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This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary vitamin K (menadione) on bone quality in cage-raised broilers. Three hundred and sixty male broilers were randomly allotted to one of six treatments, with six replicate pens per treatment and 10 chicks per pen. Broilers were fed one of six diets including a control diet or the control diet plus graded levels of vitamin K (0.5 mg/kg, 2 mg/kg, 8 mg/kg, 32 mg/kg and 128 mg/kg). Water and feed were provided ad libitum during the 7-week experimental period. Results indicated that vitamin K supplementation of broilers diets significantly effected bone quality and feed efficacy. The treatment containing vitamin K at 8 mg/kg improved growth performance (during weeks 6-7) and bone quality (during weeks 0-3). In our study, hydroxyapatite binding capacity of serum osteocalciun (during weeks 0-3), bone breaking strength, bone flexibility, bone ash weight increased linearly (P < 0.05) and bone mineral density, bone mineral content increased quadratically (P < 0.05) with increasing supplementation of vitamin K. In conclusion, to gain optimum bone quality and broiler performance, our studies suggest that the concentration of vitamin K in broilers diets should be 8 mg/kg, 2 mg/kg, and 2 mg/kg, for the starter, grower and finisher phases, respectively. Furthermore, it was shown that the starter period is an important phase for improving bone quality. In addition, this study validated the mechanism of vitamin K effects on bone quality. Vitamin K boosts the carboxylation of osteocalcin and decreases the concentration of serum undercarboxylated osteocalcin enhancing hydroxyapatite binding capacity of serum osteocalcin and improving bone quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Twelve crossbred barrows (BW 47 ± 2.81 kg) were fitted with a T-cannula in the terminal ileum an fed one of ten diets containing corn gluten meal, dried distillers grain or dried distillers grain with solubles as the sole protein source, according to a 6 x 6 Latin Square design. Lysine, tryptophan and methionine were, the first, second and third limiting amino acids in these by-products. The ileal apparent digestibility of methionine, tyrosine, leucine and phenylalamine in corn gluten meal was high. The ileal apparent digestibility of tryptophan, tyrosine and leucine differed signficantly in corn gluten meal. The ileal apparent digestibility of amino acids was higher in dried distillers grain with solubles than in dried distillers grain. To predict the ileal apparent digestibility of tryptophan, methionine and threonine linear regression equations were derived. The results suggested that processing technique can influence the ileal apparent digestibility of amino acids in corn by-products. It was concluded that the direct technique cannot accurately determine the ileal apparent digestibility of tryptophan in dried distillers grain with solubles and dried distillers grain, due to its low content. The content of an amino acid in a feedstuff used as the sole source of protein must meet the minimum requirement of pigs when the ileal apparent digestibility of constituent amino acids is determined using the direct technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evaluates the effects of vitamin C supplementation on performance, iron status and immune function of pigs during the post-weaning period. Materials and methods; Results; Discussion of findings.