Use of markers to determine the ileal digestibility of amino acids for swine

Paulo Cesar Pozza,Ramalho José Barbosa Rodrigueiro,Magali Soares Santos Pozza,Paulo Cezar Gomes,Ricardo Vianna Nunes,Rony Antônio Ferreira

doi:10.1590/s1413-70542013000300009

Abstract

Many markers can be used in digestibility assays for swine, but needs to be evaluated before its use. An assay was carried out with the objective of measuring the coefficients of ileal apparent (CIAD) and standardized digestibility (CISD) of amino acids in meat and bone meal for swine using different markers. Eight crossbred barrows were equipped with T-cannulas in the distal ileum. Four animals received a free protein diet and another four received a diet containing meat and bone meal as the only protein source in the diet. The treatments consisted in evaluating the chromic oxide, acid-insoluble ash naturally occurring in the diet, cellulose and lignin as markers to determine the apparent and standardized digestibility of the amino acids contained in the meat and bone meal. All data were submitted to analysis of variance and means were compared using the Tukey test, with a significance of 5%. The CIAD, obtained using chromic oxide as external marker, were lower (P<0.05) than those obtained when acid insoluble ash, lignin and cellulose were used as markers, observing differences for all the amino acids evaluated. Similarly, the CISD from all the studied amino acids were lower (P<0.05) when the chromic oxide was used for determining the indigestibility factor. It is concluded that chromic oxide used as a external marker, to determine the coefficients of apparent and standardized ileal digestibility of the amino acids of the meat and bone meal, is most appropriate than the acid insoluble ash naturally occurring in diets, lignin and cellulose.

Highlights

The use of digestible amino acid in diets formulation for swine is a necessary practice to achieve the maximum animal’s performance in the different stages of production
A comparison of the coefficients of apparent ileal digestibility of amino acids using chromic oxide, acid insoluble ash, lignin and cellulose as markers is presented in table 3
The results obtained using chromic oxide as external marker were significantly lower (P

Summary

Introduction

The use of digestible amino acid in diets formulation for swine is a necessary practice to achieve the maximum animal’s performance in the different stages of production. Contained in the diet and digesta, as their amounts consumed and excreted, being necessary the estimative of these amounts when working on partial collection In this way, the use of markers is necessary to determine the ileal digestibility of amino acids for swine, using the amount of marker contained in the diet and digesta (SAKOMURA; ROSTAGNO, 2007) and, according to Berchielli, Oliveira and Garcia (2005), marker is the term used to refer to materials used in qualitative or quantitative estimation of nutritional or physiological phenomena related to digestion. Markers are considered as inert substances that are not absorbed, thereby, as amino acids and other nutrients are absorbed in the small intestine the indicator concentration in the digesta tends to increase, compared with its concentration in the evaluated diet. These markers can be divided into internal, represented by indigestible substances present in the diet, or externals, when they are intentionally added to the diet

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Results