The effects of four protein sources (soybean meal, sunflower meal, pea and fish meal as the main protein

source) were investigated on fattening performance, carcass and meat quality traits and body composition of

pigs. Eight animals per treatment received the diets from 30 to 105 kg live weight at a level of 3.0 times

maintenance requirement of energy. Diets were formulated on the basis of ileal digestible protein and amino

acid content of feedstuffs. Protein sources resulted similar fattening performance from 30-105 kg body weight.

From 30 to 60 kg soybean treatment had lowest performance. The protein source treatments did not alter the

body composition, lean meat percentage, liver weight and meat quality (intramuscular fat content, pH 45 min

and 24 hours after slaughter, drip loss, meat lightness and hue measured 24 hours and 4 days after slaughter).

It can be concluded that protein sources can be replaced without affecting overall fattening performance,

carcass and meat quality and body composition if diet formulation is based on the ileal digestible amino acid

contents of feedstuffs. However the lower performance of the soybean treatment in the first phase may

indicate that ileal digestible Lys content of heat treated protein sources may not characterise the feedstuffs

well enough. It may be that young pigs are more sensitive to unavailable lysine by the way

Babinszky, L.

Jansman, A.J.M.

Kanis, E.

Szabo, C.

Verstegen, M.W.A.

Cszaba Szabo

Laszlo Babinszky

A.J.M. Jansman

E. Kanis

M.W.A. Verstegen

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ILEAL DIGESTIBILITY OF AMINO ACIDS IN PIG FEEDS AND ITS USE IN DIET FORMULATIONS

NARCIS 

Ileal digestibility of amino acids in pig feeds and its use in diet formulations

Wageningen Yield 

 1 
ISSN  1330-7142 
UDK = 636.085:636.4 
 
ILEAL DIGESTIBILITY OF AMINO ACIDS IN PIG FEEDS AND ITS USE IN DIET FORMULATIONS 
 
Cs. Szabo (1), A.J.M. Jansman (2), L. Babinszky (3), E. Kanis (4),  M.W.A. Verstegen (5) 
 
Original scientific paper 
  
ABSTRACT 
 
The effects of four protein sources (soybean meal, sunflower meal, pea and fish meal as the main protein 
source)  were investigated on fattening performance, carcass and meat quality traits and body composition of 
pigs. Eight animals per treatment received the diets from 30 to 105 kg live weight at a level of 3.0 times 
maintenance requirement of energy. Diets were formulated on the basis of ileal digestible protein and amino 
acid content of feedstuffs. Protein sources resulted similar fattening performance from 30-105 kg body weight. 
From 30 to 60 kg soybean treatment had lowest performance. The protein source treatments did not alter the 
body composition, lean meat percentage, liver weight and meat quality (intramuscular fat content, pH 45 min 
and 24 hours after slaughter, drip loss, meat lightness and hue measured 24 hours and 4 days after slaughter). 
It can be concluded that protein sources can be replaced without affecting overall fattening performance, 
carcass and meat quality and body composition if diet formulation is based on the ileal digestible amino acid 
contents of feedstuffs. However the lower performance of the soybean treatment in the first phase may 
indicate that ileal digestible Lys content of heat treated protein sources may not characterise the feedstuffs 
well enough. It may be that young pigs are more sensitive to unavailable lysine by the way. 
 
Keywords: protein source, performance, meat quality, pigs 
 
INTRODUCTION 
 
Protein sources are one of the most expensive components of animal diets. Soybean meal is used in highest extent as 
major protein source in pig feeds. Many countries have to import soybean meal, which further increase the price of pig 
diets. For that reason researchers and farmers are interested in alternative sources of protein. Substitution based on 
proportion in the diet or crude protein content fail with regard to fattening performance and final quality of carcasses.  In 
the past the diet formulation was based on the crude protein and total amino acid contents of the ingredients. The 
digestibility of the nutrients was not accounted for. Numerous studies have shown that the faecal digestible amino acid 
content can not characterise well enough the feedstuffs - especially protein sources - for the optimal growth 
performance when components are substituted. This was introduced as the effect of protein sources. The studies 
where diets were based on ileal digestible amino acids showed, that the fattening performance does not change when 
different protein sources are used  (Tanksley and Knabe,1984). However, there is no information in the literature with 
regard to meat quality and body composition. Therefore, the goal of this trial was to study the effect of ileal digestible 
amino acid based substitution of soybean meal with fishmeal, pea and sunflower meal on fattening performance, meat 
quality and body composition. 
 
