is reabsorbed and does not reach the terminal ileum, and losses occur during synthesis of endogenous protein. Therefore, the present study used an alternative indirect approach, taking the reduction of nitrogen (N) retention in a threonine (Thr) limited diet as a sensitive indicator for fibre-associated Thr losses. Two experiments were conducted with 12 castrated male pigs each between 37 and 75 kg body weight to measure the effect of the intake of Thr and 150 and 300 g/d fibre from wheat bran (Exp. 1), or 150 g/d fibre from rape seed, cassava leaves, and cassava root peels, respectively (Exp. 2), on N retention. During two (Exp. 1) and three (Exp. 2) balance periods the animals were subjected to the dietary treatments according to a cross-over design. All animals received 1350 g/d of a wheat–soybean-based diet supplemented with free AA to ensure Thr being the first-limiting AA. To determine the effect of Thr on N retention, intake of the basal diet was reduced to 1150 g/d and supplemented with corn starch to reach equal energy intake and an unchanged AA pattern. With increasing BW additional starch was added to all diets to ensure a constant energy intake of 1.25 MJ ME/kg BW^0.75. Since the fibre sources contained small amounts of Thr, N retentions were corrected for precaecal digestible Thr intake originating from the fibre sources according to the Thr effect on N retention as determined in experiment 1. Corrected N retentions were affected by fibre level (p = 0.007) and source (p < 0.001). Fibre-associated Thr losses amounted to 3.3, 3.2, 1.2, and 1.1 g/kg fibre from wheat bran, rapeseed, cassava leaf, and cassava root peel, respectively. It is concluded that Thr losses per gram of dietary fibre depend on the fibre source and that fibre concentration and source in pig diets should be considered as a factor affecting Thr requirement.     

Effects of ileal endogenous nitrogen losses and dietary amino acid supplementation on nitrogen retention in growing pigs

The relationship between ileal endogenous nitrogen (N) losses and N retention was studied in two experiments with growing pigs of 40 to 60 kg. In Experiment 1, 13 ileal cannulated castrated males were fed diets based on maize starch, containing either soyabean meal (SBM) with a low trypsin inhibitor activity (TIA), a mixture of toasted and untoasted soyabean meal with a high TIA (mSBM), a commercial batch of peas, or rapeseed expeller cake (RC). Ileal endogenous N recovery was measured using the ¹⁵N-isotope dilution technique. Apparent ileal digestibility of crude protein (CP) for the SBM, mSBM, pea and RC diets were 82.8, 72.0, 76.7 and 68.7% (P < 0.05). True ileal CP digestibility for the diets was 96.5, 93.0, 94.0 and 87.5% (P < 0.05), and the recovery of ileal endogenous N was 3.08, 6.01, 4.55 and 5.36 g/kg DMI (P < 0.05). In Experiment 2, sixteen castrated males were used to determine N retention, using almost similar diets as in Experiment 1. The diets contained either SBM, mSBM or peas and were balanced for the contents of apparent ileal digestible (ID) CP (96 g/kg) and ID essential amino acids (EAA; at least 85% of requirement values). The fourth treatment was a diet with mSBM as protein source, but supplemented with EAA to the level of 95% of the requirement values (diet mSBMs). Apparent faecal CP digestibility for the SBM, mSBM, pea and mSBMs diets was 88.6, 87.2, 86.1 and 86.0% (P < 0.05). Urinary N excretion and N retention for these treatments were 0.39, 0.59, 0.40, 0.53 (P < 0.05) and 0.87, 0.80, 0.85, 0.84 g/kg^0.75/day (P < 0.05), respectively. Utilization of dietary ID N for N retention were 79.8, 73.3, 78.2 and 77.6% (P < 0.05), respectively. The study showed that increased ileal endogenous N losses are associated with higher losses of urinary N and with a lower N retention. Supplementation of extra essential AA to a diet causing a relatively high flow of ileal endogenous N, may compensate for the lower N utilization under these conditions, and thus limit effects on N retention.     

