A blend of functional amino acids and grape polyphenols improves the pig capacity to cope with an inflammatory challenge caused by poor hygiene of housing conditions.

BACKGROUND: Dietary supplementation with a blend of functional amino acids (AA) and grape extract polyphenols contributes to preserve intestinal health and growth performance of piglets during the post-weaning period. In the present experiment, we assessed if a supplementation with a mix of AA and grape extract polyphenols during the post-weaning period would persist to improve the pig capacity to cope with a subsequent challenge caused by poor hygiene of housing conditions. Eighty pigs weaned at 28 days of age were fed a standard diet supplemented (AAP) or not (CNT) with 0.2% of a blend of AA (glutamine, arginine, cystine, valine, isoleucine, and leucine) and grape extract polyphenols during the post-weaning period (from week 0 to 6). At week 6, pigs were transferred to a growing unit where 50% of pigs previously fed AAP and CNT diets were housed in good and the other 50% in poor hygiene conditions for 3 weeks (from week 7 to 9; challenge period). All pigs were fed a standard growing diet that was not supplemented with AAP. We measured pig growth performance, plasma indicators of inflammation, digestive integrity, and oxidative status, and scored fecal consistency. Differences were considered significant at P ≤ 0.05. RESULTS: One week post-weaning, pigs fed AAP had lower plasma concentrations of haptoglobin than CNT pigs (P = 0.03). Six weeks post-weaning, plasma concentrations of diamine oxidase (DAO) were lower (P = 0.03) whereas those of vitamin E and A were greater (P ≤ 0.05) in pigs fed AAP compared to CNT pigs. The prevalence of diarrhea was higher in CNT pigs compared to AAP pigs (P < 0.01). During the challenge period, only pigs previously fed CNT diet had lower growth rate in poor than good conditions (P ≤ 0.05). They had also greater plasma concentrations of haptoglobin and oxidative stress index (OSI) and lower plasma concentrations of vitamin E in poor than good hygiene conditions (P ≤ 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Pigs fed AAP diet during post-weaning had less diarrhea and plasma concentrations of a digestive integrity marker, as well as greater plasma concentrations of antioxidant indicators during the post-weaning period. The beneficial effects of AAP supplementation persisted after the post-weaning period as evidenced by the absence of effects of the hygiene challenge on growth and health indicators in pigs previously fed APP. This clearly indicated a greater ability of pigs fed AAP to cope with the poor hygiene conditions.

Standardized ileal digestible lysine requirement of white commercial layers in peak egg production / Níveis de lisina digestível em rações para galinhas poedeiras leves no pico de produção

This study was conducted to determine the standardized ileal digestible lysine (SID Lys) requirements for white commercial layers in peak egg production phase. A total of two hundred eighty-eight 24 week-old Hy-Line W-36 layers were randomly assigned to one of six treatments groups, with eight replicates of six hens each. A basal diet, SID Lys-deficient, was graded supplemented with L-Lysine HCl (78.4%) in order to produce experimental treatments (6.0, 6.6, 7.2, 7.8, 8.4 and 9.0 g SID Lys/kg diet). Throughout the 16-week-feeding trial (24 to 40 weeks of age) hens had free access to water and mash feed. Data were analyzed as one-way ANOVA and optimum SID Lys level for each dependent variable assessed were estimated using polynomial and linear broken-line regression model. Feed intake and SID Lys intake were both linearly enhanced by graded SID Lys levels. According to linear broken-line regression model, the breakpoint for egg production, egg weight, and egg mass occurred at 8.14, 8.56 and 8.35 g SID Lys/kg diet, respectively. The breakpoint for feed conversion per egg mass (kg/kg) and per dozen of eggs (kg/dozen) occurred at 8.48 and 7.80 g SID Lys/kg diet, respectively. Eggshell weight and albumen weight were unaffected by dietary SID Lys supply. Weight gain and yolk weight reached optimum values at 8.33 and 8.03 g SID Lys/kg diet, respectively, according to linear broken-line regression model. In conclusion, SID Lys requirement for white commercial layers in peak egg production phase is 8.48 g/kg diet, which corresponds to an average daily SID Lys intake of 813 mg/hen.

Este estudo foi realizado para determinar a exigência de lisina digestível para galinhas poedeiras leves no pico de postura. Foram utilizadas 288 poedeiras Hy Line W-36 durante o período de 24 a 40 semanas de idade. As poedeiras foram distribuídas em delineamento inteiramente casualizado, com seis níveis de lisina digestível (6,0; 6,6; 7,2; 7,8; 8,4 e 9,0 g/kg de ração), oito repetições e seis aves por unidade experimental. Os níveis de lisina digestível na ração proporcionaram aumento linear do consumo de ração e de lisina digestível. O modelo Linear Response Plateau (LRP) foi o que melhor representou a distribuição dos dados para produção e peso dos ovos, ocorrendo os platôs nos níveis de lisina digestível de 8,14 e 8,56 g/kg, respectivamente. Para massa dos ovos e conversões alimentares por massa e por dúzia de ovos, os platôs ocorreram nos níveis de 8,35; 8,48 e 7,80 g/kg de lisina digestível, respectivamente. Os pesos de casca e de albúmen não foram influenciados pelos níveis de lisina da ração. O ganho de peso das aves e o peso de gema atingiram, respectivamente, os platôs nos níveis de 8,33 e 8,03 g/kg de lisina digestível. A exigência de lisina digestível para galinhas poedeiras leves no pico de postura é de 8,48 g/kg de ração, que corresponde ao consumo diário de lisina digestível de 813 mg/ave.