Alternative source of methionine for pigs in the growing and finishing phases

• Grant number: 24/18324-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: March 01, 2025
• End date: February 28, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Animal Husbandry - Animal Nutrition and Feeding
• Principal Investigator: Cesar Augusto Pospissil Garbossa
• Grantee: Henrique Rafael Geremias
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia (FMVZ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Methionine is an essential sulfur-containing amino acid and the third limiting factor for pigs, playing fundamental roles in the metabolism and protein synthesis of these animals. For this reason, it is common to supplement the diets of these animals with synthetic sources, primarily DL-Methionine (DL-Met) and hydroxy analog of methionine. Although these sources are efficient, issues related to cost and availability may limit their use, leading the animal nutrition industry to seek alternative sources of methionine. In this context, herbal methionine of plant origin has been studied as a promising option, highlighting its potential to reduce costs while maintaining efficiency in zootechnical performance and meat quality. However, studies evaluating the efficacy of herbal methionine during the growing and finishing phases of pigs in Brazilian environments are scarce or nonexistent.To address this, 144 weaned piglets at 70 days will be exposed to four distinct treatments in a randomized block design (by weight and sex), which are - T1: Positive control - DL-Methionine; T2: 33.34% substitution of DL-Methionine with the alternative source; T3: 66.67% substitution of DL-Methionine with the alternative source; T4: 100% substitution of DL-Methionine with the alternative source. Each treatment will consist of 12 replications, and the respective experimental units (pens) will be composed of three animals. Feeding will be ad libitum, with four phases of feed: growth 1 (1-21 days), growth 2 (22-42 days), finishing 1 (43-63 days), and finishing 2 (64-91 days). Feed consumption and waste will be recorded daily, and during feed changes, all animals will be weighed individually to calculate performance variables. At the end of the finishing phase 2 (D91), 150 grams of fecal matter will be collected from each experimental unit for digestibility evaluation. At the end of the experiment, one animal from each experimental unit (48 animals) will be sent for slaughter to evaluate carcass quality. It is expected that the inclusion of an alternative source of methionine will result in superior or equivalent productive performance compared to the positive control treatment (DL-methionine).