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Supplementation of pharmacological levels of ZnO (3000 ppm) is widely used for prevention and treatment of diarrhea in weaning piglets and to improve their performance. However, this practice has raised concerns about environmental impact, antimicrobial resistance and nutritional interactions. In this study we compared graded amounts of regular ZnO to equivalent levels of potentiated ZnO (HiZox), added to the piglet’s diets. Our aim was to assess possible advantages of different Zn sources as well as a reduction potential regarding the supplemented dose. Therefore, 1440 piglets (initial BW 10.1 ± 1.55 kg) were randomly allotted to 12 dietary treatments: supplementation of 150, 300, 600, 900, 1500 and 3000 ppm of Zn from regular ZnO or equivalent from HiZox. From day 1 to day 14, piglets were fed dietary treatments accordingly; from day 15 to day 28 all groups received HiZox at 150 ppm. Performance was recorded on d 1, 14 and 28 on trial.The highest (P < 0.001) ADG was observed for piglets fed HiZox at 3000 ppm (247 g/d), while HiZox at 900 ppm and regular ZnO at 3000 ppm presented the same ADG values. The subsequent 14-day levelling to 150 ppm of HiZox led on average to similar body weight gains (ZnO: 7.05 kg; HiZox: 6.93 kg). ADFI increased (P < 0.001) in the first 14 d of trial with increasing Zn levels for both sources. Comparison of ZnO at 3000 ppm and HiZox at 900 ppm showed similar effects on improving fecal consistency during the first two weeks after weaning, which may be due to the more effective surface specific area of HiZox than regular ZnO. In conclusion, HiZox at 900 ppm can be used for improving growth performance and fecal consistency during the first two weeks after weaning as an alternative to the pharmacological level of regular ZnO.

An experiment was conducted to test the hypothesis that inclusion of Cu oxide (Cu2O) in diets for growing–finishing pigs improves body weight (BW) and bone mineralization, and reduces accumulation of Cu in the liver compared with pigs fed diets containing Cu sulfate (CuSO4). Two hundred growing pigs (initial BW: 11.5 ± 0.98 kg) were allotted to a randomized complete block design with 2 blocks of 100 pigs, 5 dietary treatments, 5 pigs per pen, and a total of 8 pens per treatment. Treatments included the negative control (NC) diet that contained 20 mg Cu/kg, and 4 diets in which 125 or 250 mg Cu/kg from CuSO4 or Cu2O were added to the NC diet. The experiment was divided into 4 phases and concluded when pigs reached market weight. Pig weights were recorded on day 1 and at the end of each phase and feed provisions were recorded throughout the experiment. On the last day of phases 1 and 4, 1 pig per pen was sacrificed to obtain samples of liver and spleen tissue, and the right metacarpal was collected. Results indicated that pigs fed diets containing 250 mg Cu/kg from CuSO4 had greater BW at the end of phases 1 and 2 than pigs fed NC diets. Pigs fed diets containing 250 mg Cu/kg from Cu2O had greater (P < 0.05) BW at the end of phases 1, 2, 3, and 4 compared with pigs fed NC diets, and these pigs also had greater BW at the end of phases 3 and 4 than pigs fed all other diets. Pigs fed the diets with 250 mg Cu/kg tended to have greater (P < 0.10) feed intake than pigs fed the NC diet at the end of phase 2, and for the overall experimental period, pigs fed diets containing 250 mg Cu/kg from Cu2O had greater (P < 0.05) feed intake than pigs on all other treatments. However, no differences in gain:feed ratio were observed among treatments. Copper accumulation in liver and spleen increased with Cu dose, but at the end of phase 1, pigs fed 250 mg Cu/kg from CuSO4 had greater (P < 0.05) Cu concentration in liver and spleen than pigs fed 250 mg Cu/kg from Cu2O. Pigs fed diets containing 250 mg Cu/kg from Cu2O had greater (P < 0.05) quantities of bone ash and greater (P < 0.05) concentrations of Ca, P, and Cu in bone ash than pigs fed NC diets or the 2 diets containing CuSO4, but Zn concentration in bone ash was less (P < 0.05) in pigs fed diets containing 250 mg Cu/kg from Cu2O. To conclude, supplementing diets for growing pigs with Cu2O improves growth performance and bone mineralization with less Cu accumulation in liver compared with pigs fed diets containing CuSO4.

