Performance and fat quality of heavy pigs fed maize differing in linoleic acid content.

Maize shows wide differences in linoleic acid due both to total lipid content and to fatty acid profile. Therefore, diets containing the same high maize percentage (up to 55%) can differ in linoleic acid content and lead to subcutaneous fats of differing suitability for raw ham curing. Two trials were performed on heavy pigs; in the first, 60 pigs (body weight 48.7+/-5.1 kg) were fed three diets made using three maize batches differing in linoleic acid due to different total lipid content, in the second trial, 40 pigs (live weight 70.4+/-3.4 kg) were fed two diets made using two maize batches differing in linoleic acid due to their fatty acid profile. Pigs were slaughtered at 170 kg of live weight. In both trials, the growth and slaughtering performance did not differ. In the first trial the three diets lead to a different content of linoleic acid both in subcutaneous (low linoleic vs medium linoleic vs high linoleic P0.01) and intramuscular fat (low linoleic vs high linoleic P0.05). In the second trial different linoleic acid content was observed for subcutaneous fat (P0.01) but not for intramuscular fat. To formulate diets for heavy pigs, it is crucial to know the linoleic acid content of the maize used, because differences of only 0.3% can lead to significant differences in fatty acids composition of depot fats.

Use of pure glycerol in fattening heavy pigs.

Eighty Italian Duroc×Italian Large White pigs (BW 42.6±3.37kg) were used to determine the effects of pure glycerol on growth performance and meat quality of heavy pigs. Pigs were divided into five groups receiving 0% (control), 5% or 10% during the growing and finishing phases (42.6-160kg BW) (G+F5,G+F10) or 5% or 10% during the finishing period (100-160kg BW) (FIN5,FIN10) of pure glycerol in substitution for maize meal (on a dry matter basis). The pigs were slaughtered at approximately 160kg BW. The growth performance of pigs fed 5% glycerol did not differ from controls regardless of feeding duration, whereas those fed 10% glycerol showed reduced growth and poorer feed:gain ratio. Fat quality and meat suitability for raw ham curing were not affected by dietary treatment. Differences were not consistent enough to draw any conclusion about the effects of feeding glycerol on sensory characteristics.

Marginal efficiency of free or protected crystalline L-tryptophan for tryptophan and protein accretion in early-weaned pigs.

We conducted an experiment to determine the efficiency of dietary tryptophan (Trp) for protein and Trp accretion in 4-kg (live weight) pigs. Five Trp-deficient diets were fed for 18 d after weaning. The basal diet contained 23.4% protein and .14% Trp. The four other diets were similar to the basal diet but were supplemented with .06 or .12% free or protected crystalline Trp. No differences were found between the two crystalline Trp forms for all variables under study. Equal amounts of all diets were fed by intragastric tube feeding. Daily weight gain (P < .10), gain:feed (P < .05), and daily protein retention (P < .01) increased linearly as dietary Trp increased. Similarly, retention and gross efficiency (retained: intake) of almost all amino acids increased. Tryptophan retention also increased linearly (P < .05), but gross efficiency was maximal (40.1%) with protein-bound Trp from the basal diet, and it decreased linearly as dietary Trp increased. This important reduction was the result of a low marginal efficiency for crystalline (13.6 +/- 3.3%) free or protected Trp.

Lactitol enhances short-chain fatty acid and gas production by swine cecal microflora to a greater extent when fermenting low rather than high fiber diets.

The study was conducted to determine if the response of swine cecal microflora to lactitol (beta-D-galactopyranosyl-(1-->4)-D-sorbitol; 3 mmol/L) varies when fermenting low (LF) or high fiber (HF) predigested diets. The inoculum was collected from four sows fitted with cecal cannulas, pooled, buffered and dispensed in 27 vessels under anaerobic conditions. The LF or HF predigested diets were used as substrate in two separate experiments. In each trial nine vessels were used as controls (C) without feed addition, nine received predigested feed (LF or HF) and the remaining nine vessels received the same amount of feed with the supplementation of lactitol (LF+L or HF+L). Lactitol (L) significantly lowered pH and the acetic to propionic acid ratio in the first 8 h of fermentation in both experiments (P < 0.05). At 4 and 8 h, the addition of lactitol reduced ammonia by 100 and 84% in LF+L and by 56 and 38% in HF+L (P < 0.05). In addition, LF+L and HF+L diets gave higher short-chain fatty acid energy yields by 70 and 40% than LF and HF, respectively (P < 0.05). Two bacterial growth models (logistic and Gompertz) were tested to fit gas production data. The Gompertz equation provided a better fit than the logistic model to gas production data for both LF and HF experiments. Lactitol reduced culture lag time in both experiments by approximately 50%, but it increased gas production rate and maximum gas production by approximately 60% only when the microflora was fermenting the LF predigested diet (P < 0.05). No difference in the duration of the exponential phase due to lactitol was observed in either experiment. Our results indicate that lactitol may be an interesting additive to animal feeding. It controlled harmful fermentation processes and stimulated short-chain fatty acid production to a greater extent in low than in high fiber diets, suggesting an improved fermentation of low fiber feed carbohydrates and eventually an increased availability of short-chain fatty acids for the host.

Effect of Pediococcus pentosaceus FBB61, pediocin A producer strain, in caecal fermentations.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of pediocin A in in vitro caecal fermentations. Pediococcus pentosaceus FBB61, pediocin A producer (bac+) and its isogenic mutant (bac-) Ped. pentosaceus FBB61-2 were added to fermentation vessels. Pediocin A did not alter the normal activity of caecal microflora. Nevertheless, the presence of pediocin A producer strain reduced proteolysis compared to the mutant strain as indicated by ammonia concentrations (P < 0.05), and isobutyric and isovaleric molar proportions (P < 0.05).