Evaluating standardized ileal digestibility of amino acids in growing pigs

The ileal digestibility coefficient (CSID) of amino acids (AA) and crude protein (CP) in 40 feedstuffs for growing pigs were determined with the protein-free (PF) and enzyme-hydrolyzed casein (EHC) methods. The 40 feedstuffs that were used earlier were 10 samples of cereals and cereal by-products, 12 samples of legumes, 6 samples of animal protein feedstuff and 12 samples of oil seed meals. Six growing pigs (initial body weight of 35 ± 1.5 kg), fitted with T-cannula at the terminal ileum, were randomly allocated to either a PF or a EHC diet according to a crossover design during two ileal digesta collection periods. In each period, pigs were adjusted to the experimental diets for 5 days. On days 6 and 8, ileal digesta were collected continuously for 24 h to determine ileal endogenous AA and CP losses. Pigs fed the EHC diet had a higher ileal flow of endogenous CP and of most of AA (P<0.05) than pigs fed the PF diet. Among the ileal endogenous AA flows (g/kg dry matter intake for pigs), methionine excretion was the lowest in pigs (0.09 and 0.25 g/kg dry matter intake) fed the PF and EHC diet, respectively, whereas glutamate (1.83 g/kg dry matter intake) and proline (1.22 g/kg dry material intake) excretion were the highest in pigs fed the EHC and the PF diet, respectively. Endogenous losses of CP and AA determined in the current study and previously published data on apparent ileal digestibility [Yin, Y.L., Huang, R.L., Zhong, H.Y., Chen, C.M., Li, T.J., Pan, Y.F., 1993. Nutritive value of feedstuffs and diets for pigs: 1. Chemical composition, apparent ileal and fecal digestibilities. Anim. Feed Sci. Technol. 44, 1–27] were used to calculate CSID coefficients. For most cereals and cereal by-products, the CSID coefficients of CP determined by the EHC method were higher than those determined by the PF method. Arginine, lysine, methionine, threonine, valine, alanine, aspartate, glutamate, glycine, proline and serine in some cereals and cereal by-products; methionine, valine, alanine and proline in some legumes; and methionine, alaline and proline in some oilseed meals had higher CSID determined by the EHC method than the PF method indicating that there are methodological differences when evaluating the CSID of feed ingredients.     

Apparent Precaecal Digestibility of Nutrients and Level of Endogenous Nitrogen in Digesta of the Small Intestine of Growing Pigs as Affected by Various Digesta Viscosities

Sixteen male growing pigs of about 24kg BW were fitted with both a duodenal re-entrant and a post-valve T-shaped cannula inserted in the caecum. The animals were divided into four groups. Each group received one of the following diets: corn starch-soybean protein isolate-based diet without (diet C) and with carboxymethylcellulose (diet CMC) or a rye-wheat-based diet without (diet RW) and with xylanase addition (diet RWX). The diets provided similar levels of apparent precaecal digestible crude protein (CP), lysine, methionine+cystine, threonine and tryptophan. Additionally, [¹⁵N]-yeast was given with the diets during the first 10 days of the experiment. For estimation of digesta viscosity, N-flow of dietary and endogenous origin, apparent precaecal digestibilities of dry matter (DM), CP, amino acids and non starch polysaccharides (NSP) (only in pigs fed diets RW and RWX), ileal and duodenal digesta were quantitatively collected on day 16 and 17, respectively. The endogenous N-proportion was measured by the ratio of ¹⁵N enrichment in the digesta and urine. The duodenal and ileal digesta supernatant viscosity increased as carboxymethylcellulose was included into the diet. Xylanase addition to the rye-wheat based diet reduced the viscosity in the ileal digesta. There were no differences in precaecal digestibilities of DM, CP and amino acids between diet C and CMC. The precaecal digestibilities of DM and soluble and insoluble NSP increased from 69.5% to 73.9%, from 1.3% to 47.9% and from 17.0% to 35.4%, respectively, as xylanase was added to the rye-wheat-based diet. The apparent precaecal digestibility of most essential amino acids increased by 2 to 5 percent units. The amounts of endogenous N at the duodenal level were estimated to be 158, 233, 313 and 276mg per 12h per kg^0.75 BW of pigs fed diets C, CMC, RW and RWX, respectively. The corresponding values at the ileal level were 95, 107, 164 and 150mg per 12h per kg^0.75 BW. For endogenous N amounts, significant differences were observed between diets C and CMC (duodenum) and also between semi-purified and cereal-based diets (duodenum and ileum). Methodological aspects for the estimation of endogenous N using the isotope dilution technique are discussed. Obviously, the digesta viscosity per se does not affect the nutrient absorption and endogenous N flow within the small intestine of pigs. Other properties of complex dietary fibre, digesta passage rate or bacterial activity probably contribute to the observed changes.     