Simple Summary Pigs and poultry, similar to humans, need regular consumption of zinc, copper, and manganese for normal functioning. To ensure adequate dietary intake, and prevent deficiency, their diets are supplemented with sufficient, often excessive, levels of these minerals or even at higher levels, which have been associated with improvements in their health and/or growth. However, if provided in excess, mineral quantities beyond those required are simply excreted from the animal, which is associated with negative consequences for the environment and even the development of antimicrobial resistance. Therefore, it is of great interest to better understand the dynamics of zinc, copper, and manganese in the intestine of pigs and poultry following consumption of supplemented diets, and how the requirements and benefits related to these minerals can be optimized and negative impacts minimized. The intestine of pigs and poultry contains vast numbers of microorganisms, notably bacteria, that continually interact with, and influence, their host. This review explores the influence of zinc, copper, and manganese on these interactions and how novel forms of these minerals have the potential to maximize their delivery and benefits, while limiting any negative consequences. Abstract Zinc, copper, and manganese are prominent essential trace (or micro) minerals, being required in small, but adequate, amounts by pigs and poultry for normal biological functioning. Feed is a source of trace minerals for pigs and poultry but variable bioavailability in typical feed ingredients means that supplementation with low-cost oxides and sulphates has become common practice. Such trace mineral supplementation often provides significant ‘safety margins’, while copper and zinc have been supplemented at supra-nutritional (or pharmacological) levels to improve health and/or growth performance. Regulatory mechanisms ensure that much of this oversupply is excreted by the host into the environment, which can be toxic to plants and microorganisms or promote antimicrobial resistance in microbes, and thus supplying trace minerals more precisely to pigs and poultry is necessary. The gastrointestinal tract is thus central to the maintenance of trace mineral homeostasis and the provision of supra-nutritional or pharmacological levels is associated with modification of the gut environment, such as the microbiome. This review, therefore, considers recent advances in understanding the influence of zinc, copper, and manganese on the gastrointestinal environment of pigs and poultry, including more novel, alternative sources seeking to maintain supra-nutritional benefits with minimal environmental impact.

There are several Cu sources in the market that have different effects on pigs. We hypothesized that supplementing therapeutic doses of Cu(I)oxide (Cu2O) in diets for growing pigs improves body weight (BW), bone mineralization, and reduces Cu accumulation in liver than supplementing pigs with Cu sulfate (CuSO4). Two-hundred growing pigs (initial BW: 11.5 ± 0.98 kg) were randomly allotted to 5 dietary treatments. Dietary treatments included the negative control (NC) diet without Cu supplementation, and 4 diets in which 125 or 250 mg/kg of Cu from CuSO4 or Cu2O were added to the NC diet. The experiment was divided into 4 phases. Pig weights were recorded on d 1 and at the end of each phase. Eight pigs per treatment were sacrificed last d of phases 1 and 4 to obtain samples of liver, spleen, and the right metacarpal. Pigs fed diets containing 250 mg/kg of Cu2O had greater (P < 0.05) BW at the end of phases 1 and 2 than pigs fed the NC diet, and tended (P < 0.10) to have greater BW at the end of phases 3 and 4 than pigs fed the other diets. Copper accumulation in liver and spleen increased with Cu dose, but at the end of phase 1, pigs fed 250 mg/kg CuSO4 had greater (P < 0.05) Cu concentration in liver and spleen than pigs fed 250 mg/kg Cu2O. Pigs fed diets containing 250 mg/kg Cu2O had greater (P < 0.05) quantities of bone ash and greater (P < 0.05) concentrations of Ca, P, and Cu in bone ash than pigs fed the NC diets or diets containing CuSO4. Therefore, supplementing diets for growing pigs with therapeutic doses of Cu2O improves BW and bone mineralization with less Cu accumulation in liver compared with pigs fed diets containing CuSO4.

A síntese proteica muscular em suínos é essencial para promover o ganho de carne marga. Entretanto, é um processo complexo que envolve inúmeras enzimas, proteínas ribossomais e pode ser influenciado por diversos fatores, de ordem ambiental, nutricional e hormonal. Neste sentido, os hormônios sexuais podem exercer ação anabólica na síntese proteica, levando a diferentes taxas de deposição muscular em machos castrados, machos inteiros e fêmeas. Com o intuito de aproveitar o efeito anabólico da testosterona, a imunocastração vem sendo cada vez mais difundida na suinocultura, levando machos imunocastrados a apresentarem desempenho e características de carcaça semelhantes a machos inteiros. De forma geral, o sexo parece desempenhar um importante papel na síntese proteica. Isso confere diferentes exigências de aminoácidos, em machos inteiros, fêmeas e machos castrados, devido às diferenças na deposição de proteína na carcaça.

