Nutritional value of Spanish Camelina sativa co-products for pigs

This study evaluated and compared the digestible energy (DE) and metabolizable energy (ME) and the coefficient of ileal standardized digestibility (CISD) of crude protein (CP) and amino acids (AA) in camelina expellers (CAE) and camelina meal (CAM) for growing pigs. In Exp. 1, thirty-six barrows Pietrain × (Landrace × Large White) of 61.8 ± 2.83 kg body weight were allotted to 6 diets, a basal corn-soybean meal diet and 5 diets in which a proportion of the corn and soybean meal in the basal diet was replaced by CAE (100, 200 or 300 g/kg) or CAM (100 or 200 g/kg). The experiment lasted 15 days and during the last 5 days the total amount of feces and urine were collected to calculate the energy metabolizability of diets. The CTTAD of energy and DE and ME concentration in CAE and CAM were calculated by the difference procedure as well as by the regression method. In Exp. 2, thirty-three barrows Pietrain × (Landrace × Large White) of 82.0 ± 2.57 kg body weight were allotted to three treatments, two cornstarch-based diets containing 350 g/kg CAE or 300 g/kg CAM as the sole source of CP and AA and a N-free diet. After 7 days of feeding, animals were euthanized and ileal digesta were sampled. The CISD of AA on CAE and CAM was determined using the direct method. Camelina meal had a greater concentration of CP and AA and a lower ether extract than CAE. The most abundant indispensable AA were arginine, leucine, valine, and lysine in both ingredients (26.3, 21.9, 19.1 and 16.2 g/kg dry matter (DM) in average, respectively). Camelina expellers contained 8.0 g/kg DM more soluble and 4.6 g/kg DM less insoluble fiber than CAM. The CTTAD of energy was 0.682 and 0.665 in CAE and CAM, respectively, when calculated using the difference method, and 0.665 and 0.655 in CAE and CAM, respectively, when estimated via the regression method. The DE and ME were on average greater (P < 0.05) for CAE compared with CAM both, using the difference or the regression method (DE, in average:14.3 MJ/kg DM and 13.1 MJ/kg DM, respectively and ME, in average: 14.1 MJ/kg DM and 12.9 MJ/kg DM, respectively). Between methods, no statistical differences were detected. The CISD of CP was greater (P < 0.05) in CAM compared with CAE (0.579 in CAE and 0.670 in CAM). The most digestible essential AA in both ingredients were methionine, arginine and histidine, with average digestibilities of 0.77, 0.75 and 0.83, respectively. The CISD of leucine and cysteine was greater in CAM compared with CAE (P < 0.05). In conclusion, CAE had greater energy value than CAM, whereas the digestibility of leucine and cysteine was less in CAE than in CAM, probably due to the greater concentration of soluble dietary fiber in CAE

Performance and Nutrient Utilization Responses in Broilers Fed Phytase Supplemented Mash or Pelleted Corn-Soybean Meal-Based Diets

Effect of phytase produced by thermo-protective coating technology (coated phytase) on performance and nutrient utilization of broiler chicks fed a corn-soybean meal-based pelleted diet was investigated. A total of 144-one-day-old male broiler (Ross) chicks were divided in 24 groups and fed 4 diets (6 groups per diet) for 21 days. The diets included a mash or pelleted basal diet without or with the coated phytase at 500FTU/kg in a 2&times;2 factorial arrangement. Calcium and non-phytate P values in the basal diet were 22 and 51% lower compared with NRC (1994) recommended values, respectively. All the diets contained titanium oxide as an indigestible marker. There was no interaction (P&gt;0.05) between diet form and phytase on any of response criteria measured in this study except body weight gain and feed intake such that phytase supplementation improved (P&lt;0.05) these 2 response criteria, but improvements were greater for pelleted diet than mash diet. Phytase supplementation increased (P&lt;0.05) tibia ash and ileal P digestibility, by 10.5 and 38.1%, respectively. Phytase supplementation did not, however, affect (P&gt;0.05) the ileal digestibilities of Ca, crude protein and amino acids. In conclusion, coated phytase supplementation to corn-soybean meal-based diet for broilers resulted in improved growth performance, bone mineralization and P digestibility regardless of diet type (mash versus pellet). These findings suggest that the efficacy of the coated phytase used in the current study was not influenced by the pelleting process

Determination of the Optimal Level of Dietary Zinc for Newly Weaned Pigs: A Dose-Response Study

One hundred and eighty individually housed piglets with an initial body weight of 7.63 &plusmn; 0.98 kg (at 28 days of age) were fed a diet containing either 153, 493, 1022, 1601, 2052 or 2407 mg zinc/kg (added Zn as zinc oxide; ZnO) from day 0&ndash;21 post weaning to determine the optimal level of Zn for weaned piglets. Body weight, feed intake and faecal scores were recorded, and blood and faecal samples were collected. Dietary Zn content quadratically affected both feed intake and gain in the first two weeks, with an approximately 1400 mg Zn/kg diet and a Zn intake of 400 mg/day as the optimal levels. The relative risk of diarrhoea increased up to 60% at day 7 and 14 if serum Zn status dropped below the weaning level (767 &micro;g/L), and maintain the weaning serum Zn status required approximately 1100 mg Zn/kg (166 mg Zn/day) during week 1. Blood markers of intestinal integrity (D-lactate and diamine oxidase) were unaffected by dietary Zn, and dietary Zn levels of 1022 and 1601 mg/kg did not affect the faecal numbers of total bacteria, Lactobacilli and E. Coli bacteria compared to 153 mg Zn/kg. These results indicate that the requirement for Zn in newly weaned piglets may be substantially higher than currently assumed