Effects of dietary astaxanthin and ractopamine HCl on the growth and carcass characteristics of finishing pigs and the color shelf-life of longissimus chops from barrows and gilts (2011)

J R Bergstrom,Steven S Dritz,Robert D Goodband,Joel M Derouchey,Michael D Tokach,Jim L Nelssen,G R Skaar,Terry A Houser

doi:10.4148/2378-5977.7122

J R Bergstrom, Steven S Dritz + Show 6 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.4148/2378-5977.7122

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Abstract

A total of 160 pigs (initially 198 lb) were used to evaluate the effects of increasing dietary astaxanthin (AX, from Xanthophyllomyces dendrorhous yeast) and Ractopamine HCl (RAC) on the growth and carcass characteristics of finishing pigs as well as the color shelf-life of longissimus muscle (LM) chops from barrows and gilts. Pigs were weighed and randomly allotted to 1 of 8 dietary treatments fed for approximately 26 d preharvest. Dietary treatments consisted of a corn-soybean meal-based control diet, the control diet with 7.5, 15, 30, 60, or 120 ppm AX, and a corn-soybean meal-based diet with 10 ppm RAC and 7.5 or 20 ppm AX. Each treatment had 10 pens, with 2 pigs (1 barrow and 1 gilt) in each pen. A split-plot design with repeated measures was used to compare color characteristics of LM chops from individual barrows and gilts.

Highlights

Astaxanthin is a carotenoid without potential for vitamin A activity in mammals that exists naturally in various plants, algae, and seafood
Dietary treatments consisted of a corn-soybean meal-based control diet, the control diet with 7.5, 15, 30, 60, or 120 ppm AX, and a corn-soybean meal-based diet with 10 ppm Ractopamine HCl (RAC) and 7.5 or 20 ppm AX
Dietary treatments consisted of a corn-soybean meal-based control diet formulated to 0.66% Standardized ileal digestible (SID) lysine; the control diet formulated to contain 7.5, 15, 30, 60, and 120 ppm astaxanthin from Xanthophyllomyces dendrorhous yeast; and 2 diets formulated to contain 0.95% SID lysine and 10 ppm Ractopamine HCl with 7.5 and 20 ppm astaxanthin from Xanthophyllomyces dendrorhous yeast (Table 1)

Summary

Introduction

Astaxanthin is a carotenoid without potential for vitamin A activity in mammals that exists naturally in various plants, algae, and seafood. Research and interest in the potential benefits of astaxanthin for human health has increased, and environmentally friendly technologies can produce large quantities of natural astaxanthin. Little information is available on the effects of dietary astaxanthin on pig performance and fresh pork color and quality. Yang et al (20065) reported a linear reduction in 10thrib backfat depth and increases in carcass yield and LM area with the addition of 1.5 and 3 ppm dietary astaxanthin for 14 d preharvest; they did not observe any differences in measures of fresh pork color or quality. Using higher levels of astaxanthin, other researchers have reported improved growth, carcass, and pork quality characteristics for pigs fed 48 ppm for 90 d preharvest (Kim et al, 20086) and improved pork color shelf-life for pigs fed 66.7 ppm for 42 d preharvest (Carr et al, 20107)

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