A proteína é o componente que mais interfere no crescimento animal, influenciando parâmetros como o ganho de peso, o consumo diário de ração e a conversão alimentar. Este componente orgânico esta constituído por unidades polimerizadas de aminoácidos, que são classificados em aminoácidos essenciais e não essenciais. Os aminoácidos de cadeia ramificada (leucina, valina e isoleucina) fazem parte do grupo dos aminoácidos essenciais caracterizados por sua estrutura de cadeias laterais ramificadas, são oxidados como combustível principalmente pelos tecidos muscular, adiposo, renal e encefálico, tendo a capacidade de influenciar diretamente a síntese de proteína, além de possuir um efeito sinérgico com a insulina para estimular a captação de glicose pelas células. Estas características interessam aos nutricionistas que tem como objetivo otimizar dietas para suínos que permitam atender os requerimentos nutricionais dos animais, melhorando os parâmetros produtivos e evitando excessos de ingredientes nas dietas para diminuir a poluição ambiental. O objetivo desta revisão é facilitar o conhecimento e importância dos aminoácidos de cadeia ramificada na nutrição de suínos.

This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of different levels of standardized ileal digestible (SID) methionine + cystine (Met+Cys) and vitamin B6 supplementation on the performance, blood variables, and gene expression of enzymes involved in methionine metabolism in female pigs between 75 and 100 kg. Fifty six female pigs were used (Talent × Topigs 20), averaging 75.06±1.68 kg in initial weight, allotted in a completely randomized block design arranged in a 2 × 4 factorial scheme, composed of two vitamin B6 supplementation levels (1.58 and 3.58 mg/kg) and four levels of SID Met+Cys (0.370, 0.470, 0.570, and 0.670%), with seven replicates and one animal per experimental unit. No interactions between vitamin B6 supplementation and SID Met+Cys levels were observed. The levels of SID Met+Cys and vitamin B6 supplementation did not affect animal performance. Triacylglycerols showed a quadratic response to the SID Met+Cys levels, in which the lowest plasma concentration was estimated as 0.575%. Treatments did not affect the expression of the methionine synthase and cystathionine-γ-lyase enzymes or serum homocysteine levels. The SID Met+Cys requirement for female pigs from 75 to 100 kg is equal to or lower than 10.60 g/day, which corresponds to the level of 0.370% Met+Cys in the diet and a relationship 0.48% with the SID lysine.

International audience; The objective of this study was to calculate the environmental impact of raising pigs fed diets with 192, 182, 172, or 162 g kg−1 crude protein (CP) from 15 to 30 kg live weight, using a life cycle assessment (LCA) based on either predicted or observed performance and excretion data. The predicted data were calculated for two animal profiles: one with feed intake and weight gain data being representative of the national Brazilian average (yp-AVG), and the other being representative of the specific experimental farm conditions (yp-SPC). Performance and excretion of pigs were either measured (yobs) or predicted (yp) for each CP scenario by using InraPorc® model and LCA impacts were calculated from these data. The yp and yobs data of performance, nutrient excretion, and LCA were then compared using a Bayesian paired approach. Whatever the calculation methods, the decrease in dietary CP reduced the environmental impacts per kilogram of weight gain on acidification potential (AP), eutrophication potential (EP), and land occupation. Predicted data from yp-SPC did not differ from yobs data except for nitrogen excretion and AP and EP impacts. Predicted data from yp-AVG differed from yobs for all criteria except for body weight gain, phosphorus excreted, and cumulative energy demand, mainly because of the lower feed conversion ratio for average data. It was concluded that the use of predicted data calculated from specific farm indicators could better explain the environmental impact of pig farming in Brazil compared with the use of national average indicators.; L’objectif de cette étude était de calculer l’impact environnemental de l’élevage de porcelets recevant des aliments contenant 192, 182, 172 ou 162 g kg−1 de matières azotées totales (CP — « crude protein ») entre 15 et 30 kg de poids vif, à l’aide de l’une analyse du cycle de vie (LCA — « life cycle assessment ») réalisée soit à partir de données prédites ou de données observées. Les données prédites ont été calculées pour deux profils animaux : l’un avec les données de consommation et de gain de poids représentatives de la moyenne nationale (yp-AVG) et l’autre représentatif des conditions expérimentales (yp-SPC). Les performances et l’excrétion des porcelets ont été mesurés (yobs) et simulés (yp) pour chaque scénario de CP en utilisant le modèle InraPorc® et l’impact environnemental a été calculé par ACV à partir de ces données. Les données yp et yobs de performance, d’excrétion et de LCA ont été comparées en utilisant une approche bayésienne. Quelle que soit la méthode de calcul, la réduction de la teneur en CP diminuait les impacts acidification (AP — « acidification potential »), eutrophisation (EP — « eutrophication potential ») et utilisation de surface. Les données prédites par yp-SPC ne différaient pas des celles prédites par yobs, mis-à-part pour l’azote excrété et les impacts AP et EP. Les données prédites par yp-AVG différaient de celles prédites par yobs pour toutes les variables mis-à-par pour le gain de poids, le phosphore excrété et l’impact demande en énergie, vraisemblablement en raison du plus faible indice de consommation. Ces résultats indiquent que l’utilisation de données prédites à partir d’indicateurs spécifiques à une exploitation ou à une zone de production permettrait de mieux évaluer l’impact environnemental de l’élevage de porcs au Brésil, par rapport à l’utilisation d’indicateurs nationaux moyens.

