Iberian pig adaptation to acorn consumption: II. Net portal appearance of amino acids

In Iberian pig outdoor production, pigs are fed equilibrated diets until the final fattening period when grazing pigs consume mainly acorns from oak trees. Acorns are rich in energy but poor in crude protein where lysine is the first limiting amino acid (AA). Net portal appearance (NPA) is very useful to ascertain AA available for liver and peripheral tissues. The aim of this study was to determine NPA of AA in Iberian gilts fed with acorns and to ascertain if there was an effect of acorn feeding over time. Two sampling periods were carried out (after one day and after one week of acorn feeding) with six gilts (34 kg average BW) set up with three catheters: in carotid artery and portal vein for blood sampling, and ileal vein for a marker infusion to measure portal plasma flow (PPF). Pigs were fed at 2.5 × ME for maintenance a standard diet in two meals, at 09:00 (0.25) and 15:00 h (the remaining 0.75). The day previous to first sampling, pig diet was replaced by 2.4 kg of acorn. A serial blood collection was done at −5 min, 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4, 5 and 6 h after feeding 0.25 of total daily acorn ration. Following identical protocol, one week later the second sampling was done. NPA of sum of essential AA (EAA) was poor. Although increased NPA of histidine (P < 0.001), leucine, phenylalanine and valine (0.05 < P < 0.08) was found after one week of acorn consumption, the sum of EAA did not change. Furthermore, fractional absorption (NPA/AA intake) of EAA, non-essential AA (NEAA) and total AA was 97, 44 and 49% lower, respectively, at the beginning of eating acorn than a week later. Supplementation, with some of the EAA and NEAA to Iberian pigs during the grazing period would be beneficial to overcome the increased portal-drained viscera (PDV) utilization of AA observed in the present study

Betaine increases net portal absorption of volatile fatty acids in Iberian pigs

[EN] Betaine is an osmolyte with the potential to increase volatile fatty acids (VFAs) production and hence improve intestinal health.The present study investigated how betaine affects portal and arterial concentrations and net portal absorption (NPA) of VFA in growing Iberian pigs. Eight 30 kg BW Iberian growing barrows with indwelling catheters in portal vein, ileal vein and carotid artery were randomly assigned to a control diet or a diet supplemented with 0.5% betaine. Para-aminohippuric acid was infused into the ileal vein as a marker to determine portal blood flow using the dilution method. Blood samples were simultaneously taken from the carotid artery and portal vein at −60, 60, 120, 180, 240, 300 and 360 min after feeding 1 200 g of the diet. The NPA of VFA (acetate, propionate, butyrate, valerate, isobutyrate and caproate) was determined by multiplying the porto-arterial plasma concentration differences by portal plasma flow. Betaine increased NPA of acetate (1.44 fold; P < 0.001) and total VFA (0.55 fold; P < 0.001) while decreased NPA of propionate (−0.38 fold; P < 0.05) and valerate (−1.46 fold; P < 0.05) compared with control pigs. Estimated heat production potentially derived from NPA of VFA accounted for 0.20–0.27 of metabolizable energy for maintenance. Acetate and propionate accounted for most of the total VFA estimated heat production (0.83–0.89). Regarding bacterial communities, betaine apparently did not change the DNA abundance of fecal total bacteria, Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Enterobacteriaceae, Bacteroides and the Clostridium clusters I, IV and XIV. In conclusion, betaine increased portal appearance and NPA of VFA, contributing to cover maintenance energy requirementsSIThis research was supported by grant AGL2016-80231-R from Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad, Spain. M. Gómez-García was supported by grant LE131-18 from Junta de Castilla y León co-financed by the European Social Fun

The Effect of Supplementation with Betaine and Zinc on In Vitro Large Intestinal Fermentation in Iberian Pigs under Heat Stress

[EN] We investigated the effects of betaine and zinc on the in vitro fermentation of pigs under heat stress (HS). Twenty-four Iberian pigs (43.4 ± 1.2 kg) under HS (30 °C) were assigned to treatments for 4 weeks: control (unsupplemented), betaine (5 g/kg), and zinc (0.120 g/kg) supplemented diet. Rectal content was used as the inoculum in 24-hincubations with pure substrates (starch, pectin, inulin, cellulose). Total gas, short-chain fatty acid (SCFA), and methane production and ammonia concentration were measured. The abundance of total bacteria and several bacterial groups was assessed. Betaine increased the acetate production with pectin and inulin, butyrate production with starch and inulin, and ammonia concentration, and decreased propionate production with pectin and inulin. The abundance of Bifidobacterium and two groups of Clostridium decreased with betaine supplementation. Zinc decreased the production of SCFA and gas with starch and inulin, associated with diminished bacterial activity. Propionate production decreased with starch, pectin, and inulin while butyrate production increased with inulin, and isoacid production increased with cellulose and inulin in pigs supplemented with zinc. The ammonia concentration increased for all substrates. The Clostridium cluster XIV abundance decreased in pigs fed zinc supplemented diets. The results reported were dependent on the substrate fermented, but the augmented butyrate production with both betaine and zinc could be of benefit for the hostSIThis research was funded by Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad. grant AGL 2016-80231. Zaira Pardo received a scholarship FPI from Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad, reference BES-2017-081448