Ileal amino acids digestibility of sorghum in weaned piglets and growing pigs

The objective of the study was to determine the coefficients of ileal apparent digestibility (CIAD) of sorghum protein and amino acids (AA) in weaned piglets and growing pigs. Digestibility coefficients were estimated using the regression and difference methods for the weaned piglets; and the direct and difference methods for the growing pigs. To test the hypothesis that CP and AA digestibility of sorghum is lower in weaned piglets than in growing pigs, two experiments were conducted. In experiment one, 20 weaned piglets were fitted with a 'T' cannula at 21 days of age and were fed for 2 weeks one of five dietary treatments: a reference or control diet providing 200 g of CP/kg from casein (C) as the sole protein source, and four casein-sorghum (C-S) diets kept isoproteic to C by the appropriate adjustment of C and maize starch proportions; the amount of sorghum (S) in these diets was 135, 307, 460 and 614 g/kg. In experiment 2, fifteen castrated pigs weighing 57.8 ± 2.8 kg were used and randomly allotted to one of three dietary treatments: a reference casein-maize starch diet containing C as the sole protein source, a C-S diet, both diets containing 160 g of CP/kg, and a fortified S diet containing 68 g of CP/kg. In piglets the CIAD for CP and AA decreased linearly (P < 0.05) as the amount of S in the diet increased. The average ileal digestibility of AA from C was 0.858 ± 0.111, and decreased to 0.663 ± 0.191 at the higher S level. The CIAD estimated using the regression or difference methods were similar for leucine, cysteine, glutamic acid, serine, alanine and tyrosine, and different for the other AA. In growing pigs the CIAD of protein and AA (except alanine and cysteine) were similar (P > 0.05) for the C and the C-S diets, but higher (P < 0.05) than those for the S diet. The CIAD for S obtained by the difference method were higher (P < 0.05) than those obtained using the direct method, except for lysine, isoleucine, valine, methionine, threonine and cysteine. The results indicate that except for lysine and cysteine, growing pigs' ability to digest AA and protein is superior than weaned piglets.     

Amino acid utilization and body composition of growing pigs fed processed soybean meal or rapeseed meal with or without amino acid supplementation

Feed ingredients used in swine diets are often processed to improve nutritional value. However, (over-)processing may result in chemical reactions with amino acids (AAs) that decrease their ileal digestibility. This study aimed to determine effects of (over-)processing of soybean meal (SBM) and rapeseed meal (RSM) on post-absorptive utilization of ileal digestible AAs for retention and on body AA composition of growing pigs. Soybean meal and RSM were processed by secondary toasting in the presence of lignosulfonate to obtain processed soybean meal (pSBM) and processed rapeseed meal (pRSM). Four diets contained SBM, pSBM, RSM or pRSM as sole protein source. Two additional diets contained pSBM or pRSM and were supplemented with crystalline AA to similar standardized ileal digestible (SID) AA level as the SBM or RSM diet. These diets were used to verify that processing affected AA retention by affecting ileal AA digestibility rather than post-absorptive AA utilization. The SID AA levels of the protein sources were determined in a previous study. In total, 59 pigs were used (initial BW of 15.6±0.7 kg) of which five were used to determine initial body composition at the start of the experiment. In total, 54 pigs were fed one of six experimental diets and were slaughtered at a BW of 40 kg. The organ fraction (i.e. empty organs plus blood) and carcass were analyzed separately for N and AA content. Post-absorptive AA utilization was calculated from AA retention and SID AA intake. An interaction between diet type, comprising effects of processing and supplementing crystalline AA, and protein source was observed for CP content in the organ fraction, carcass and empty body and for nutrient retention. Processing reduced CP content and nutrient retention more for SBM than for RSM. Moreover, processing reduced (P<0.001) the lysine content in the organ fraction for both protein sources. Supplementing crystalline AA ameliorated the effect of processing on these variables. Thus, the data indicated that processing affected retention by reducing digestibility. Correcting AA retention for SID AA intake was, therefore, expected to result in similar post-absorptive AA utilization which was observed for the RSM diets. However, post-absorptive AA utilization was lower for the pSBM diet than for the SBM diet which might be related to an imbalanced post-absorptive AA supply. In conclusion, processing negatively affected nutrient retention for both protein sources and post-absorptive utilization of SID AA for retention for SBM. Effects of processing were compensated by supplementing crystalline AA.     

Ileal and total tract digestibility and nitrogen utilisation in blue fox (Vulpes lagopus) fed low-protein diets supplemented with DL-methionine and L-histidine