Traditional Iberian pig production is characterized by outdoor systems that produce animals fed with natural resources. The aim of this study was to assess the environmental impacts of such systems through Life Cycle Assessment. Environmental impacts were analysed per kilogram of live weight at farm gate. Iberian pig production in montanera had the lowest impacts for climate change (CC), acidification (AC), eutrophication (EU) and cumulative energy demand (CED), being 3.4 kg CO2 eq, 0.091 molc H+ eq, 0.046 kg PO43&minus, eq, and 20.7 MJ, respectively, due to the strict use of natural resources (acorns and grass) during the fattening period. As Iberian farms had a greater dependence on compound feed in cebo campo, environmental impacts on CC, AC, EU and CED were 22, 17, 95 and 28% higher, respectively, than with montanera. For land occupation (LO), however, cebo campo had a lower impact (31.6 m2&middot, year) than montanera (43.0 m2&middot, year) system. Traditional Iberian pig production systems have environmental impacts higher than conventional systems studied in literature but are similar to other traditional systems. Based on the present assessment, it is necessary to account for the contribution of emissions resulting from the consumption of natural resources to avoid the underestimation of environmental impacts.

Context Methionine (Met) is an essential amino acid in pig diets. However, high blood homocysteine concentration, a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, can arise from high dietary Met intake and may indicate an imbalance in the Met cycle. Vitamin B6 acts as a cofactor for enzymes associated with the trans-sulfuration pathway, considered the major elimination route of excess homocysteine. Aims We evaluated the effects of different levels of dietary Met and vitamin B6 supplementation and their interaction with respect to growth performance, blood parameters and metabolic-enzyme gene expression of finishing pigs. Methods Fifty-six crossbred barrows, averaging 75.11 ± 1.84 kg bodyweight (BW), were assigned in a completely randomised block design arranged in a 2 × 4 factorial with two levels of vitamin B6 supplementation (1.58 and 3.58 mg/kg) and four levels of standardised ileal digestible (SID) Met + cystine (Cys) (0.35%, 0.45%, 0.55 and 0.65%), with seven replicates and one animal per pen, for an average duration of 26 days. BW of each pig and quantity of experimental diets on-offer and consumed were recorded at the beginning and end of the experiment. Plasma concentrations of glucose, urea, total proteins, creatinine and triacylglycerol were determined by the colourimetric method, and serum homocysteine by chemiluminescence. Gene expression was measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Key results No interactions (P > 0.05) between vitamin B6 supplementation and SID Met + Cys levels were observed for growth performance, blood parameters or metabolic-enzyme gene expression. Higher vitamin B6 supplementation (3.58 mg/kg) improved (P = 0.05) the feed : growth ratio. Treatments did not affect (P > 0.05) expression of the enzymes methionine synthase or cystathionine γ-lyase, and there was a linear increase (P = 0.01) in serum homocysteine levels with increasing dietary Met + Cys. Increasing vitamin B6 supplementation (3.58 mg/kg) in finishing pig diets increased plasma glucose concentration (P = 0.05), but did not mitigate the increase in homocysteine concentration. Conclusions Overall, a dietary SID Met + Cys intake of 10.46 g/day (corresponding to 0.35%) was sufficient for the growth of finishing barrows from 75 to 100 kg BW. Vitamin B6 supplementation at 3.58 mg/kg improved the feed : growth ratio but was not effective for metabolising the increasing homocysteine concentration via the trans-sulfuration pathway. Implications This study provides much needed empirical data on the dietary SID Met + Cys requirements for finishing pigs, and the metabolism of these amino acids.