MATERIAL AND METHODS 
 
Animals, housing and allotment..32 Dutch Landrace pigs (equal number of barrows and gilts) were used in this 
experiment. The  pigs were housed individually in a half slatted floor pen. At the initial live weight (29.2±1.62 kg) each 
pig was allotted to one of the four dietary treatments (eight animals per treatment). 
The experimental diets consisted of the combination of basic components (tapioca, barley, wheat, soybean oil, 
molasses) and one of four different protein sources as the main protein source (soybean meal, sunflower meal, peas 
meal and fish meal). Each diet contained 14.6 MJ DE, 10.4% ileal digestible protein, 0.63 % ileal digestible Lys, 0.75% 
Ca, 0.28% digestible P and 0.16% Na in the first phase and  14.6 MJ DE, 9.3% ileal digestible protein, 0.53 % ileal 
digestible Lys, 0.60% Ca, 0.20% digestible P and 0.16% Na. The amount of the following amino acids were set 
 
(1) Cszaba Szabo, Ph.D. student, (3) Laszlo Babinszky, Full Professor - University of Kaposvár, Faculty of 
Animal Science, Guba S. u. 40., 7400 Kaposvár, Hungary, (2) A.J.M. Jansman, Ph.D. Professor, Leystad, 
Netherlands, (4) E. Kanis, Ph.D., Professor, (5) M.W.A. Verstegen, Ph.D., Professor - Wageningen Institute of 
Agricultural Sciences, Department of Animal Sciences, Wageningen, Netherlands 
 2 
Diets and feeding. to the same ratio relative to ileal digestible Lysine by using crystalline amino acids: M+C = at least 
59%, Threonine = at least 59% , Tryptophan = at least 21%, Valine = at least 80%, Histidine = at least 40%. The 
fattening period was divided into two phases: 30-60 kg (phase 1) and 60-105 kg (phase 2). 
The pigs were fed twice daily at 8.00 a.m. and 3.30 p.m. Feed was supplied at a level of 3.0 times the daily 
maintenance requirement of energy (0.42 MJ ME/ kg0.75). The pigs were weighed weekly and based on these weights 
the amounts of feed for each animal was calculated for the next week. 
Sampling procedure 
The pigs were slaughtered at 105±2 kg. At slaughter the pigs were classified according to the SEUROP classification 
system. The pH and temperature in the musculus longissimus dorsi at the grading site (between the 3rd and 4th rib, 6 
cm off of the midline) were measured 45 minutes and 24 hours after slaughter. 24 hours after slaughter muscle 
samples were taken from the musculus longissimus dorsi (25 cm cranial from the last rib, a 10 cm long piece) to 
determine  water-loss, intramuscular fat content and meat colour (24 hours and 4 days after slaughter). 
Chemical body analyses 
After electrical stunning the pigs was exsanguinated and the blood was collected. In the next step the bodies were 
scalded, but collection of hair was not possible. The internal organs and the GI-tract were removed and the body was 
split symmetrically along the backbones. The tail remained on the left carcass half. The weights of carcasses, blood, 
internal organs, full and empty GI-tract (stomach, intestines, gall-bladder) were recorded. For chemical analyses two 
fractions were made: the left carcass half and the organs (blood, internal organs, empty GI-tract). The two fractions 
were stored deep frozen in plastic bags. The preparation of samples for chemical body analyses was carried out 
according to the method of Kotarbinska (1971). The following determinations were made from the samples: dry matter 
(DM), crude protein (CP), crude fat (CF) and crude ash (CA). Based on the analysed values and the weight of the 
fractions the total nutrient mass and proportions were calculated in empty body (EB), carcasses (C) and organs (O). 
Statistical analyses 
Statistical analyses were performed using the GLM procedure of SAS (1989) for randomized complete block designs 
according to the following general model: Yij = μ + Pi + eij Where: Yij = measurements, μ = overall mean;  P = protein 
source (i=1,2,3,4); eij = residual error.  
 
