Abstract
The objective of this study was to quantify the relative bioavailability of microencapsulated vitamins A and E in nursery pigs and compare the effects of vitamin forms and vitamin levels on the plasma vitamin content and growth performance of weaned piglets. In experiment (Exp.) 1, 12 nursery pigs (fitted with jugular catheters) were supplied at 0 h with non-microencapsulated or microencapsulated vitamin A and E. Blood samples were collected at 1, 3, 6, 9, 12, 16, 18, 21, 24, 27, 30, 36, 48, and 72 h after feeding to compare the bioavailability of oral vitamins A and E. In Exp. 2, a total of 216 crossbred weaned piglets were assigned to six treatments. This experiment was a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement, with two factors for vitamin forms (non-microencapsulated and microencapsulated) and three factors for vitamin levels (the National Research Council level of vitamins, 75% commercial recommendations of vitamins (CRV) level, and a 100% CVR level). In Exp. 1, the relative bioavailability of microencapsulated vitamin E was significantly greater than that of non-microencapsulated vitamin E. In Exp. 2, the pigs fed diets containing 75% or 100% CRV levels of vitamins increased their growth performance and plasma vitamin concentrations compared to the control group. In conclusion, microencapsulation can improve the bioavailability of vitamins, and supplementation with high levels of vitamins was able to improve the growth performance of the piglets.
Highlights
In the 21st century, microencapsulation technology has been extensively applied to nutrients delivery
The relative bioavailability was determined by comparing the area under the plasma concentration–time curve (AUC) after the administration of two different forms of vitamins
The relative bioavailability was determined by comparing the AUC after feeding with vitamin A
Summary
In the 21st century, microencapsulation technology has been extensively applied to nutrients delivery. Microencapsulation is a process that involves the entrapment of a substance within a continuous film of a polymeric material [1]. Microencapsulation provides a physical barrier to protect substances that are vulnerable to external environments, e.g., acidity, alkalinity, heat, oxidation, or moisture, before nutrient release to improve the stability of the nutrients [2]. Vitamins are a large class of drugs in this group and have received much attention [3,4,5].
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