The selection of animals for improved production traits has been, for a long time, the major driver of pig breeding.More recently, because of the increasing concern with environment, new selection criteria have been explored, such as nitrogen (N) excretion which is related to both feed efficiency and environmental impact. However, many studies indicate that life cycle assessment (LCA) provides much better indicators of environmental impacts. In this context, the objective of this study was to investigate, using a modelling approach, the relationships between production traits and LCA impacts of individual growing pigs. The LCA considered the process of pig fattening, including production and transport of feed ingredients and complete feeds, the raising of pigs, and manure management. Impacts were calculated at farm gate and the functional unit was one kg of body weight gain over fattening. Performances of pigs were simulated for two feeding programs, 2-phases and precision feeding, using InraPorc population model (2,000 pigs per scenario) and considering between-animal variability. The LCA calculations were performed for each pig according to its own performance and N excretion. The CORR procedure (SAS version 9.2) was used to investigate the correlations between LCA impacts and performance and excretion traits. The results indicated that N excretion was positively correlated with feed conversion ratio (FCR; r=+0.94), climate change (CC; r=+0.94), acidification potential (AC; r=+0.96), and eutrophication potential (EU; r=+0.96), whatever the feeding program. Surprisingly, FCR appeared the best indicator of LCA impacts with a very high and positive correlation (r>+0.99) with CC, AC, and EU for both feeding programs. Despite the lower CC, AC, and EU of pig production in a precision feeding program (3, 16 and 11% lower than the 2-phases, respectively), the correlation within each outcome were very similar. It was concluded that the use of FCR as a selection criterion in pig breeding is the most effective way to associate improved performance and low environmental impact of pig fattening.

Two experiments were performed to determine the digestibility of diets with crude protein (CP) reduction supplemented with amino acids (18.15, 17.15, 16.15 and 15.15%) to growing pigs (30–50 kg), to assess the use of nutrients and account for the manure excretion, and to evaluate the performance, backfat thickness, Longissimus lumborum depth, and plasma urea, aiming to evaluate the environmental impact through life cycle assessment (LCA), for the first time in Brazil interacting experiments were developed to evaluate the CP reduction and LCA. The CP reduction resulted in greater daily weight gain (p = 0.011), final weight (p = 0.020), better use of N and P, through the greater N and P retained (p = 0.003 and p = 0.017, respectively). There was a linear reduction in acidification potential (p = 0.015), eutrophication potential (p = 0.001), and land occupation (p = 0.005) when dietary CP decreased from 18.15 to 15.15%. The reduction in CP and supplementation of amino acids in diets for growing pigs (30–50 kg) improved final and daily weight gain. Through LCA, and performance and metabolism data, it was concluded that for the acidification, eutrophication and land occupation categories, impacts were reduced as the protein concentration was reduced.

Life cycle assessment (LCA) has been used in many studies to evaluate the effect of feeding strategy on the environmental impact of pig production. However, because most studies have been conducted in European conditions, the question of possible interactions with the context of production is still under debate. The objective of this study was to evaluate these effects in 2 contrasted geographic contexts of production, South America (Brazil) and Europe (France). The LCA considered the process of pig fattening, including production and transport of feed ingredients and feed, raising of fattening pigs, and manure storage, transport, and spreading. Impacts were calculated at the farm gate, and the functional unit considered was 1 kg of BW gain over the fattening period. The performances of pigs were simulated for each scenario using the InraPorc population model (2,000 pigs per scenario considering between-animal variability). The LCA calculations were performed for each pig according to its own performance and excretion, and the results were subjected to variance analysis. The results indicate that for some impacts there are clear interactions between the effects of the feeding program, the origin of soybean, and the location of production. For climate change, interest in phase feeding and incorporation of crystalline AA (CAA) is limited and even counterproductive in Brazil with soybeans from the South (without deforestation), whereas they appear to be efficient strategies with soybeans from the Center West (with deforestation), especially in France. Rather similar effects, as those for climate change, were observed for cumulative energy demand. Conversely, potential eutrophication and acidification impacts were reduced by phase feeding and CAA addition in a rather similar way in all situations. Individual daily feeding, the only strategy that took into account between-animal variability, was the most effective approach for reducing the life cycle impact of pig fattening in all situations, whereas the potential of phase feeding programs and CAA was dependent on soybean origin and the geographical context of pig production, in contrast with previous results.

The objective of this paper was to investigate the availability of betaine present in fine wheat bran (FWB) in diets for growing pigs. We used thirty crossbred intact males, housed individually in metabolic cages and distributed in a randomized block design, with five treatments and six replicates. Blocks consisted of two periods of 15 days. Average initial body weights were 32.00±1.30 and 44.90±1.32 kg, in the first and second periods, respectively. Treatments were modified only at the level of methionine plus cysteine (Met+Cys) required and the Met+Cys sources, consisting of a negative control (NC), formulated with 80% of Met+Cys requirements, and four positive controls (PC): PCMet - NC supplemented with 1.2 g kg−1 of DL-methionine; PCBet - NC supplemented with 0.9 g kg−1 of anhydrous betaine; PCFWB - diet formulated with FWB; and PCFWB+Met - PCFWB supplemented with 1.0 g kg−1 of DL-methionine. No differences were observed on performance-related variables or on the digestibility coefficient of dry matter. Conversely, the digestibility coefficient of crude energy was lower when pigs were fed FWB and could be associated to the higher fiber content of FWB feeds. Digestible energy of feeds was higher for FWB diets, while the metabolizable energy of FWB diets did not differ from PCMet and PCBet. Nitrogen intake and apparent absorption were lower when pigs were fed FWB, but nitrogen retention, protein utilization, and biological value of the feed protein were the same among PC treatments, indicating that nitrogen from diets was used by pigs with the same efficiency, and is supported by no differences in performance-related variables. The FWB composition showed 12 g of betaine kg−1, which is available to maintain nitrogen retention and performance.

