• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.20 no.11
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• pp.1738-1745
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• 2007

A growth trial and a digestibility trial were conducted to examine the effect of feed particle size on the performance, nutrient digestibility, gastric ulceration and intestinal morphology in pigs fed barley-based diets. Barley was processed through a hammer mill to achieve four diets varying in particle size (average particle $size{\pm}standard $deviation): coarse ($1,100{\pm}2.19\;{\mu}m$), medium ($785{\pm}2.23\;{\mu}m$), fine ($434{\pm}1.70\;{\mu}m$) and mixed (1/3 of coarse, medium and fine) ($789{\pm}2.45\;{\mu}m$). Sixty-four entire male pigs were used in the growth trial and the diets were fed ad libitum between 31 kg and 87 kg live weight. Following slaughter, stomach and ileal tissues were scored for integrity (ulceration or damage) and histological measurements taken. Twenty-four entire male pigs were used in the digestibility trial, which involved total faecal collection. Over the entire growth phase, there were no differences (p>0.05) in average daily gain and feed conversion ratio between pigs fed diets of different particle size. Pigs fed the coarse and medium diets had lower (p<0.05) stomach ulceration scores (0.20 and 0.25, respectively, on a scale from 0 to 3) than those fed the mixed (0.69) or the fine diets (1.87). The stomachs of all animals fed the fine diet had lesions and stomach ulcerations were present only in this group. Pigs fed the fine diet had thicker (p<0.001) ileal epithelial cell layer with no differences (p>0.05) being observed for villous height or crypt depth. Faecal digestibility coefficients of neutral and acid detergent fibre were the highest (p<0.05) for the mixed diet, intermediate for the fine and coarse diets and the lowest for the medium diet. A similar numerical trend (p = 0.103) was observed for the apparent faecal energy digestibility coefficient. It is concluded that, with barley based diets, a variation in average particle size between $400{\mu}m$ and $1,100{\mu}m$ had no effect on pig performance but the fine dietary particle size affected the integrity of the stomach, as well as the structure of the small intestine, thus compromising overall gut health. Our data also demonstrate that changes in particle size distribution during the digestion process, rather than average particle size or particle size variation, are related to apparent faecal digestibility.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.14 no.11
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• pp.1598-1604
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• 2001

Eight $12.4{\pm}0.6kg$ initial body weight crossbred barrows were used to determine the effect of soybean galactooligosaccharides on nutrient and energy digestibility, and digesta transit time. Four dietary treatments were utilized in this trial. Treatment one was a corn-soybean meal based diet (SBM) containing raffinose and stachyose at the levels of 0.16% and 0.75%, respectively. Treatment two (control) was a corn-HP300 (soybean concentrate protein) diet. In treatments three and four, 1.1% and 2.2% commercial stachyose was added to the control diet to provide total dietary stachyose at the levels of 1% and 2%, respectively. The soybean galactooligosaccharides (raffinose + stachyose) level in treatment one was slightly lower compared to that in treatment three. Three collection periods were run with two pigs for each treatment/period. There was a 4 d adjustment period followed by a 3 d collection period. The results showed that the nitrogen retention (86.79%) of pigs fed treatment two diet was higher than that of pigs fed treatment one by 5.2% (p<0.05). The nitrogen retention of treatment three was intermediate 83.09%. The apparent fecal digestibility of all amino acids in treatment two was numerically highest, followed by treatments three and four. However, there were no significant difference among groups (p>0.05). The dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), and crude fiber (CF) digestibility numerically decreased as the soybean galactooligosaccharides level increased, but were not significantly different (p>0.05). Chromium content in feces (from the inclusion of 0.3% chromic oxide in the diets) differed among treatments (p<0.05) at 15 h, 18 h, and 21 h after eating. This showed that the digesta transit time was differed significantly among treatments. Treatment four was the shortest, followed by treatment three, SBM and control. The results demonstrated that in the absence of antinutritional factors and soybean antigen protein, inclusion of 1% and 2% stachyose in corn-HP300 diet has no significant effect on the digestibility of DM, OM, CP, CF and amino acids. When the soybean galactooligosaccharide level in diet one and diet three were adjusted to be almost the same, antinutritional factors such as trypsin inhibitor and soybean antigen protein could decrease the nutrient digestibility and nitrogen retention rate of diet. High levels of soybean galactooligosaccharides shortened the digesta transit time in the intestinal tract. This trial suggested that the total level of soybean galactooligosaccharides (stachyose+raffinose) in the weanling piglet diet is better not to exceed 1% when common soybean meal is used as main protein source.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.383-390
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• 2014

