The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the effects of metabolizable energy (ME) levels in diets with high digestible lysine concentration on performance, carcass traits, and meat quality of barrows from 95 to 158 days of age. Eighty commercial hybrid barrows (50 ± 1.82 kg) selected for lean meat deposition, were assigned to four dietary treatments (3,150, 3,235, 3,320, and 3,400 kcal EM kg -1 ) in a randomized design with 10 replicate pens per treatment and two pigs per pen. From 95 to 116 days of age, we observed no effects of ME on final body weight (FBW), average daily gain (ADG), metabolizable energy intake (MEI), and feed conversion (F: G). Average daily feed intake (ADFI) decreased linearly with increasing ME levels (Ŷ = 5.79961 -0.00096790X -r 2 = 0.89). From 95 to 137 days of age, no effects of ME were observed on final body weight (FBW), average daily gain (ADG), metabolizable energy intake (MEI), and feed conversion (F: G). Average daily feed intake (ADFI) decreased linearly with increasing ME (Ŷ= 6.1176 -0.001X -r 2 = 0.97). From 95 to 158 days, of age no effects of ME were observed on FBW and ADG. Dietary ME influenced the ADFI and F: G, which decreased linearly with increasing ME concentrations (Ŷ= 8.12951 -0.00149X -r 2 = 0.99; Ŷ= 6.0914 -0.001X -r² = 0.75, respectively). There was a linear increase in loin eye area (LEA) with increasing ME (Ŷ = -29.851 + 0.0207 X -r² = 0.87). Backfat thickness, pH, and temperature, measured at different times after slaughter (0 min, 45 min, 3 h, and 24 h), were not affected by dietary ME. The level of ME also did not affect the meat quality parameters Color L*, Color a*, Color b*, Warner-Bratzler shear force, thaw water losses, cooking water losses, sum of water losses, intramuscular fat content, and TBARS. Diets with 3,400 kcal kg -1 ME, corresponding to 2.75, 2.57, and 2.31 g digestible lysine/Mcal of ME for pigs from 95 to 116, 116 to 137, and 95 to 158 days of age, respectively, resulted in best performance and carcass traits, without negative effects on meat quality.Objetivou-se com este experimento avaliar os efeitos de níveis de energia metabolizável (EM) em rações com alta lisina no desempenho, nas características de carcaça e na qualidade de carne de suínos machos castrados, dos 95 aos 158 dias de idade. Foram utilizados 80 suínos (Agroceres PIC), machos castrados, com peso inicial de 50 ± 1,82 kg. Os animais foram distribuídos em delineamento inteiramente casualizado, com quatro tratamentos (3150 kcal EM kg -1 , 3235 kcal EM kg -1 , 3320 kcal EM kg -1 , 3400 kcal EM kg -1 ), dez repetições e dois animais por unidade experimental, representada pela baia. No período de 95 a 116 dias de idade, não foram observados efeitos dos níveis de EM sobre os parâmetros de desempenho: peso médio final (PMF), ganho de peso médio diário (GPD), consumo de energia metabolizável (CEM) e conversão alimentar (CA). O consumo de ração médio diário (CDR) reduziu de forma linear com o aumento dos níveis de EM da ração (Ŷ= 5,79961 -0,00096790 X -r 2 = 0,89). No período de...

Resumo. O aumento na deposição de gordura e da conversão alimentar durante a fase de terminação são fatores que implicam diretamente na qualidade da carne e também na rentabilidade da cadeia produtiva. Apesar disso, o abate tardio dos suínos pode resultar em benefícios para o frigorífico, pela redução dos custos operacionais por suíno abatido e melhor utilização dos equipamentos, bem como vantagens econômicas para o produtor resultantes da diluição dos custos de produção. Portanto, a suplementação de betaína na ração de suínos de linhagens com maior potencial para deposição de músculo, é uma estratégia para aumentar a deposição de tecido magro e minimizar a deposição de gordura. Em vista disso, objetivou-se com este trabalho, apresentar e discutir os mecanismos de ação, finalidades e resultados recentes de estudos na literatura sobre a suplementação desse modificador de carcaça na ração de suínos em terminação. A betaína atua principalmente como doadora de grupos metil, que aumentam a disponibilidade de metionina para a deposição proteica. Em relação ao seu efeito osmoprotetor, a betaína se acumula no interior das organelas celulares, protegendo-as contra estresses osmóticos e iônicos, o que reduz os gastos de energia para manter a homeostase, se tornando ainda mais importante durante os períodos quentes do ano.