The objective was to evaluate the impact of producing piglets fed diets with different crude protein (CP) levels through life cycle assessment and experimental data. In Trial I (performance), 28 crossbred barrow piglets, with an initial average weight of 15.3 ± 1.15 kg were divided into a randomized block design with four treatments, seven replications and one animal per experimental unit. In Trial II (nitrogen and phosphorus balance), 20 crossbred barrow piglets with an average weight of 21.4 ± 1.62 kg were divided in a randomized block design with four treatments, five replications and one animal per experimental unit. Four experimental feeds were evaluated: HighCP, CP18, CP17 and LowCP, with 19, 18, 17 and 16 % of CP, meeting the requirements of digestible amino acids through industrial amino acid (IAA) addition. From Trial I and II data, the environmental impact was calculated for global warming potential, acidification potential, eutrophication potential, cumulative energy demand, terrestrial ecotoxicity and land occupation (LO). Total nitrogen excretion decreased by 0.226 g d−1 for each 1 g of reduction on daily nitrogen intake. However, there was no statistical difference (p > 0.05) among experimental treatments for all impact categories. For LO, there was a reduction (p = 0.078) of impact with CP reduction, which was 8 % lower with the LowCP diet, in comparison with HighCP. Dietary CP reduction for piglets from 15 to 30 kg, through IAA supplementation, reduced the environmental impact under LO, considering soybean meal from southern Brazil and observed individual data of performance and excretion.

The objective of this study was to evaluate dietary lycopene levels for finishing pigs and its effects on malondialdehyde concentrations and antioxidant power on pork. Eighty pigs (40 barrows and 40 gilts), averaging 75.04 ± 1.6 kg of initial weight, were alloted in a 2x5x4 factorial scheme, consisting of two sexes (barrows and gilts), five lycopene levels (0, 12.5, 25.0, 37.5, 50.0 mg/kg diet) and four storage periods of longissimus dorsimuscle (0, 24, 48 and 72 hours) at 4 °C, and eight replicates. The F test was applied to evaluate the sex effect and the degrees of freedom regarding the lycopene levels and storage period were unfolded in polynomials to fit the regression equations, in order to evaluate the malondialdehyde concentrations and antioxidant power. An interaction (P=0.010) was observed between storage periods and dietary lycopene levels. The unfolding of the interaction (lycopene x period) showed a decreasing concentration of malondialdehyde concentration as the dietary lycopene increased, at all storage periods. A linear increase of malondialdehyde concentration in the longissimus dorsi muscle was observed as the storage period increased, for all the lycopene levels evaluated. However, the percentage of DPPH radical inhibition reduced (P=0.001) up to 72 h, represented by the equations Ŷ= 0.0594x + 39.70 (R(2)=0.97) and Ŷ= 0.0005x(2) - 0.0956x + 39.99 (R(2)=1.00), but the derivation of the quadratic equation overestimated the storage time (95.6 h). Additionally, there was a linear increase (P=0.001) in the capture of DPPH radical by antioxidants, as the dietary lycopene increased (Ŷ= 0.0428x + 36.50; R(2)=0.96). It is concluded that the longissimus dorsi muscle oxidation increased over the days of storage and the inclusion of 50.0 mg of lycopene/kg of diet was more effective to protect pork against oxidation.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the standardized ileal digestible (SID) valine and SID leucine levels on performance, backfat thickness, longissimus dorsi depth, and biochemical blood parameters of starting gilts. A total of 72 gilts, with initial weight of 15.16±1.15 kg, were distributed in a randomized block design in a 2 × 4 factorial scheme, comprised of two SID leucine levels (1.20 and 1.77%) and four SID valine levels (0.58, 0.73, 0.88, and 1.03%), with nine replicates and one animal per experimental unit. No interactions were observed for growth performance parameters. Final weight and average daily gain presented linear and quadratic effects. Setting data to the quadratic model associated with the Linear Response Plateau model, the optimal level of SID valine for average daily gain was achieved at 0.703%. A quadratic effect was also observed for average daily feed intake (ADFI), estimating the highest ADFI at 0.822% of SID valine. No branched chain amino acid (BCAA) effects were observed for backfat thickness, longissimus dorsi depth, and lean meat percentage. The interaction between levels of BCAA showed that the highest SID leucine levels (1.77%) provided a high plasma urea concentration only at low SID valine levels (0.58 and 0.73%). The SID valine requirement of starting gilts for a maximum average daily gain is achieved at 0.703%, corresponding to 9.72 g day−1, and is not affected by SID leucine levels currently used in conventional diets.