A 15-wk feeding trial was conducted to examine the supplemental effects of Barodon on growth performance, gastrointestinal histology, feed digestibility and innate immunity in olive founder. A basal commercial diet was used as a control and two other diets were prepared by spraying 0.1% or 0.2% of Barodon. Triplicate groups of fish (BW, 145 g) were fed one of the test diets to apparent satiation twice daily. At the end of the feeding trial, fish growth performance was not significantly affected by dietary treatments; however, feed utilization was significantly improved (linear and quadratic, p<0.05) by Barodon supplementation. Significantly higher (p<0.05) survival rates were obtained in fish fed Barodon containing diets. Hepatosomatic index increased significantly in Barodon treated groups. Also, the use of Barodon resulted in significant increase (linear and quadratic, p<0.05) of intestine length and number of goblet cells. Significantly higher (Quadratic, p<0.05) apparent digestibility coefficient of DM was obtained by supplementation of Barodon. Lysozyme and myeloperoxidase activities increased quadratically and linearly, respectively, in Barodon treated fish. Also, significantly higher (linear and quadratic, p<0.05) superoxide dismutase activity was found in Barodon fed fish. The findings in this study show that inclusion of Barodon in diets for olive flounder improves feed utilization and digestibility, and positively affects digestive tract histology and innate immunity.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.241-246
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• 2013

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary vitamin levels and stocking densities on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and blood characteristics in growing pigs. A $2{\times}3$ factorial (two vitamin levels, three regimens of stocking densities) arrangement was utilized with 96 pigs ($23.10{\pm}0.95$ kg initial body weight and 63 d of age) for 36 d. The pigs were allocated to pens with different stocking density (0.64, 0.48, and 0.38 $m^2/pig$, respectively). The diets used in this study were a normal diet (based on NRC) and a high level of vitamin diet (2-fold higher than normal diet). The ADG and ADFI of pigs were decreased as the stocking density increased (p = 0.03 and p = 0.01, respectively). The G/F of pigs was 5% lower in the high vitamin treatment (p = 0.03) as compared with the control treatment. The apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of DM and N digestibility was negatively affected by the high level of vitamin in diets (p = 0.05 and p = 0.04, respectively). Moreover, a significant and negative effect on the ATTD of N was detected in the large groups (linear, p = 0.02). Blood cortisol concentration was increased with increasing stocking density (linear, p = 0.05), and was decreased by high level of vitamin (p = 0.04) at the end of this experiment. Stocking density also caused a linear reduction in WBC concentration (p = 0.05). Our data indicated that the principal effect of stocking density was not reliant on dietary vitamin levels. In conclusion, results indicated that doubling the vitamin supplementation did not improve the growth performance of pigs in high density. However, the blood cortisol concentration was decreased but the ATTD of N digestibility was impaired by high level of vitamin diet.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.24 no.12
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• pp.1763-1770
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• 2011

Fifty-six [(Duroc${\times}$Yorkshire)${\times}$Landrace] pigs with an average initial BW of 19.3${\pm}$0.17 kg were used in this 15-wk growth experiment to investigate the effects of grape pomace fermented by Saccharomyces boulardii on pig growth performance, nutrient digestibility and quality attributes of pork. Pigs were allotted to 2 dietary treatments (7 replications) based on their initial BW in a randomized complete block design. The experimental treatments were: i) control (CON; basal diet), ii) FGPP (CON+30 g/kg fermented grape pomace product). Dietary FGPP improved (p<0.05) average daily gain (ADG), coefficient apparent total tract digestibility (CATTD) of dry matter (DM) and nitrogen (N) during 35-70 d of the experiment. Similarly, pigs fed the FGPP supplemented diet had a higher N digestibility (p<0.05) in the finisher phase (day 71-105). Dietary FGPP increased (p<0.05) the marbling score, the redness ($a^*$) and yellowness ($b^*$) values, as well as the anti-oxidative ability (lower TBARS). The inclusion of FGPP reduced palmitic acid (C:16:0), stearic acid (C:18:0), arachidic acid (C:20:0) and SFA levels (p<0.05) in subcutaneous fat. An increased (p<0.05) linoleic acid (C18:2n6), total PUFA and PUFA/SFA ratio were observed in the FGPP group. Dietary FGPP supplementation decreased the arachidic acid (C:20:0) level in longissimus muscle (LM). In conclusion, dietary inclusion of FGPP at the level of 30 g/kg improved the growth performance, nutrients digestibility and altered the fatty acid pattern in the subcutaneous fat as well as some attributes of pork meat.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.51-56
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• 2017

