Effects of chromium supplementation on growth, nutrient digestibility and meat quality of growing pigs

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of chromium picolinate (CrPic) on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and protein and lipid quality of five anatomical parts in growing pigs. The 30-day study was conducted on eight castrated Topigs growing male pigs, with an initial bodyweight of 17.16 ± 0.62 kg. The pigs were assigned to two groups (C, E), housed in individual metabolic cages, and fed on conventional diets with 17.80% crude protein (CP) and 3078 kcal/kg metabolizable energy (ME). The diet of E was supplemented with 200 ppm CrPic. Samples of ingesta and faeces were collected in three balance periods of five days each. At the end of the experiment, blood samples were collected, all pigs were slaughtered, and meat (tenderloin, loin, ham, shoulder, and belly) samples were collected. No significant differences of productive or plasma parameters were noticed. The results of the balance study showed that CrPic did not influence the digestibility of nitrogen, but the digestibility of fat was significantly decreased for group E. The nutritional quality of the collected samples was evaluated for proximate analysis. The tenderloin and ham samples had increased protein concentrations compared with C group. For belly and ham, the fat concentrations decreased significantly. As a result of this observation, amino acids and fatty acid profiles were analysed and a significant improvement were determined for E regarding essential amino acids. The conclusion of the study was that CrPic had positive effects on protein and fat metabolism and the meat had functional food attributes.Keywords: Amino acids, biochemical profile, chromium picolinate, digestibility, fatty acids, por

Effects of dietary flaxseed oil on the muscle fatty acid composition in Mangalitsa pigs in an extensive rearing system

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of dietary flaxseed oil on the fatty acid (FA) composition of two types of muscles, longissimus dorsi (LD) and semitendinosus (ST), of Mangalitsa pigs reared in an extensive system. Fourteen Mangalitsa castrated pigs, 55 ± 8 kg, 240 ± 12 days of age, were randomly assigned for a 35-d experimental period to two isoenergetic and isonitrogenous diets, namely a control (C) diet, and an experimental (E) diet with the additional inclusion of 30 g flaxseed oil/kg. The fatty acid profiles of the flaxseed oil diet, flaxseed oil and the LD and ST muscles were determined by gas chromatography. The α-linolenic (ALA) fatty acid content of the flaxseed oil amounted to 41.88% of the total fatty acid methyl ester (FAME), resulting in an increased deposition of ALA in the LD muscle (2.07 times) and in the ST muscle (2.22 times) when compared with the control group. This effect is associated with the presence of eicosapentaenoic (EPA), docosapentaenoic (DPA) and docosahexaenoic (DHA) fatty acids, which are beneficial to the health of human beings. Additionally, the n-6 : n-3 ratio of the polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in the LD muscle (4.60 : 1 in the flaxseed diet, compared with 10.16 : 1 in the control diet) are very close to the n-6 : n-3 requirements (<5 : 1) of human. The results of this study indicated that flaxseed oil was a suitable nutritional solution to improving the fatty acid profile of specific muscles of indigenous Mangalitsa pigs.Keywords: n-3 fatty acids, open house rearing, plant oil, pork qualit

Changes in Certain Serum and Faeces Parameters in Weaned Piglets as a Response to Nutritional Stress

Weaning is associated with several stress factors and their effects on the piglet’s body are fairly well known. Thus, changes were estimated in certain serum and faecal parameters after weaning owing to dietary protein level, though essential amino acid (AA) levels were maintained or reduced. Eighteen Topigs piglets were assigned randomly to three homogenous groups. The dietary protein level was reduced by 10% in diets 1 and 2 compared with diet C. Diet 1 had similar levels of essential AA to diet C, while the levels of essential AA in diet 2 were reduced by 10%. Blood samples were collected by jugular venipuncture in the farrowing unit on four occasions: before and after separation from the sow; the day after transfer to the nursery; and seven days after weaning. Faecal excreta were collected daily. No major health problems arose, and total pathogen germs were not different among treatments. Cortisol concentration reached similar values to those from the farrowing unit seven days after weaning. Whatever the diet, vitamin E in plasma decreased significantly in the first seven days post weaning. The reduction of dietary protein, as well as essential AAs, adversely affected the concentration of Cu (by 17.3%) in plasma. Selenium concentration in plasma increased slightly, irrespective of diet. The authors conclude that providing dietary protein at a particular level (diet 1), while maintaining AAs at normal level, limits faecal nitrogenous content without significantly modifying stress indicators (except vitamin E) or faecal composition.Keywords: Germs, Piglets, Protein, Stress Indicators, Weanin