In vitro and in vivo evaluation of fibrous diets for finishing pigs

• Grant number: 12/02785-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: June 01, 2012
• End date: September 30, 2012
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Animal Husbandry - Animal Nutrition and Feeding
• Principal Investigator: Adibe Luiz Abdalla
• Grantee: Bernardo Berenchtein
• Host Institution: Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura (CENA). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil

Abstract

In addition to the research focusing on nutrition, one of the researchers current concerns of the pig industries is the destination of the waste products produced by animals, as well as to the emission of gaseous pollutants involved in the production chain. Although non-ruminant animals, such as pigs, digest the fibrous fraction of feed differently of ruminants, the dietary fiber has been considered an alternative source of energy in supply energy to this animal species, especially for animals intended for slaughter in termination phases by providing the welfare of pigs, controlling the excessive weight gain which may led to greater adipose tissue deposition and minimize the stress arising from confinement and food restriction. It is important to note that about 5 to 30% of the energy requirement for maintenance can be supplied through the use of short chain volatile fatty acids resulting from the fermentation of dietary fiber in the cecum of the pigs. The purpose of this study is to assess the in vitro digestibility of fibrous diets for pigs, in order to check the efficiency of the microorganisms of the cecum of the pigs in the anaerobic fermentation of fibrous diets, through the gas production technique, as well as the analysis of metabolites, such as short chain volatile fatty acids. Further, it is intended to study the in vivo performance of such diets, including enteric methane emissions and quali-quantification of biogas (methane and carbon dioxide) produced by the waste of pigs fed with conventional diet (maize and soybean meal) compared to diets with the increment of 8% of neutral detergent fiber content for finishing pigs.