BP Diet Research Articles

Influence of the nature of dietary fibre on digestive utilization, some metabolite and hormone profiles and the behaviour of pregnant sows

AbstractThree diets were formulated according to the nature of the fibrous components: a concentrate low fibre diet enriched in starch (diet S, neutral-detergent fibre (NDF) proportionately 0·078 of dry matter (DM)) and two high-fibre diets enriched in either sugar-beet pulp (diet BP, NDF = 0·219 of DM) or wheat bran (diet WB, NDF = 0·187 of DM). In a first experiment, the digestibility of nutrients in these diets were determined using dry sows. In a second experiment, 24 multiparous Large White sows were offered the experimental diets in a 3 x 3 Latin-square design during three 21-day periods over pregnancy in order to evaluate physiological and behavioural effects over the nycthemeral period. On the basis of the first experiment, the daily food supply was adjusted to 2·44, 2·74 and 2-90 kg/day for diets S, BP and WB, respectively, to provide the same amount of metabolizable energy to each treatment. In the hour prior to the meal, the diet effect was nil on plasma levels of glucose, insulin, glucagon and non-esterified fatty acid and limited on cortisol plasma level. After the food delivery, the peak responses of glucose and insulin to the meal were delayed in sows given the BP diet, while their level showed a higher increase for S than for WB and BP diets. Sows offered diet BP spent less time standing than sows offered diet S. The occurrence of non-feeding oral activities over the 45 min following food distribution was significantly reduced with fibrous diets. But no difference appeared during the 45-min period following the end of each meal. It was concluded that the incorporation of beet pulp in the diet was more effective than wheat bran in extending the feeding activity and the absorption of nutrients. The diet effect was limited to the 2 h after the food delivery for these sows given a restricted amount of food.

Growth performance and apparent nutrient digestibility in weaned piglets offered wheat-, barley- or sugar-beet pulp-based diets supplemented with food enzymes

AbstractPig studies on non-starch polysaccharides (NSPs) have mainly focused on finishing and breeding animals because their digestive capacity and ability to ferment fibre are considered greater than piglets. In this study, growth and nutrient digestibility, with particular reference to NSP constituent monomers, were evaluated in piglets offered contrasting sources of NSPs. The potential for enhancing growth performance and digestibility with exogenous food enzymes (xylanase, amylase, pectinase and beta-glucanase) was investigated. A total of 240 piglets weaned at 28 days of age, in groups of six, were allocated to six treatments in a 3×2 factorial design, diet type (W, B and SBP) by enzyme supplementation (–v. +). Diet W was wheat based and formulated to supply 14 MJ digestible energy (DE) per kg. In diets B and SBP, DE was reduced to 13·25 MJ/kg by replacing wheat with barley (708 g/kg) or with 185 g/kg dried unmolassed sugar beet pulp. Growth was monitored over 4 weeks. Digestibility of diets B–, B+, SBP– and SBP+ was evaluated in 16 piglets, in groups of four, using a 4×4 Latin-square design. In the growth study, mean initial and final piglet weights were 8·1 (s.e. 0·09) and 18·0 (s.e. 0·21) kg. Piglet health remained satisfactory and food intake averaged 523 (s.e. 6·7) g/day. There were no consistent and significant effects of diet type on food intake, live-weight gain or food conversion, except in week 1 when gain on diet W was higher than on diets B and SBP, 191 v. 150 v. 125 g/day, respectively (s.e.d. 20·0, P < 0·05). Enzyme supplements enhanced the conversion of food to gain over 4 weeks (1·56 v. 1·50:1, s.e.d. 0·030, P < 0·05). Piglets given diet SBP produced faeces with a lower dry-matter content (181 v. 246 g/kg, s.e.d. 10·8, P < 0·001) but with no visual evidence of a nutritionally induced diarrhoea. There were no significant differences in apparent faecal digestibility coefficients (AFDC) for dry matter, crude protein and gross energy between diets B and SBP. AFDC for soluble, insoluble and total NSP constituent monomers were higher (P < 0·001) in diet SBP. Soluble uronic acids were the most readily digested NSP constituents in diet SBP, showing a mean AFDC of 0·96 (s.e. 0·005). Apparent faecal digestibility was not an appropriate indicator for supplementary enzyme activity in the intact digestive tract of piglets given diets rich in fermentable NSPs. Piglets given the diets supplemented with enzymes excreted increased concentrations of urinary pentoses, especially arabinose (0·113 v. 0·136 mg/ml, s.e.d. 0·0107, P < 0·05). Urinary arabinose and xylose concentrations were also increased (V < 0·001) with feeding SBP, indicating that some of the microbially released NSP sugars escaped fermentation and were directly absorbed. In conclusion, piglets were able to use simple diets, containing high and contrasting sources of NSPs to support satisfactory rates of live-weight gain. Supplementation with NSP degrading enzymes enhanced the conversion of food to live-weight gain. Urinary NSP derived sugars provided indirect evidence of NSP hydrolysis by supplementary enzymes and gut microbes.

