Supplementary ?-tocopherol acetate in full-fat rapeseed-based diets for pigs: effect on performance, plasma enzymes and meat drip loss

Abstract

Twenty-four Large White × Landrace pigs were individually fed, from 50 to 90 kg live weight, either a control (CONT) diet containing palm oil or one of three diets based on full-fat rapeseed (250 g kg−1) (diets RD). The RD diets were supplemented with 0, 200 or 500 mg DL-α-tocopherol acetate (ATA) kg−1 diet (diets RD0, RD200 and RD500 respectively). Diets were formulated to be isonitrogenous and isocaloric. Daily live weight gain was significantly increased (p < 0.01) in pigs fed diet RD500. Plasma AT concentration was significantly increased by dietary supplementation with 200 mg ATA kg−1 but showed no further significant increase by supplementation with 500 mg ATA kg−1. At slaughter, after 45 days, carcass weights were increased for the RD500 group but dressing percentage was unaffected. ATA supplementation significantly reduced drip loss on days 4 and 5–7 in fresh muscle and on days 1 and 4 in frozen muscle. The concentrations of calcium, sodium and potassium in drip loss fluid collected on days 1 and 4 from fresh muscle were not significantly affected by treatment or by time of collection and did not suggest any change in the relative contribution of intra- and extracellular fluid to total drip loss. Plasma enzyme activities related to tissue damage (creatine kinase, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase and lactate dehydrogenase) were not influenced by dietary treatments. © 2000 Society of Chemical Industry