ABSTRACT

To formulate low-protein diets for blue foxes with sufficient amounts of amino acids (AA), AA digestibility and AA requirements of the animals are crucial information. Therefore, a digestibility and nitrogen (N) balance trial was conducted with 20 blue foxes to determine the macronutrient and AA digestibility and N utilisation in low-protein diets supplemented with DL-methionine (Met) and L-histidine (His). In addition, plasma urea and plasma AA were measured. The diets were designated as P24 (control), P20, P20M, P16M and P16MH and contained energy from digestible crude protein (DCP) at 24%, 20% or 16% of total dietary metabolisable energy (ME). The 20% protein level was fed with or without Met and the 16% protein level was fed with Met and with or without His. The apparent total-tract digestibility (ATTD) of crude protein linearly decreased with decreasing dietary protein level. The ATTD of dry matter, organic matter and crude carbohydrates increased when wheat starch was added as a replacement for protein. The apparent ileal digestibility (AID) and ATTD methods were compared to determine the AA digestibility. The decreasing dietary protein supply decreased the ATTD of most of the AA: threonine, tryptophan (Trp), valine, alanine (Ala), aspartic acid (Asp), glutamic acid, glycine (Gly), proline (Pro), serine (Ser) and total AA. The AID of the AA was constant between diets. Diverging AA showed higher or lower digestibility when determined in the AID or ATTD methods. Isoleucine, lysine, Met, Ala and tyrosine showed higher levels of AID. Arginine, His, cysteine (Cys), Trp, Asp, Gly, Pro and Ser showed higher levels of ATTD, which may reflect the net loss of these AA in the large intestine. Met and His supplementation improved the ATTD and AID of the AA in question, respectively, but did not affect the other variables examined. N retention did not differ between diets and renal N excretion decreased with decreasing protein level; thus N utilisation improved. It was concluded that the protein supply and AA composition in low-protein diets with supplemented Met were adequate for adult blue foxes, since the lower protein supply improved N utilisation and did not affect N retention. However, His supplementation failed to reach the designed level and therefore showed no clear results.     

Nutritional value of raw and micronised field beans (Vicia faba L. var. minor) with and without enzyme supplementation containing tannase for growing chickens

An experiment examined the effects of two field bean cultivar samples with different tannin contents, the effect of heat treatment (micronising) and the effect of dietary supplementation of a proprietary enzyme preparation containing tannase, pectinase, and xylanase activities on metabolisable energy (ME), total tract dry matter digestibility (DMD) and ether extract digestibility (EED), nitrogen retention (NR), tannin degradability, gastrointestinal tract (GIT) development, and endogenous mucin losses excretion in broiler chickens. The Control diet contained per kg 221 g crude protein and 12.83 MJ ME. Four additional diets contained 300 g/kg of each of the two untreated or micronised experimental field bean cultivar samples. Each diet was then split into two batches and one of them was supplemented with 3400 units tannase per kg diet resulting in 10 diets in total. Each diet was fed to seven pens with two randomly selected male broilers each. Birds fed the high tannin bean sample had a lower weight gain (p < 0.001), and a lower determined apparent ME (p < 0.05), and DMD (p < 0.001) but a higher tannin degradability (p < 0.001). Compared to the Control diet, feeding field beans increased (p < 0.001) the weights of the proventriculus and gizzard of the birds, and also increased endogenous mucin losses (p < 0.05). Supplementing diets with the tannase-containing enzyme preparation improved dietary ME (p < 0.001), DMD (p < 0.001), NR (p < 0.001) and DEE (p < 0.05), but did not change tannin degradability. Heat treatment of the beans reduced the degradability of condensed tannins and increased endogenous mucin losses (p < 0.05). The differences in the feeding value of the different field bean samples were not improved by heat treatment, but enzyme supplementation improved the feeding value of all diets regardless of the bean samples or heat treatment. Further research is warranted to study the effectiveness of tannase supplementation in poultry diet formulations by dose response trials with purified tannase preparations.     

Digestibility and utilisation of diets composed of wet distillers' solids or soyabean meal and supplemented with liquid lysine product for growing pigs

A digestibility and balance trial was carried out to study the nutrient digestibility and utilisation of protein and energy in wet distillers' solids derived from barley or soyabean meal. Eight growing pigs (30–72 kg liveweight) were used in an 8 × 6 cyclic change-over experimental design, in which eight experimental diets were arranged 2 × 2 × 2 factorially. The corresponding factors were the protein source (wet distillers' solids (DS) or soyabean meal (SBM)), protein supply (130 or 162 g crude protein (CP) kg⁻¹ dry matter (DM)) and liquid lysine product supplementation.DS and SBM contained 565 g and 485 g CP kg⁻¹ DM, respectively, and the respective lysine contents in CP were 39 g and 64 g per 160 g N. The liquid lysine product contained 527 g CP kg⁻¹ DM and lysine in CP 193 g per 160 g N.No differences were found in the total tract digestibility of the nutrients or energy among diets composed of DS or SBM without lysine supplementation. Those diets with liquid lysine product supplementation, however, had opposite effects on the digestibility of the diets composed of the different protein sources. Lysine supplementation improved the digestibility of ash (P < 0.001), ether extract (P < 0.05) and crude carbohydrates (CCH) (P < 0.05) in diets composed of DS and adversely impaired the digestibility of organic matter and CCH (P < 0.05) in diets composed of SBM. The calculated digestibility of CP and gross energy were respectively 91.2% and 88.3% in SBM and 90.2% and 85.0% in DS. The digestible and calculated net energy contents were respectively 18.16 MJ kg⁻¹ DM and 10.73 MJ kg⁻¹ DM for SBM and 19.31 MJ kg⁻¹ DM and 10.40 MJ kg⁻¹ DM for DS.The pigs on the diets composed of DS had higher total (P < 0.001) and urea (P < 0.01) nitrogen (N) excretion in urine and lower daily retention of N (P < 0.001) than the pigs on the diets composed of SBM. The liquid lysine product supplementation of the diets decreased the total and urea N excretion in urine (P < 0.001) and improved the daily N retention (P < 0.001). With lysine supplementation, the protein utilisation of the diets composed of DS was improved to the level of the diets composed of SBM. No differences were observed in the utilisation of energy among the diets composed of different protein sources.It is concluded that DS is highly digestible, but its protein is efficiently utilised only with lysine supplementation.     

