• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.28 no.7
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• pp.987-992
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• 2015

This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of palm kernel expellers on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and blood profiles of weaned pigs. A total of 88 weaned pigs ($6.94{\pm}0.76kg$ body weight [BW]; 28 d old) were randomly allotted to 2 dietary treatments (4 pigs/pen; 11 replicates/treatment) in a randomized complete block design (sex as a block). The dietary treatments were a typical nursery diet based on corn and soybean meal (CON) and CON added with 20% of palm kernel expellers (PKE). Pigs were fed for 6 wk using a 3-phase feeding program with declining diet complexity and with phases of 1, 2, and 3 wk, respectively. Blood was collected from randomly selected 2 pigs in each pen before weaning and on d 7 after weaning. Pigs were fed respective dietary treatments containing 0.2% chromic oxide from d 29 to 35 after weaning. Fecal samples were collected from randomly selected 2 pigs in each pen daily for the last 3 days after the 4-d adjustment period. Measurements were growth performances, digestibility of dry matter, nitrogen and energy, white and red blood cell counts, packed cell volume, and incidence of diarrhea. The PKE increased average daily gain (ADG) (246 vs 215 g/d; p = 0.06) and average daily feed intake (ADFI) (470 vs 343 g/d; p<0.05) and decreased gain-to-feed ratio (G:F) (0.522 vs 0.628 g/g; p<0.05) during phase 2 compared with CON, but did not affect growth performance during phase 1 and 3. During overall experimental period, PKE increased ADG (383 vs 362 g/d; p = 0.05) and ADFI (549 vs 496 g/d; p<0.05) compared with CON, but did not affect G:F. However, no differences were found on digestibility of dry matter, nitrogen, and energy between CON and PKE. The PKE reduced frequency of diarrhea (15% vs 25%; p = 0.08) for the first 2 wk after weaning compared with CON. Similarly, PKE decreased white blood cells (8.19 vs $9.56{\times}10^3/{\mu}L$; p = 0.07), red blood cells (2.92 vs $3.25{\times}10^6/{\mu}L$; p = 0.09), and packed cell volume (11.1% vs 12.6%; p = 0.06) on d 7 after weaning compared with CON. In conclusion, addition of 20% palm kernel expellers to nursery diet based on corn and soybean meal had no negative effects on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and blood profiles of weaned pigs.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.90-96
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• 2008

We compared the effects of supplementing $L-lysine{\cdot}SO_4$ to L-lysine HCl on growth performance, nutrient digestibility and nitrogen retention in weaning pigs. A total of 96 crossbred pigs, weaned at $21{\pm}3$ days of age and with an average initial body weight (BW) $6.23{\pm}0.01kg$, were given one of 4 treatments, which translated into 6 replicates of 4 pigs in each pen. The animals were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments according to a randomized completely block design (RCBD) as follows: 1) control-no synthetic lysine, lysine deficient (0.80% total lysine); 2) L-C (= 0.2% L-lysine HCl); 3) K-L-S (= 0.332% $L-lysine{\cdot}SO_4$, A company); 4) C-L-S (= 0.332% $L-lysine{\cdot}SO_4$, B company). Diets were formulated with corn, soy bean meal, and corn gluten meal as the major ingredients, and all nutrients except the lysine met or exceeded NRC requirements (1998). The lysine content of supplemented synthetic lysine was the same in all treatment groups except the control. No clinical health problems associated with the dietary treatments were observed. During the entire experimental period, body weight, average daily gain (ADG) and feed efficiency (G:F ratio) increased (p<0.01) in pigs fed the experimental diets supplemented with L-lysine??HCl or $L-lysine{\cdot}SO_4$ produced by A company, irrespective of the two synthetic lysine sources. Although the supplementation of $L-lysine{\cdot}SO_4$ produced by B company tended to improve the ADG and G:F ratio, significant differences were not seen among all treatments and tended to be lower than the L-C (L-lysine HCl) and K-L-S ($L-lysine{\cdot}SO_4$ groups using the product from A company). The digestibility of crude protein (CP) was increased by the supplementation of synthetic lysine (p<0.05), irrespective of the L-lysine source (L-C, K-L-S, C-L-S). The results of this study showed that ADG, G:F ratio, and CP digestibility improved when $L-lysine{\cdot}SO_4$ or L-lysine HCl was supplemented into the weaning pigs' diet. There was a clear difference in efficacy between the two $lysine{\cdot}SO_4$ products based upon the growth performance of weaning pigs. Consequently, the bioavailability of $lysine{\cdot}SO_4$ products should be evaluated before supplementation of synthetic lysine in swine diets.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.46 no.5
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• pp.743-752
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• 2004

This experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of filtered water with silicate minerals on growth performance and pork quality. A total of 64 pigs were allotted at 37.95 kg body weight to 4 treatments in a randomized complete block(RCB) design. Each treatment had 4 replicates and treatments were I) Con(basaI diet). 2) Si-I(consumed silicate mineral filtered water and silicate mineral additive during 4 weeks before market weight), 3) Si-Il( consumed silicate mineral filtered water and silicate mineral additive during 8 weeks before market weight) and 4) Si-I1I(consumed silicate mineral filtered water and silicate mineral additive during 12 weeks before market weight). Silicate complex was added at 0.8% to basal diet. All pigs were allowed to feed and water ad libitum for 12 weeks. During last 4 weeks, average daily gain(ADG) in Si-Il and Si-III group was higher than that in Si-I group(P < 0.05). However overall experimental period, there were no significant differences in growth performance among all treatments. Acceptability of cooked pork at 7th day after slaughter in Si-lII group was higher than that in Con group(P < 0.05). The value of pH of fresh pork at 6 hours after slaughter was lower in Si-I1I group than that in Con group(P < 0.05). TBA values of fresh pork at 14th day after slaughter were lower in Si-II and Si-III groups than Con group(P < 0.05). These results demonstrated that pork quality could be improved when pigs consumed both silicate mineral and silicate mineral filtered water. However, growth performance was not improved by the consumption of silicate mineral filtered water and silicate mineral.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.25 no.7
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• pp.962-970
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• 2012

This study aimed to investigate the effects of ruminal infusion of garlic oil (GO) on fermentation dynamics, fatty acid (FA) profile, and abundance of bacteria involved in biohydrogenation in the rumen. Six wethers fitted with ruminal fistula were assigned to two groups for cross-over design with a 14-d interval. Each 30-d experimental period consisted of a 27-d adaptation and a 3-d sample collection. Goats were fed a basal diet without (control) or with GO ruminal infusion (0.8 g/d). Ruminal contents collected before (0 h) and at 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 h after morning feeding were used for fermentation analysis, and 0 h samples were further used for FA determination and DNA extraction. Garlic oil had no influence on dry matter intakes of concentrate and hay. During ruminal fermentation, GO had no effects on total VFA concentration and individual VFA molar proportions, whereas GO increased the concentrations of ammonia nitrogen and microbial crude protein (p<0.05). Compared with control, GO group took a longer time for total VFA concentration and propionate molar proportion to reach their respective maxima after morning feeding. The ratio of acetate to propionate in control reduced sharply after morning feeding, whereas it remained relatively stable in GO group. Fatty acid analysis showed that GO reduced saturated FA proportion (p<0.05), while increasing the proportions of C18, t11-18:1 (TVA), c9,t11-conjugated linoleic acid (c9,t11-CLA), t10,c12-CLA, and polyunsaturated FA (p<0.05). The values of TVA/(c9,t11-CLA+TVA) and C18:0/(TVA+C18:0) were reduced by GO (p<0.05). Real-time PCR showed that GO tended to reduce Butyrivibrio proteoclasticus abundance (p = 0.058), whereas GO had no effect on total abundance of the Butyrivibrio group bacteria. A low correlation was found between B. proteoclasticus abundance and C18:0/(TVA+C18:0) (p = 0.910). The changes of fermentation over time suggested a role of GO in delaying the fermentation process and maintaining a relatively modest change of ruminal environment. The inhibitory effects of GO on the final step of biohydrogenation may be related to its antibacterial activity against B. proteoclasticus and other unknown bacteria involved.