Environmental impacts of livestock systems, especially pig production, have come under increasing debate in recent years. The challenge is in meeting the growing demand for food at an affordable cost, without compromising environmental integrity. Previous studies have shown that feed production is responsible for the majority of CO2-eq. emission resulting from pig farming systems. This seems to indicate that feed strategies could be an effective tool to achieve the sustainability of the pork chain. Therefore, dietary crude protein reduction, through the addition of industrial amino acids, lessens the nitrogen excretion by pigs and, consequently, could mitigate the effects on the environment of pig production. In this sense, to effectively evaluate the environmental impacts of pig production systems, life cycle assessment has been widely used in agriculture, but the effects of feed are still understudied in Brazilian conditions. Owing to the importance and the great concern in this research area, we presented in this paper an updated review focusing on the nutritional techniques and their potential to reduce the global warming potential of pig production, considering both the direct effects, related to the choice of feed ingredients and the indirect effects, related to changes in the efficiency of use of nutrient by the animals., O impacto ambiental da produção animal, especialmente da suinocultura, vêm sendo objeto de crescente debate nos últimos anos. O desafio é atender a crescente demanda por alimentos a um custo acessível, mas sem comprometer a integridade ambiental. Estudos vêm demonstrando que a produçao de rações é responsável pela maior parte das emissões de CO2-eq. do sistema de produção de suínos. Isso parece indicar que estratégias de alimentação podem ser ferramentas eficientes para alcançar a sustentabilidade da cadeia suinícola. Dessa forma, a redução do conteúdo de proteína bruta da dieta através da inclusão de aminoácidos industriais, leva à diminuição da excreção de nitrogênio em suínos e, consequentemente, pode mitigar o impacto ambiental do sistema de produção de suínos. Neste sentido, para avaliação efetiva do impacto ambiental do sistema produtivo, a análise do ciclo de vida vem sendo amplamente utilizada na agricultura, mas os efeitos da alimentação ainda são pouco estudados nas condições brasileiras. Devido a importância e a grande preocupação nesta área de pesquisa, este artigo trás uma revisão atualizada com foco nas técnicas de nutrição e principalmente no seu potencial em reduzir o potencial de aquecimento global da produção de suínos, considerando ambos os efeitos diretos, relacionados à escolha dos ingredientes da ração, e os efeitos indiretos, relacionados às mudanças na eficiência de uso de nutrientes pelos animais.

This study aimed to evaluate, through life cycle assessment and using experimental data, the environmental impacts of growing pigs’ production (30 to 50 kg) fed diets with reduced crude protein (CP) levels, and supplemented with industrial amino acids. Experiment I (nitrogen and phosphorus balance): 20 crossbred barrows, averaging 31.80 ± 2.39 kg of initial body weight, were housed in metabolic cages and allotted in a randomized block design with four treatments, five replicates and one animal per experimental unit. Experiment II (performance): 44 crossbred barrows, averaging 30.10 ± 0.63 kg of initial body weight, were housed in a randomized block design, with four treatments, 11 replicates and one animal per experimental unit. The treatments for both experiments consisted of four diets containing 18.15, 17.15, 16.15 and 15.15% of CP, and supplemented with industrial amino acids, in order to meet the pig’s requirements of SID amino acids. According to the obtained data (Experiments I and II), the environmental impacts for global warming potential (GWP), acidification potential (AC), eutrophication potential (EU), cumulative energy demand (CED), terrestrial ecotoxicity (TE) and land occupation (LO), per kg of body weight gain, were calculated (CML 2001 method). There was a reduction in some studied environmental impacts as the dietary CP reduced from 18.15 to 15.15%, observing a reduction in the AC from 35.34 to 31.58 g SO2-eq (P = 0.015), there was also a reduction in the EU from 11.90 to 10.31 g PO4-eq (P = 0.001), and the LO was reduced from 2.15 to 1.89 m2-year (P = 0.005), respectively. GWP, CED and TE were not affected (P > 0.05) by the dietary CP reduction, although some variations were observed. It was concluded that the dietary CP reduction, supplementing with industrial amino acids, may help to mitigate the environmental impacts caused by growing pig production for the AC, EU and LO categories.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of reducing dietary nutrient content for pigs from 25 to 130 kg live weight, on performance, carcass traits, meat quality and environmental impact. Forty gilts and 40 barrows were distributed in a randomized block design with two treatments and 10 replications per treatment, with four animals per experimental unit. The feeding program was in four phases. Two diets were formulated for each feeding phase. One was adjusted using the InraPorc® model to minimize crude protein, amino acid and phosphorus excess (LN), and the other (ST) was formulated with standard Brazilian recommendations. No differences were found on performance. The mean ADG and ADFI were 0.919 and 2.46 kg/day, respectively. Carcass characteristics and meat quality were also not affected by the experimental diets. The average total feed cost was 6.8% lower (P

