Effects of Low-Protein Diet Supplemented with Tryptophan, Pyridoxine and Niacin on Feed Intake and Growth Performance of Weaning Piglets

Wantamas Jantasin,Liang Chou Hsia

doi:10.19026/ijava.8.2917

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the effects of dietary tryptophan (Trp), pyridoxine and niacin supplementation on feed intake and growth performance of weaning pigs fed low-protein diet. A total of 42 day-old crossbred (Landrace×Yorkshire×Duroc) of weaned female pigs were reared under seven dietary treatments. Treatments were 1) corn-soybean meal diet, 2) pyridoxine + niacin, 3) pyridoxine, 4) niacin, 5) 0.30% synthetic Trp + pyridoxine + niacin, 6) 0.30% synthetic Trp + pyridoxine and 7) 0.30% synthetic Trp + niacin. The experimental results indicated no significant difference (p>0.05) in feed intake for pigs fed the experimental diets. However, pigs fed the synthetic Trp + pyridoxine diet tended to have better feed intake among dietary treatments, followed by synthetic Trp + niacin diet. Overall (wk 1 to 8), pigs consuming supplemental Trp diets had better weight gain and feed efficiency than without Trp supplemental pigs (p<0.01). In conclusion, supplementation of Trp in combination with pyridoxine or niacin in weaning pigs diets greatly improve growth performance than only supplementing Trp alone in low crude protein diet.

Highlights

Protein represents the most expensive component of pig diets
Throughout the entire 8-wk study, pigs fed a diet containing synthetic Trp + pyridoxine (Treatment 6) showed better feed intake than other dietary treatments, followed by pigs fed the diet with synthetic Trp + niacin (Treatment 7)
The results of the present study indicated that there was a tendency for supplementation of Trp, pyridoxine and niacin in the low-protein diet to improve feed intake

Summary

Introduction

The use of low-protein diets supplemented with essential amino acids may reduce feed costs and decreased nitrogen excretion from livestock. In corn cereal based diets tryptophan (Trp) is the first limiting amino acid for pigs (Baker et al, 1969; Sharda et al, 1976). The low level of the amino acids Trp in corn protein has been one of the important factors limiting the amount of this cereal grain in swine diets (Wahlstrom et al, 1977). There is very little published information on supplemental Trp in combination with pyridoxine and niacin in low-protein diet of weaned pigs. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of dietary Trp, pyridoxine and niacin supplementation on feed intake and growth performance of weaning piglets

Objectives

Methods

Results