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the intake and nutrient digestibility, nitrogen balance and ruminal ammonia nitrogen in lambs of diets containing different levels of residual frying oil. Methods: Levels of 0, 20, 40, 60, and 80 g/kg dry matter (DM) base of residual frying oil in the diets of lambs were evaluated. Five castrated lambs with initial body weights of $36.8{\pm}3.3kg$, distributed in a Latin square ($5{\times}5$) design, were used. Results: There was a decreasing linear effect on the intake of DM, organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), total carbohydrates (TCH), and nonfibrous carbohydrates (NFC). There was an increased linear intake of ether extract (EE). The apparent digestibility of DM, OM, CP, NDF, TCH, and NFC, as well as urine nitrogen excretion, nitrogen balance and ruminal parameters, were not influenced by different levels of residual frying oil in the diet. EE digestibility presented a crescent linear effect. Conclusion: It can be concluded that the addition of residual frying oil to the diets of sheep can affect nutrient intake without affecting the digestibility of most nutrients (with the exception of EE), nitrogen balance and ruminal ammonia nitrogen concentration.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.35 no.8
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• pp.848-853
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• 2002

For the Exp. 1, twelve Duroc $\times$ Yorkshire $\times$ Landrace pigs (6.12 $\pm$ 0.24 kg average initial body weight and 21 d average age) were used in an 8-d metabolic assay to determine the effects of replacing spray-dried plasma protein (SDPP) with spray-dried egg Protein containing egg yolk antibody (SDCEP) on nutrient and amino acids digestibility in weaning Pigs. Experimental animals were fed diets containing SDPP, SDCEP (spray-dried commercial egg protein) and SDAEP. Protein content in the SDPP, SDCEP and SDAEP were 58.20, 45.83 and 41.85%, respectively. Pigs fed the SDPP diet tended to increase the apparent digestibility of dry matter and nitrogen compared to pigs fed the SDAEP diets without significant differences. The ileal digestibility of lysine and methionine for the SDAEP were greater than those for the SDPP, however, there are no significant differences between groups. For Exp.2, 36 Duroc $\times$ Yorkshire $\times$ Landrace pigs (4.11 $\pm$ 0.05 kg average initial body weight and 14 d average age) were used in a 10-day growth assay to determine the effects on growth performance and nutrient digestibility of replacing SDPP with SDAEP in early-weaning pigs. Experimental animals were fed diets containing CON (corn-dried whey-SBM based diet), SDAEP3 (corn-dried whey-SBM based diet + 3% SDAEP), SDAEP6 (corn-dried whey-SBM based diet + 6% SDAEP). The average daily weight gain of the pigs fed the SDAEP3 diet was higher than that for the pigs fed the CON and SDAEP6 diets (p < 0.05). SDAEP3 significantly increased the digestibility of dry matter and nitrogen compared to the CON and SDAEP6 diets (p < 0.05).

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.62 no.3
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• pp.313-320
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• 2020

This research was performed to investigate the hypothesis that dietary mono-component protease (PRO) might improve growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and carcass characteristics of growing-finishing pigs. A total of eighty-four pigs [Duroc × (Landrace × Yorkshire), 25.3 ± 2.16 kg initial body weight] were randomly assigned to three dietary treatments (7 replicates/treatment; 2 barrows and 2 gilts/replicate) in a randomized complete block design (block = sex). The dietary treatments were prepared as follows; (1) a positive control (PC) as a typical growing-finishing diet based on corn and soybean meal, (2) PC added with 0.015% of PRO (PCPRO), and (3) a negative control (NC) added with 0.015% of PRO (NCPRO). The NC had a lower concentration of crude protein (CP) compared with PC. The PRO was a commercial product that contained 75,000 protease units/g and derived from Nocardiopsis prasina produced in Bacillus licheniformis. Dietary treatments were offered to pigs during growing and finishing periods. Measurements were growth performance, apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of nutrients, and carcass characteristics. The PCPRO and/or NCPRO increased average daily gain (ADG) and gain to feed ratio (G:F) during growing (p < 0.10), finishing (p < 0.05), and growing-finishing periods (p < 0.10) compared with PC. Furthermore, pigs fed PCPRO and NCPRO had higher (p < 0.05) ATTD of CP and energy during growing and/or finishing periods than those fed PC. In conclusion, the supplementation of PRO in diets improved growth performance and protein digestibility of growing-finishing pigs.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.163-170
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• 2022