Feeding motivation in pregnant sows: effects of fibrous diets in an operant conditioning procedure

The effect of fibrous diets fed to pregnant sows on their feeding motivation was studied by an operant conditioning procedure. Fifteen multiparous pregnant sows were assigned to three dietary treatments, which differed in the nature of the fibrous components, according to a 3×3 Latin square design. Each sow received consecutively during three 3-week periods a concentrate low fibre diet, enriched in starch (S diet: 2.44 kg/day), and two high-fibre diets, each based on one of these major fibre sources: sugar beet-pulp (BP diet: 2.74 kg/day) and wheat bran (WB diet: 2.90 kg/day). All diets provided the same daily metabolisable energy supply of 33.4 MJ. Two 45-min operant conditioning sessions were performed 4.5 and 23 h after the meal on d16 of each 3-week period. Whatever the diet, no differences in the number of rewards received by sows were recorded 4.5 and 23 h after the single meal ( P>0.05). In addition, there was no effect of time elapsed since food delivery on the feeding motivation of sows. In conclusion, there is no evidence that high-fibre diets reduce feeding motivation as measured by an operant conditioning technique over a medium and a long-term period after a meal. The use of operant tests to measure motivation is considered in the discussion.

Feedlot Performance and Carcass Characteristics of Local and Cross-bred (Local X Chios) F1sheep fed on By-products-based Diet

Abstract El, Hag, M.G. and Al-Shargi, K.M. 1995. Feedlot performance and carcass characteristics of local and cross-bred (local X Chios) sheep fed on by products-based diet. J. Appl. Anim. Res: 8: 197–202. Feedlot performance and carcass characteristics of growing local and cross-bred (local X Chios) sheep were studied using a by product based (BP) diet and a commercial concentrate diet (General ruminant, 14% CP), produced by Oman Flow Mill. The BP diet was based on 33% Date leaves + Rachis: 15% Date syrup by-product (DSBP) and 12% fish sardine (60% local by-products). BP diet was more fibrous (17.5% CF) than the concentrate diet (7.8% CF). In general feed intake as well as feed efficiency from both BP and concentrate diets were similar. Cross-bred sheep gained significantly (P 0.05) between diets for daily gain. Dressing percent of empty body weight and longissimus dorsi area was unaffected by both diets or breeds. BP diet was che...

Weaning of hatchery-bred milkfish larvae from live food to artificial diets

Two-week old milkfish larvae (7.5 mm standard length, 2.3 mg wet body weight) previously fed only rotifers were weaned abruptly to six artificial diets (commercial feed TP, artificial plankton AS and BP, experimental SEAFDEC diets CT and CB, and moist egg diet) with control larvae fed Artemia nauplii. Survival rates ranged from 38% on moist egg diet to 63% on BP, with 42% in the control. On day 43, larvae attained mean lengths of 7.7 mm on moist egg diet to 13.4 mm on Artemia, with no significant differences between diets. The mean wet weights were highest in larvae fed Artemia (77.8 mg), significantly different from those attained on TP and CT, and these in turn significantly higher than those attained on BP, AS, CB and moist egg diet (the last with only 29.7 mg). Results show the feasibility of weaning (gradually) even younger milkfish larvae in hatcheries, using artificial diets.