Growth Potential of Immune- and Surgically Castrated Iberian Pigs Fed Diets of Different Protein Concentratio

Immunocastration is effective to prevent sexual development and boar taint in pigs of conventional genotypes. Other studies pointed out that immunocastrated (IC) pigs show better performance than surgically castrated (SC) pigs. Apart from animal welfare aspects, this fact could be of relevance for Iberian and other fatty pig types with low lean deposition capacity. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of immunocastration on Iberian pig performance and some carcass traits under different dietary protein concentrations. Fifty-four pure Iberian pigs were used (3 sexes: IC males, IC females, SC males; 3 isoenergetic diets: 160, 140 and 120 g CP/kg DM, 6 pigs/treatment combination). Vaccination against gonadotropin releasing factor was at 4.3 (40 kg) and 6 months of age (70-80 kg). Pigs were individually housed consuming the experimental diets from 40 to 105 kg-BW. The results indicate greater growth rate and feed conversion efficiency for IC males compared to SC males and IC females, and no relevant differences in growth related to dietary protein. Further results will help to elucidate possible effects of immunocastration on lean tissue accretion in Iberian pigs

Editorial: 7th ISEP: Present and future challenges in energy and protein metabolism and their implication in animal nutrition

This research received no specific grant from any funding agency, commercial or not-for-profit section

Betaine improves growth, but does not induce whole body or hepatic palmitate oxidation in swine (\u3ci\u3eSus scrofa domestica\u3c/i\u3e)

Dietary betaine may reduce carcass fat in growing pigs. We explored the effects of betaine on short-term growth and in vivo and in vitro fatty acid oxidation. Pigs were housed in metabolism crates and fed diets containing either 0% (control), 0.125% or 0.5% betaine at 80% of ad libitum energy intake. Fatty acid oxidation was measured during intravenous infusions of 1-13C-palmitate and in hepatocytes incubated in the presence or absence of betaine and carnitine. CO2 and palmitate isotopic enrichments were determined by mass spectrometry. Pigs consuming 0.125% and 0.5% betaine for at least 9 days had growth rates that were 38% and 12% greater than controls, respectively. Feed efficiency was also improved with betaine. Fasting increased palmitate oxidation rates 7–8-fold (P\u3c0.01), but betaine had no effect in either the fed or fasted state (P\u3e0.1). For hepatocytes, carnitine but not betaine enhanced palmitate oxidation. This response suggests that previously observed reduction in adipose accretion must be via a mechanism other than oxidation. Betaine had no effect on plasma non-esterified fatty acids or urea nitrogen. Under the confinement conditions in this study, dietary betaine improved animal growth responses, but it had no apparent effect on either whole body or hepatic fatty acid oxidation

Aditivo alimentario para mejorar la composición corporal de los animales disminuyendo su contenido graso y aumentando el contenido protéico

Fecha de solicitud: 03/07/2009.- Titular: Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)Aditivo alimentario para mejorar la composición corporal de los animales disminuyendo su contenido graso y aumentando el contenido proteico. La presente invención se refiere a un aditivo alimentario que contiene una mezcla de betaína y ácido linoleico conjugado (CLA) en el que la concentración de betaína y CLA se encuentran respectivamente en el rango de 0.025 a 0.5 y de 0.25 a 5.5% (porcentajes expresados en peso) siendo la concentración de betaína preferentemente del 0.5% y la del ácido linoleico conjugado de 1.0%.Peer reviewe

Heat Stress Increases In Vitro Hindgut Fermentation of Distinct Substrates in Iberian Pigs

