303 Interactive Effects of Pelleting and Particle Size Reduction of Corn on Ileal Digestibility of Starch and Amino Acids in Corn-Soybean Meal Diets Fed to Pigs

Abstract

Abstract The objective was to determine the interactive effects of particle size reduction and pelleting on the apparent ileal digestibility (AID) of starch and the standardized ileal digestibility (SID) of amino acids (AA) in corn-soybean meal diets fed to pigs. Six corn-soybean meal based diets were arranged in a 3 × 2 factorial with 3 particle sizes of corn (i.e., 700, 500, or 300 μm) and 2 diet forms (i.e., meal or pelleted). An N-free diet was also used and there were, therefore, a total of 7 diets. Pigs were allowed ad libitum access to feed and water. Pigs (n = 7; initial body weight = 59.30 kg; SD = 2.77) that were equipped with a T-cannula in the distal ileum were allotted to the 7 diets using a 7 × 7 Latin square design with 7 periods. Ileal digesta were collected for 2 days after 5 days of adaptation. The statistical model included diet as fixed effect and pig and period as random effects. Contrast coefficients were used to determine effects of diet form, linear effects of particle size, and the interaction. Results indicated that the AID of starch was linearly increased (P = 0.001) with reduced particle size of corn and pelleted diets had greater (P = 0.029) AID of starch than meal diets (Table 1). The SID of Leu, Lys, Met, Phe, Thr, and Val linearly increased with reducing particle size, but the increase was greater in pelleted diets than in meal diets (interaction, P < 0.05). The SID of Arg, His, Ile, and Val also linearly increased (P < 0.05) as the particle size of corn was reduced, and the SID of all indispensable AA except Trp was greater (P < 0.05) in pelleted diets than in meal diets. In conclusion, reducing the particle size of corn from 700 to 300 μm increased the AID of starch and the SID of AA, but the AID of starch and the SID of most indispensable AA was greater in pelleted diets than in meal diets. If there were interactions, the effects of reducing particle size were greater when corn particle size was reduced from 500 to 300 μm in meal diets and from 700 to 500 μm in pelleted diets.