EnglishOptimizing nutrient efficiency is essential in order to increase sustainability of pig production systems, especially where the growing demand for food must be met at an affordable cost, without compromising environmental resources. To make this happen, it is necessary to develop efficient methods to accurately estimate the nutritional requirements of animals, as well as develop equipment and systems that allow for applying such expertise in the production system. Estimating the nutritional requirement of pigs through mathematical models, considering several factors that can impact the requirement, is a key factor to reduce the environmental load from pig production. Likewise, feed formulation and feeding programs, can help to achieve this. In this context, increasing the number of feeding phases in pig production, as well as precision feeding techniques, may be a tool to the esure adequacy of nutritional requirements, since its use can bring economic and environmental benefits. Key words: diet formulation; environmental impact; modelling; nutritional requirement; pig portuguesOtimizar a eficiencia nutricional e essencial para aumentar a sustentabilidade do sistema de producao de suinos, especialmente em um momento onde a crescente demanda por alimentos deve ser atendida a um custo acessivel, mas sem comprometer os recursos ambientais. Para tornar isso possivel, e necessario o desenvolvimento de metodos eficientes e acurados para estimar as exigencias nutricionais dos animais, bem como o desenvolvimento de equipamentos e sistemas que permitam aplicar esses metodos no sistema produtivo. Estimar as exigencias nutricionais de suinos atraves de modelos matematicos, considerando os varios fatores que impactam as exigencias, pode ser um fator chave para reduzir a carga ambiental da suinocultura. Da mesma forma, formulacoes de racoes e programas de alimentacao podem auxiliar a alcancar isso. Neste contexto, o aumento do numero de fases de alimentacao na producao de suinos, bem como as tecnicas de alimentacao de precisao, podem ser ferramentas para a adequacao das exigencias nutricionais, uma vez que proporcionam beneficios economicos e ambientais. Palavras-chave: formulacao de racoes; impacto ambiental; modelagem; exigencia nutricional; suino

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o valor nutricional e energético de subprodutos do trigo, em dietas para suínos em crescimento, e obter equações de predição da energia metabolizável. Foram utilizados 36 suínos machos, castrados, alojados em gaiolas metabólicas individuais. Realizou-se a coleta total de fezes e urina em dois períodos de dez dias: cinco para adaptação e cinco para coleta. Utilizou-se o delineamento de blocos ao acaso, tendo-se considerado o período de coleta como bloco, com seis tratamentos e seis repetições. A dieta referência foi substituída em 30% por um dos subprodutos testados: farinheta, farelo fino, farelo de trigo, farelo grosso e farelo grosso moído; este último usado para avaliar a influência da granulometria na digestibilidade. A fibra bruta foi a variável que proporcionou a melhor estimativa da energia metabolizável. O farelo fino foi superior em energia digestível e metabolizável, em comparação ao farelo grosso moído. O farelo grosso moído apresentou os menores coeficientes de digestibilidade, e a diminuição de seu diâmetro geométrico médio não aumentou a digestibilidade dos nutrientes e da energia. Entre os subprodutos avaliados, a farinheta apresenta maior energia digestível, energia metabolizável e proteína digestível, o que mostra elevado potencial para utilização em dietas para suínos em crescimento. The objective of this work was to evaluate nutritional and energy values of wheat by‑products in diets for growing pigs, and to obtain prediction equations for metabolizable energy. Thirty‑six male pigs were housed in individual metabolic cages. Total collection of feces and urine was carried out in two periods of ten days: five days for adaptation and five days for collection. A randomized complete block design was used, considering the sampling period as a block, with six treatments and six replicates. The reference diet was replaced by 30% of one of the tested by‑products: wheat middlings, fine wheat bran, common wheat bran, coarse wheat bran, and ground coarse wheat bran; the latter was used to evaluate the influence of particle size on digestibility. Crude fiber was the variable that provided the best estimate of metabolizable energy. Fine wheat bran was superior in terms of digestible and metabolizable energy, when compared to coarse wheat bran. Ground coarse wheat bran showed lower digestibility coefficients, and the reduction in its average geometric diameter did not increase nutrient availability. Among the evaluated by‑products, wheat middlings have higher digestible energy, metabolizable energy, and digestible protein, showing high potential use in diets for growing pigs.