ABSTRACT
This study investigated the effects of a low-protein diet with or without an increase in dietary protein and feed-grade amino acids (AAs) on the growth performance, body composition, metabolism, and serum acute-phase proteins of finishing pigs reared in thermoneutrality or cyclic heat stress conditions. A total of 90 gilts (67.7 ± 6.2 kg) were distributed in a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement (two ambient temperatures and three diets). Ambient temperatures (AT) were thermoneutral (TN, 22 °C for 24 h) and cyclic heat stress (CHS, 12 h to 35 °C and 12 h to 22 °C). The evaluated diets (D) were high crude protein (HP); low CP-free AA-supplemented diets (LPAAs); low CP-free AA-supplemented diets and digestible Lys level (+20%), and Lys:AA ratios above recommendations (LPAA+). The experimental period lasted 48 d (two experimental phases: days 0-27 and days 28-48, respectively). CHS pigs had higher skin temperature (P < 0.05) than TN pigs. Pigs in CHS had higher rectal temperature (P < 0.05) than TN pigs until day 38 but similar (P > 0.10) to TN pigs from 38 to 45 d. For the entire experiment, CHS pigs had lower (P < 0.05) final BW, average daily gain and daily feed intake, net energy intake, body lipid, bone mineral, lipid deposition, energy retention, Lys and CP intake, and nitrogen excretion than TN pigs. The level of CP intake impacted nitrogen excretion, nitrogen retention efficiency, and urea as pigs fed HP had the highest values, and pigs fed LPAA had the lowest values (P < 0.05). On day 27, CHS pigs had lower (P < 0.05) free triiodothyronine than TN pigs. LPAA+ pigs had lower (P < 0.05) insulin than LPAA. On day 48, CHS pigs had lower (P < 0.05) thyroxine, albumin, and lactate than TN pigs. On day 27, pigs fed LPAA+ had higher (P < 0.05) lactate than pigs fed HP or LPAA. Both AT and D were enough to stimulate the immune system as CHS pigs had lower (P < 0.05) transferrin and 23-kDa protein levels than TN pigs, and HP pigs had higher haptoglobin than LPAA on day 27. These results confirm the deleterious effects of high AT on performance, body composition, metabolism, and immune system stimulation in finishing pigs. These data also show that a diet with low levels of CP can be provided to pigs in CHS without affecting performance and body composition while reducing nitrogen excretion. However, the use of a diet with an AA level above the requirements obtained by increasing intact protein and free AA did not attenuate the impact of CHS on performance and body composition of pigs.
High ambient temperature and air humidity are the most important climatic factors that jeopardize pig production. Multiple strategies can be applied for pigs under heat stress, including recent research to improve understanding the use of nutrition to attenuate the impact of heat stress. Heat stress impairs digestion, absorption, and amino acid metabolism with changes in amino acid requirements. Updates on the nutritional assessment strategies by differing the diets by protein and amino acid content (protein-bound or feed-grade) seem to be efficient tools for pork producers as amino acids play a functional role in challenged pigs apart from the beneficial effects on performance.