This study investigates the effects of the dietary inclusion of zinc oxide (ZnO) on the growth performance, apparent total digestibility, and the fecal scores of growing pigs fed a corn-wheat-based diet. In total, 84 crossbred (Landrace × Yorkshire × Duroc) growing pigs with an initial body weight of (20.86 ± 0.64 kg) (4 pigs·pen^-1; 2 gilts and 2 barrows; 7 replications·treatment^-1) were randomly assigned to three treatment groups based on body weight (BW) and sex in a three-week trial. The dietary treatments were as follows: TRT1 (CON [basal diet]), TRT2 (CON + 0.07% ZnO), and TRT3 (CON + 1% ZnO). Dietary ZnO supplementation significantly (p < 0.05) improved body weight gain (BWG) of growing pigs at weeks 2 and 3 compared to the control diet. In addition, dietary ZnO supplementation significantly (p < 0.05) increased the average daily gain (ADG) and average daily feed intake (ADFI) at weeks 2, 3, and overall. However, the feed conversion ratio (FCR) remained unaffected throughout the trial. Regarding the total tract nutrient digestibility of nitrogen, dry matter was significantly improved with an increased level of ZnO supplementation. In addition, dietary supplementation of ZnO significantly reduced fecal scores in grower pigs at the initial period compared to the control diet. In summary, dietary inclusion of zinc oxide via supplementation improved growth performance, and total tract digestibility and reduced the fecal scores of growing pigs.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.36 no.12
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• pp.1869-1879
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• 2023

Objective: This study was to evaluate the effects of individual or combinational use of phytase, protease, and xylanase on total tract digestibility of corn, soybean meal, and distillers dried grains with soluble (DDGS) fed to pigs. Methods: Each experiment had four 4×4 Latin squares using 16 barrows. Each period had 5-d adaptation and 3-d collection. All experiments had: CON (no enzyme); Phy (CON+phytase); Xyl (CON+xylanase); Pro (CON+protease); Phy+Xyl; Phy+Pro, Xyl+Pro, Phy+Xyl+Pro. Each Latin square had 'CON, Phy, Xyl, and Phy+Xyl'; 'CON, Phy, Pro, and Phy+Pro'; 'CON, Pro, Xyl, and Xyl+Pro'; and 'Phy+Xyl, Phy+Pro, Xyl+Pro, Phy+Xyl+Pro'. Results: The digestible energy (DE), metabolizable energy (ME), and nitrogen retention (NR) of corn were not affected by enzymes but the apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of phosphorus (P) was improved (p<0.01) by Phy. The DE and ATTD dry matter (DM) in soybean meal were increased (p<0.05) by Phy+Pro and the ATTD P was improved (p<0.01) by Phy, Phy+Pro, and Phy+Xyl. The DE, ME, and ATTD DM in DDGS were improved (p<0.05) by Phy+Xyl and the ATTD P was improved (p<0.01) by Phy, Phy+Pro, and Phy+Xyl. Conclusion: Phytase individually or in combination with xylanase and protease improved the Ca and P digestibility of corn, soybean meal, and DDGS, from the hydrolysis of phytic acid. The supplementation of protease was more effective when combined with phytase and xylanase in the soybean meal and DDGS possibly due to a higher protein content in these feedstuffs. Xylanase was more effective in DDGS diets due to the elevated levels of non-starch polysaccharides in these feedstuffs. However, when xylanase was combined with phytase, it demonstrated a higher efficacy improving the nutrient digestibility of pigs. Overall, combinational uses of feed enzymes can be more efficient for nutrient utilization in soybean meal and DDGS than single enzymes.