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of growth promoter additives an alternative to antibiotics on performance, intestinal morphology and on microbiota of 21-to-35-day-old piglets. A total of 160 commercial crossbred piglets (males and females) with initial weight of 6.10±0.709kg were allotted in a completely randomized design with five treatments: Basal diet - Negative Control (NC); Basal diet + antibiotic (PC); Basal diet + mannanoligosaccharides (MOS); Basal diet + organic acids (OA), Basal diet + mannanoligosacharides + organic acids (MOS+OA), eight replicates and four piglets per experimental unit. The inclusion of additives in the diets had no effect (P>0.05) on the final average weight of piglets. Similarly, no effects (P<0.05) were observed on average daily feed intake and on average daily weight gain. The feed conversion improved (P<0.01) with the inclusion of additives in the diets compared to piglets fed with the NC. There was no effect (P>0.05) of the dietary additives on intestinal morphology and microbiota composition (enterobacteria and lactobacilli). Use of antibiotics, prebiotics, organic acids or prebiotics associated with organic acids in the diet improves feed conversion of piglets from 21 to 35 days of age. The additives have no major effects on piglets’ intestinal morphology and microbiota.

We evaluated the effects of L-arginine supplementation during the last third of gestation on molecular mechanisms related to skeletal muscle development of piglets and litter traits at birth. Twenty-three nulliparous sows averaging 205.37 ± 11.50 kg of body weight were randomly assigned to the following experimental treatments: control (CON), where pregnant sows were fed diets to meet their nutritional requirements; arginine (ARG), where sows where fed CON + 1.0% L-arginine. Skeletal muscle from piglets born from sows from ARG group had greater mRNA expression of MYOD (p = 0.043) and MYOG (p ≤ 0.01), and tended to present greater mRNA expression (p = 0.06) of IGF-2 gene compared to those born from CON sows. However, there were no differences (p > 0.05) in the histomorphometric variables of fetuses’ skeletal muscle. The total weight of born piglets, total weight of born alive piglets, piglet weight at birth, coefficient of variation of birth weight, and the incidence of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) piglets did not differ between groups. No stillborn piglets (p < 0.01) were verified in the ARG sows compared to CON group. The blood levels of estradiol (p = 0.035) and urea (p = 0.03) were higher in ARG sows compared to those from the CON group. In summary, our data show that arginine supplementation of nulliparous sows at late gestation enhance mRNA expression of key myogenic regulatory factors, which likely contribute to improve animal growth rates in later stages of development.

Two experiments were conducted to determine the effects of dietary net energy content (NE) on performance and carcass traits of fi nishing barrows fed low-crude protein (CP)diets. Pigs (60.0±1.05kg, Exp. 1, 93.0±1.56kg, Exp. 2) RESUMO Dois experimentos foram conduzidos para determinar os efeitos da energia líquida (EL) da ração no desempenho e nas características de carcaça de suínos, recebendo dietas com proteína bruta reduzida (PB

Increasing fat deposition and feed conversion ratio over the days in finishing phase directly influence pork quality and productive profitability. Nonetheless, the slaughter of heavier pigs can result in benefits for the slaughterhouse due to dilution of production and processing costs, as well as economic benefits for the pig producer resulting from the dilution of production costs. Therefore, dietary supplementation of chromium for finishing pigs of high lean-genotypes is a strategy to increase lean tissue accretion and minimize fat deposition, reflecting positively on growth performance. This review discussed recent studies results and mechanisms of action of this modifier of performance and carcass a traits in finishing pigs. Chromium increases the insulin action, facilitating insulin binding to the receptors on cell membrane. As a result, insulin-sensitive cells uptake more glucose, which will be later converted into energy. This additional energy is use to increase protein synthesis, thereby increasing the amount of lean tissue and reducing fat content in the carcass, without altering protein intake by pigs. Chromium also reduces lipid oxidation rate maintaining meat quality for longer period. In conclusion, dietary Cr supplementation for finishing pigs have shown that 0.2 mg/kg of organic Cr sources for pigs from ~60 kg until the slaughter can improve growth performance, lean gain and reduce fat content in carcass. However, the development of nanotechnology has allowed the use of inorganic Cr source at 0.2 mg/kg of inclusion, leading to improve the growth performance and carcass traits of finishing pigs.

In the technical swine industry, information management should play a central role in decision-making, involving careful management methods, accurate monitoring of information, implementation of corrections and people management. Given this, production planning, goal setting and action plan are starting points in management. Therefore, the proper management of pig activity requires data collection, to transform into information, in order to define the objectives, potentialities with available resources. This review aimed to address the best practices in pig production management with a view to business sustainability, improvement of productive efficiency and profitability, emphasizing important concepts and their practical applications.

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