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 
 
The average daily gain (ADG) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) of the experimental groups are given in Table 1. No 
effect of protein source was observed on the overall and second phase fattening performance. This shows that the 
origin of the amino acids has no influence on performance when diets are formulated on the basis of ileal digestible 
amino acid contents. This result is in close agreement with the observations of Tanksley and Knabe (1984).  However, 
soybean treatment in the first phase had significantly lower performance than the other treatments. It has been 
demonstrated that inappropriate heat treatment applied to protein concentrates may render lysine in a form that is 
apparently absorbed but nutritionally unavailable to the animal (van Barneveld et al.,1994 ). Consequently, ileal 
digestibility values for lysine in heat-processed meals in such a case are unsuitable for diet formulations. However, in 
this experiment it was not possible to identify whether this was the real reason. 
The lean meat % of carcasses of the four treatments (Table 2) are similar. All group means fall into the U class of the 
SEUROP classification system.  
Intramuscular fat content influences tenderness and juiciness. Devol et al. (1988) reported that intramuscular fat 
content has the highest correlation with tenderness, however the correlation was low (r = 0.32). The authors postulated 
that there was a minimum level of intramuscular fat  - approximately 2.5% -  needed for sufficient pork tenderness. 
According to that result none of the experimental treatments meet this value. The protein source had no significant 
effect on intramuscular fat level. The drip loss is a major measure of PSE type meat. The measured values have a 
normal variance and statistical differences could not be detected. 
The pH is an important measure of meat quality post mortem. All group means are falling into the normal range (pH 5.8 
- 6.2 and 5.4-6.0 for pH45 and pH24 respectively). The appropriate lightness and colour of lean meat is an important 
demand of the customer. Neither the lightness nor the hue value were affected 24 hours or 4 days after slaughter by 
treatment and all group means fell into the normal range.The experimental diets formulated on the basis of ileal 
digestible amino acid content resulted in similar chemical composition of empty body (Table 3). The chemical body 
composition data were all within the wide range of published data (De Greef et al., 1994; Friesen et al., 1996; Tuitoek 
et al., 1997). 
 
 
 
 
 
 3 
Table 1. ADG and FCR by treatment group 
 
 Average daily gain, g Feed conversion ratio, kg/kg 
Treatment 30-60 kg 60-105 kg 30-105 kg 30-60 kg 60-105 kg 30-105 kg 
Soyabean meal 546a 725 638 2.70a 3.16 2.98 
Sunflower meal 606b 741 680 2.41b 3.13 2.84 
Peas meal 609b 722 667 2.40b 3.20 2.88 
Fishmeal 596b 774 689 2.48b 3.06 2.82 
RMSE 29.8 77.4 48.4 0.12 0.27 0.18 
Means in a column with same superscript are not significantly different 
RMSE=Root mean square error 
 
Table 2. Lean meat% and  meat quality parameters by treatment group 
 
 Lean 
meat, % 
IMF, 
% 
Drip 
loss, g 
pH45 pH24 L24 Hue24 L4 Hue4 
Soyabean meal 54.1 1.09 112 6.00 5.54 55.9 47.6 57.1 53.0 
Sunflower meal 53.4 1.23 140 6.08 5.57 59.1 50.8 61.3 57.5 
Pea 53.8 1.21 137 5.99 5.63 60.1 50.9 61.2 57.2 
Fishmeal 52.5 1.29 125 6.05 5.60 58.9 50.0 60.9 56.0 
RMSE     1.89 0.46   28 0.26 0.09     3.47     3.62     3.78     5.36 
Means in a column were not significantly different. RMSE: Root mean square error 
IMF = intramuscular fat, pH45 and pH24 = pH in musculus longissimus dorsi (mld) at last rib 45 min and 24 hours after 
slaughter, L24 and L4 = lightness of mld 24 hours and 4 day after slaughter, Hue 24 and Hue 4 = hue value of mld 24 
hours and 4 day after slaughte. 
 
Table 3.  Empty body composition by treatment group g/kg 
 
Treatment Dry matter Protein Fat Ash 
Soyabean meal 403 143 229 27.4 
Sunflower meal 413 148 231 29.5 
Peas meal 421 147 245 27.1 
Fishmeal 409 142 235 28.1 
RMSE 18.8 6.8 20.9 3.1 
Means in a column were not significantly different. 
RMSE : Root mean square error 
 
 
 
CONCLUSIONS 
 
Pig diets should be formulated on the basis of ileal digestible amino acid content to achieve similar fattening 
performance when dietary components are substituted. Substitution of protein sources in such a way has no significant 
effect on body composition, lean meat percentage and meat quality parameters. 
Acknowledgement. The research program were financed by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, the 
Netherlands and by the NWO (the Netherlands). We gratefully acknowledge the substantial contribution of the 
following persons in the experiment: Johan de Jong (TNO-ILOB), Tamme Zandstra (WIAS), Ildiko Tamási (UoK). 
 
 
 
 
 4 
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3. Friesen, K.G., Nelssen, J.L., Goodband, R.D., Tokach, M.D., Schinckel, A.P., Einstein, M. (1996): The use of 
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