13 páginas, 4 tablas.Heat stress reduces the feed intake and growth of pigs. We hypothesized that heat stress affects the intestinal fermentation capacity of pigs. Sixteen Iberian pigs (44 ± 1.0 kg) were randomly assigned to one of two treatments (eight pigs/treatment) for 4 weeks—heat stress (HS; 30 °C) ad libitum or thermoneutral (TN; 20 °C) pair feeding. Frozen rectum contents were used as inocula for 24 h in vitro incubations in which a mixture of starches, citrus pectin, inulin from chicory, and cellulose were the substrates. Cellulose was poorly degraded, whereas pectin and the mixture of starches were the most fermentable substrates according to total short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production. The mixture of starches and inulin produced the greatest amount of gas. For all substrates, heat stress enhanced gas production (8%, p = 0.001), total SCFA production (16%, p = 0.001), and the production of acetate and propionate (12% and 42%, respectively; p = 0.001). The increased isoacid production (33%, p = 0.001) and ammonia concentration (12%, p = 0.001) may indicate protein fermentation under heat stress. In conclusion, the in vitro intestinal fermentation capacity of pigs under heat stress was increased compared to thermoneutral conditions, which may indicate an adaptive response to heat stress.This research was funded by Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad, grant AGL 2016-80231. Zaira Pardo received a scholarship FPI from Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad, reference BES-2017-081486.This work is part of the PhD Thesis project of Zaira Pardo within the Official Doctorate Program “Nutrition and Food Sciences”, University of Granada, Spain. We acknowledge support of the publication fee by the CSIC Open Access Publication Support Initiative through its Unit of Information Resources for Research (URICI)

Conjugated linoleic acid and betaine affect lipolysis in pig adipose tissue explants

Consumers' demand of leaner meat products is a challenge. Although betaine and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) have the potential to decrease porcine adipose tissue, their mode of action is poorly understood. The aim of the study was to determine the lipolytic effect of betaine and CLA in the adipose tissue of Iberian pigs. Adipose tissue explants from five pigs (38 kg BW) were prepared from dorsal subcutaneous adipose tissue samples and cultivated for 2 h (acute experiments) or 72 h (chronic experiments). Treatments included 100 μM linoleic acid (control), 100 μM trans-10, cis-12 CLA, 100 μM linoleic acid + 1 mM betaine and 100 μM trans-10, cis-12 CLA + 1 mM betaine (CLABET). To examine the ability of betaine or CLA to inhibit insulin's suppression of isoproterenol-stimulated lipolysis, test medium was amended with 1 μM isoproterenol ±10 nM insulin. Media glycerol was measured at the end of the incubations. Acute lipolysis (2 h) was increased by CLA and CLABET (85% to 121%; P 0.10). When lipolysis was stimulated by isoproterenol (125% increase in rate compared with basal), CLA and CLABET decreased glycerol release (27%; P 0.10). CLA decreased leptin release (25%; P < 0.001) when insulin was present in the media, partially inhibiting insulin stimulation of leptin release. In conclusion, betaine and CLA produced a biphasic response regarding lipolysis so that glycerol release was increased in acute conditions, while CLA decreased glycerol release and betaine had no effect in chronic conditions. Furthermore, CLA and CLABET indirectly increased lipolysis by reducing insulin-mediated inhibition of lipolysis during acute conditions.This research was supported by grants no. AGL 2009-08916 from Ministerio de Educacion y Ciencia and AGL 2016-80231 from Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad, Spain.Peer Reviewe

Iberian pig adaptation to acorn consumption: I. Net portal appearance of metabolites

International audienceMost valuable cured products from Iberian pigs come from pure bred animals raised for a final grazing-fattening period where pigs eat mainly acorns, a low protein energy rich fruit. This is a nutritional challenge for animals fed equilibrated diets from weaning. The aim of the study was to determine net portal appearance (NPA) of metabolites in gilts fed acorns and evaluate adaptational changes after one week of feeding. Two sampling periods were carried out (after one day and after one week of acorn feeding) with six gilts (34 kg average BW) set up with three catheters: in carotid artery and portal vein for blood sampling, and ileal vein for para-aminohippuric acid (PAH) infusion to measure portal plasma flow (PPF). Pigs were fed at 2.5 × ME for maintenance a standard diet in two portions, at 09:00 (0.25) and 15:00 h (the remaining 0.75). On the day prior to the first sampling period, pigs were fed 2.4 kg of oak acorns. After feeding 0.25 of ration a 6 h serial blood collection was initiated. Following an identical protocol, a second sampling session was performed 1 week later. Adaptation to acorn consumption decreased NPA of ammonia (47%, P 0.05). NPA of glucose was not influenced by sampling period (P > 0.05), but NPA of lactate was greatly increased (231%, P < 0.001). There was a negative NPA of albumin although adaptation to acorn feeding did not alter it. Although NPA of triglycerides and cholesterol were unchanged, a subtle increase in arterial and portal cholesterol was noticed (9.6%, P < 0.01). Pigs fed a protein deficient diet for one week adapted decreasing NPA of ammonia for saving metabolic energy as less ammonia would become available for conversion to urea