Endogenous N‐losses in broilers estimated by a [15N]‐isotope dilution technique: Effect of dietary fat type and xylanase addition

Male broilers were given a low protein diet (15.5% CP) spiked with [¹⁵N]H₄HCO₃ from day 12 to day 18 of age to label the endogenous N‐constituents. Experimental diets were subsequently fed from day 19 to day 24 of age and consisted of a rye based diet (56% dietary inclusion) which contained either 10% soya oil (S) or 10% beef tallow (T), each of which was either unsupplemented (‐) or supplemented (+) with a xylanase containing enzyme preparation (2700 IU/kg at pH 5.3). [¹⁵N]‐atom percent excess (APE) of excreta, faeces and urine were monitored on a daily basis during both experimental periods. Furthermore, APE was measured in various tissues at the end of the experiment. The APE of urine on the last day of the experiment was between the APE of the pancreas and that of the jejunal tissue, an observation which supported the usefulness of using urinary APE as an indicator for the endogenous N‐pool. Endogenous N‐proportions were estimated by an isotope dilution technique at the end of the experiment by examination of the ratio of APE in faeces and urine. The endogenous N‐proportion in the faeces was greatest in birds receiving the T(‐) diet. The proportions were 0.321, 0.319, 0.451 and 0.289 in S(‐), S(+), T(‐) and T(+) fed groups, respectively. Xylanase addition reduced endogenous N‐proportion, a factor which was used to correct apparent crude protein digestibility (85.6, 86.2, 84.3 and 88.5% in S(‐), S(+), T(‐) and T(+) fed birds, respectively) for endogenous losses resulting in almost equal true digestibilities of crude protein for all treatments (90.3, 90.6, 90.4 and 91.5%). The amounts of endogenous N in faces were estimated to be 87, 69, 244 and 81 mg per day per kg^0.67 body weight in S(‐), S( + ), T(‐) and T( + ) fed birds, respectively.

It was concluded that xylanase supplementation of a rye based broiler diet does not change endogenous N‐secretions when the supplemental fat is soya oil. However, addition of tallow rather than soya oil increased these N‐losses significantly, an effect which was reversed by xylanase addition.     

Effect of avilamycin and tylosin on the metabolizable energy in growing and finishing pigs

In two metabolism trials with growing and finishing pigs the influence of the antibiotic feed additives Avilamycin and Tylosin on the metabolizable energy was investigated at different levels of dietary protein content. In the first experiment (growing pigs) the antibiotics were supplied at levels of 0 mg/kg, 40 mg/kg Avilamycin and 40 mg/kg Tylosin to diets containing 18.5%, 17.5%, 16.5% and 14.0% of crude protein. In the second experiment (finishing pigs) 0 mg/kg antibiotics, 20 mg/kg Avilamycin and 20 mg/kg Tylosin were used in diets containing 16.5% and 14.0% of crude protein. The body weight of the animals averaged 46 kg (growing pigs) and 68 kg (finishing pigs).

In growing pigs the supplementation of Tylosin increased the digestibility of dry matter and energy at 1 percentage unit each, while in finishing pigs no effects were observed. Since the urinary energy excretion was not affected by antibiotics, there was only in Tylosin treated growing pigs a slight rise in dietary contents of metabolizable energy by 1.6%. The reduction of the dietary protein content resulted in increased digestibility of dry matter and energy, reduced urinary energy excretions and increased dietary contents of metabolizable energy.     

