Effect of virginiamycin on the apparent ileal digestibility of amino acids by growing pigs

The objective of this experiment was to measure the influence of virginiamycin on the apparent ileal digestibility (AID) of AA by growing pigs. Fifteen barrows were surgically equipped with a T-cannula in the distal ileum and used in the experiment (initial BW = 35.0 [+ or -] 2.7 kg). Animals were randomly allotted to 3 dietary treatments with 5 pigs per treatment during a 6-wk experiment. Dietary treatments included 1) a basal corn-soybean meal diet, 2) the basal diet supplemerited with 11 mg/kg of virginiamycin, and 3) the basal diet supplemented with 22 mg/kg of virginiamycin. Pigs were fed their respective treatment diets during wk 2, 3, and 4, but during wk 1, 5, and 6, all pigs were fed the basal diet. Ileal samples were collected on d 6 and 7 of each week. Results showed that the AID of all indispensable AA, except Arg, His, and Ile, increased (P < 0.05) during wk 2, 3, and 4 compared with wk 1 in pigs fed the diet containing 11 mg/kg of virginiamycin. Pigs fed 22 mg/kg of virginiamycin during wk 2, 3, and 4 had increased (P < 0.05) AID of Trp and Val during these weeks compared with the AID in wk 1. However, the increased AID of AA did not carry over to wk 5 and 6, when virginiamycin was withdrawn from the diet, regardless of the inclusion rate. In pooled data from wk 2, 3, and 4, the AID of CP, the mean of all indispensable AA, and Ile, Leu, Met, Phe, Trp, and Val increased (linear, P < 0.05) as virginiamycin was added to the diets, whereas a tendency (P < 0.10) for a linear or quadratic increase was observed for His, Lys, and Thr. These results indicate that addition of virginiamycin to corn-soybean meal diets fed to growing pigs increases the AID of AA, but this effect is not maintained after the removal of virginiamycin from the diet. Key words: amino acid, ileal digestibility, pig, virginiamycin doi: 10.2527/jas.2009-2063