Effect of pig bodyweight on ileal amino acid endogenous losses after ingestion of a protein-free diet enriched in pea inner fibre isolates

The present study was conducted to evaluate whether bodyweight and the micronisation of dietary fibre affect the endogenous nitrogen and amino acid losses (ENL and EAAL) in pigs. The effect of the micronising process was tested by providing pigs with 90 g DM x kg(-1) BW0.75 of a N-free diet supplemented with isolated pea inner fibres, presented in native or micronised form and with a water-holding capacity of 12 and 4 g water g(-1) DM, respectively. ENL and EAAL were measured on pigs weighing 24, 62 and 105 kg. In all cases, daily ENL increased linearly (P < 0.05) with BW, for the majority of the AA and total N. As BW increased, daily ENL, total EAAL and the majority of EAAL increased linearly independently of micronisation (P < 0.05). When expressed per kg DMI, total EAAL and the majority of each EAA decreased curvilinearly and reached nadir at around 100 kg BW. For ENL expressed per kg DMI, micronisation resulted in a curvilinear decrease with increasing BW, as compared to a linear decrease for pigs fed the native pea fibre diet (non-micronised). Micronisation of pea inner fibres did not decrease ENL or EAAL daily, except for proline. When the losses were expressed as g x k(-1)g DMI, micronisation did not decrease ENL but decreased (P < 0.05) endogenous losses for a majority of AA as well as for total AA. The results suggest that small pigs excrete more endogenous N per kg DMI than large pigs and that pea fibre micronisation reduces EAAL but not ENL when expressed per kg DMI.     

Production of enzyme preparations on the basis of Penicillum canescens recombinant strains with a high ability for the hydrolysis of plant materials

An enzyme preparation has been produced on the basis of Penicillium canescens strains with the activity of cellibiohydrolase I, II; endo-1,4-beta-gluconase of Penicillium verruculosum; and beta-glucosidase of Aspergillus niger. It was shown that for the most effective hydrolysis of aspen wood pulp the optimal ratio of cellobiohydrolase and endo- 1,4-3-gluconase in enzyme preparations was 8 : 2 (by protein). It was also established that the homologous xylanase secreted by the Penicillium canescens fungus is a required component for the enzyme complex for hydrolysis of the hemicellulose matrix of aspen wood.     

Apparent protein digestibility and recovery of endogenous nitrogen at the terminal ileum of pigs fed diets containing various soyabean products, peas or rapeseed hulls

Effects of the use of three different soyabean products (soya concentrate and two different soyabean meals), peas or rapeseed hulls in the diet on the apparent ileal digestibility of CP (N × 6.25) and recovery of ileal endogenous nitrogen (N) in weanling pigs were investigated. Ileal endogenous N was measured using the ¹⁵N-isotope dilution method. Thirteen castrated male pigs (BW of 12–23 kg) were fed maize starch-based diets containing either soya concentrate (SC), purified rapeseed hulls (pRH) and SC (SRH diet), soyabean meal (SBM), a mixture of toasted and untoasted soyabean meal (mSBM) or peas. The apparent ileal digestibility (AID) of dry matter (DM) for the SC, SRH, SBM, mSBM and pea diets was 82.1, 74.3, 83.3, 80.0 and 74.9% (P < 0.05), respectively. The AID of CP for these diets was 82.4, 67.6, 81.6, 68.0 and 76.9% (P < 0.05), respectively. Similar differences in the AID for amino acids (AA) in the diets were found. The AID for CP and for the sum of AA in the pRH, as calculated by the difference between the SC and SRH diet, were 26 and 41%, respectively. For the SC, SRH, SBM, mSBM and pea diet, ileal recovery (g/kg of DM intake) for endogenous N were 2.79, 3.46, 2.73, 4.89 and 3.29 (P < 0.05), respectively, and for dietary N 1.16, 4.11, 1.64, 4.15 and 2.53 (P < 0.05), respectively. For the SC, SBM and mSBM diets, differences in AID of CP and AA were associated with differences in both the ileal recovery of endogenous N and the recovery of undigested dietary N. Differences in trypsin inhibitor activity (TIA) of the soya products were likely associated with these observations. It was also concluded that fibre (Neutral Detergent Fibre; NDF) in pea could be at least in part responsible for the relatively low AID of CP and AA and the high recovery of ileal endogenous N in the pea diet. The low AID of CP and AA of pRH was likely related to the association of protein to the fibre matrix in the fibre-rich rapeseed hulls.     

Effects of combined α-galactosidase and xylanase supplementation on nutrient digestibility and growth performance in growing pigs

Two experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of combined supplementation of α-galactosidase and xylanase on nutrient digestibility and growth performance in growing pigs. Experiment 1 had a 2 × 2 Latin square design, where eight barrows (45.0 ± 0.52 kg body weight [BW]) were fitted with a simple T-cannula in the distal ileum and received a basal diet without or with supplementation of α-galactosidase (12 U/kg diet) and xylanase (15 AXC/kg diet) within two periods of 10 d. The apparent ileal digestibility (AID) and apparent total tract digestibility of nutrients, pH, viscosity of digesta and digestive enzyme activities were assessed. In Experiment 2, a total of 432 growing pigs (initial BW 44.7 ± 0.66 kg) were allocated to four treatments. Diets were based on corn and soybean meal and had a normal or reduced nutrient level (reduced by 0.42 kJ digestible energy [DE] per kg and 0.8% crude protein). Both diets were offered without or with supplementation of α-galactosidase and xylanase. The growth performance was assessed within a 43-d feeding period, where at the end, biochemical serum indices were estimated. In Experiment 1, the enzyme-supplemented diet had a greater contents of DE and DE/gross energy ratio (p < 0.05), and a higher AID of Arg, raffinose, stachyose and arabinoxylan (p < 0.05). In Experiment 2, the low nutrient level caused lower daily gain (p < 0.05), which was partially compensated by enzyme addition. Enzyme addition also increased the serum concentration of Lys (p < 0.05). Moreover, it appears that the tested enzyme supplementation could increase dietary DE, serum total amino acid concentrations and decrease serum urea nitrogen.     

Determination of energy and amino acid digestibility in growing pigs fed corn distillers' dried grains with solubles containing different lipid levels

Two experiments were conducted to estimate the digestibility of energy, nitrogen and amino acids (AA) in growing pigs fed diets containing one of five corn distillers' dried grains with solubles (DDGS), including three normal oil DDGS (NO-DDGS) and two low oil DDGS (LO-DDGS) samples. Exp. 1 was conducted to determine the digestible energy (DE) and metabolisable energy (ME) content. Six growing barrows (initial body weight [BW]: 35.1 +/- 2.2 kg) were allotted to a 6 x 6 Latin square design, with six periods and six diets. One diet was a corn soybean meal basal diet and the other five diets were based on corn, soybean meal and 28.8% DDGS. The average DE and ME values for the three NO-DDGS samples were 16.0 and 14.9 MJ/kg dry matter (DM). These values were 9 and 13% greater than the LO-DDGS values of 14.7 and 13.2 MJ/kg DM respectively. Exp. 2 was conducted to determine and compare apparent (AID) and standardised (SID) ileal digestibility for crude protein and AA in the five DDGS samples. Six growing barrows (initial BW, 32.2 +/- 1.9 kg) fitted with a simple T-cannula were allotted to a 6 x 6 Latin square design with six periods and six diets. Five of the diets were based on the five DDGS samples, and the remaining one diet was nitrogen-free diet based on cornstarch and sucrose. Titanium dioxide (0.1%) was used as inert marker. The results of the experiment showed the largest variation among the different samples in AID and SID for lysine (from 41.8 to 65.8% and 53.8 to 73.9% respectively) and threonine (from 54.3 to 73.8% and 65.2 to 79.5% respectively). Also, among the indispensable AA, the SID values for arginine, histidine, threonine and tryptophan observed in LO-DDGS were not different from the values derived from NO-DDGS. In conclusion, LO-DDGS may have decreased energy compared with NO-DDGS because of its lower fat content. However, oil removal during the production of DDGS may not affect amino acid digestibility.     

Impact of wheat grinding and pelleting in a wheat–rapeseed meal diet on amino acid ileal digestibility and endogenous losses in pigs

The purpose of the current experiment was to investigate the impacts of grinding and pelleting procedures applied to wheat in a wheat–rapeseed meal diet on the coefficients of standardized ileal digestibility, i.e., apparent digestibility corrected for basal endogenous losses (CSID), and true ileal digestibility, i.e., apparent digestibility corrected for total endogenous losses (CTID), of nitrogen (N) and amino acids (AA) in pigs. Ileal digestibility was measured by collecting digesta from pigs fitted with ileorectal anastomoses. Four diets, involving four technological treatments applied to wheat, were compared in vivo according to a 4 × 4 Latin square design (four pigs each fed four diets during four successive periods of 1 week). The technological treatments of wheat were two grinding procedures and two pelleting processes. Wheat was ground to obtain mean flour particle sizes of 1000 and 500 μm, leading after mixing with rapeseed meal and minerals-vitamins premix to the first and second diets named “coarse” and “fine”, respectively. Part of the 500 μm wheat flour was pelleted through dies of same screen diameter (4 mm) but different thicknesses, 16 and 20 mm, inducing a low and high compression ratio, leading after mixing with rapeseed meal and premix to the third and fourth diets named “LCR” and “HCR”, respectively. Basal endogenous losses were determined by feeding a protein-free diet during the 5th week of the experiment. Total endogenous losses were measured by way of the isotopic dilution method using ¹⁵N-labeled wheat and rapeseed meal. Decreasing wheat particle size from 1000 to 500 μm improved (P<0.05) the coefficient of ileal digestibility of dietary energy (0.707 versus 0.665), organic matter (0.718 versus 0.677) and dry matter (0.681 versus 0.645), but neither AA CSID nor N retention. The pelleting processes did not further increase (P>0.10) energy or organic matter digestibility but improved (P<0.05) N and AA CSID (0.785 versus 0.759 for N and 0.725 versus 0.679 for lysine, with HCR versus fine diet, respectively). Pelleting wheat flour at higher compression ratio (HCR versus LCR diet) was more efficient to improve dietary N and AA digestibility values due to a significant decrease in ileal specific, i.e., total minus basal, N and AA endogenous losses (P<0.05) associated with an increase in CTID. It is concluded that pelleting wheat fine flour at high compression ratio allows maximizing AA digestibility and availability of a wheat–rapeseed meal diet.     

Effects of keratinase supplementation of corn-soybean meal based diets on apparent ileal amino acid digestibility in growing pigs and serum amino acids, cytokines, immunoglobulin levels and loin muscle area in nursery pigs

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate effects of keratinase for growing and nursery pigs. In Exp. 1, six pigs (32.3 +/- 2.8 kg body weight), fitted with a simple T-cannula at the distal ileum, were assigned to one of two 3 x 3 Latin squares involving three periods and three diets including a basal diet and the same diets supplemented with 0, 0.05 or 0.1% keratinase. Dietary keratinase supplementation increased the apparent ileal digestibility of crude protein (CP), arginine, histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, alanine, glutamic acid and proline (p < 0.05). Digestibility coefficients did not differ between pigs fed 0.05 and 0.1% keratinase. In Exp. 2, 24 piglets weaned at 30 +/- 2 d of age were used in a 2 x 2 factorial design experiment with two CP concentrations (19 vs. 22%) and two levels of keratinase supplementation (0 vs. 0.05%). Keratinase supplementation increased (p < 0.05) average daily gain, serum arginine concentration and loin muscle area but decreased (p < 0.05) serum interleukin-10 concentrations. The reduction in dietary CP level decreased (p < 0.05) serum urea nitrogen concentrations, isoleucine, serine and proline concentrations, but increased serum arginine concentrations. Few interactions between keratinase supplementation and dietary CP concentration were observed. This study indicated that dietary keratinase supplementation improved apparent ileal amino acid digestibility for growing pigs and had a positive effect on weight gain, immune response and loin muscle area for nursery pigs.     

The effect of high and low dietary crude protein and inulin supplementation on nutrient digestibility, nitrogen excretion, intestinal microflora and manure ammonia emissions from finisher pigs

A 2 × 2 factorial experiment was performed to investigate the interaction between a high- and low-crude-protein (CP) diet (200 v. 140 g/kg) and inulin supplementation (0 v. 12.5 g/kg) on nutrient digestibility, nitrogen (N) excretion, intestinal microflora, volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentration and manure ammonia emissions from 24 boars (n = 6, 74.0 kg live weight). The diets were formulated to contain similar concentrations of digestible energy and lysine. Pigs offered the high-CP diets had a higher excretion of urinary N (P < 0.001), faecal N (P < 0.01) and total N (P < 0.001) than the pigs offered the low-CP diets. Inulin supplementation increased faecal N excretion (P < 0.05) and decreased the urine N : faeces N ratio (P < 0.05) compared with the inulin-free diets. There was no effect (P > 0.05) of dietary treatment on N retention. There was an interaction (P < 0.05) between dietary CP concentration and inulin supplementation on caecal Enterobacteria spp. Pigs offered the diet containing 200 g/kg of CP plus inulin decreased the population of Enterobacteria spp. compared to those with the inulin-supplemented 140 g/kg CP diet. However, CP level had no significant effect on the population of Enterobacteria spp. in the unsupplemented diets. Inulin supplementation increased caecal Bifidobacteria (P < 0.01) compared with the inulin-free diets. There was no effect of inulin supplementation on VFA concentration or intestinal pH (P > 0.05). Pigs offered the 200 g/kg CP diets had higher (P < 0.05) manure ammonia emissions from 0 to 240 h of storage than pigs offered the 140 g/kg CP. In conclusion, inulin supplementation resulted in an increase in Bifidobacteria concentration and a reduction in Enterobacteria spp. at the high CP level indicating that inulin has the ability to beneficially manipulate gut microflora in a proteolytic environment.