Cocoa husks in diets of Italian heavy pigs

Abstract

ABSTRACT:The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of cocoa husks feeding on liver composition of the Italian heavy pig. Cocoa husks are byproducts derived from chocolate production and have a high content of proteins, lipids, and NDF. Cocoa husks are also rich in antioxidants, polyphenols in particular. Eight fi nishing pigs were divided into 2 groups: control group fed a traditional diet, based on cereals, and treatment group fed a diet obtained by substitution of 10% of the control diet with coarsely ground cocoa husks. The trial was conducted during the hot season and lasted 6 wk, at the end of which all the pigs were slaughtered. Cocoa husks diet reduced dry matter intake (P < 0.01) and energy intake (P < 0.01) but neither body weight nor backfat thickness was affected by cocoa husks diet. Treatment did not infl uence carcass weight and hot dressing percentage but reduced liver weight (P < 0.05), liver dry matter percentage (P < 0.01), DNA (P = 0.01), and glycogen content (P = 0.01). By contrast, cocoa husks increased liver ether extract (P = 0.05) without affecting cholesterol content. Liver weight loss, reduction of protein synthesis, and a shift toward glycogen use instead of fat oxidation are considered metabolic strategies to reduce heat production under hot conditions. It is possible, therefore, that cocoa husks feeding promoted the process of acclimation because pigs needed less feeding to reach similar body and carcass weight as control pigs.

Effects of Cocoa Husk Feeding on the Composition of Swine Intestinal Microbiota

“…After the harvest, cocoa beans are fermented, dried, roasted, packaged, and sent to industrialized countries where the seeds are shelled and husks are removed . The shelled seeds are used for the production of chocolate, whereas the husks constitute a byproduct that is discarded, even though they contain 57–72 g of polyphenols per kilogram of dry matter. , Cocoa husks have been used in pig nutrition with good effects on some indices of health and welfare and no negative effects on productive performances; , however, the influence of cocoa husk feeding on the composition of intestinal microbiota has not been studied, although cocoa husks are a rich source of dietary fiber and polyphenols, which have both been observed to affect intestinal microbial composition . According to this, the present study aimed at analyzing the in vivo effects of cocoa husks feeding on the composition of intestinal microbial ecosystem of finishing pigs.…”

Acoustic Characterization and Modeling of Silicone-Bonded Cocoa Crop Waste Using a Model Based on the Gaussian Support Vector Machine

“…Cocoa pod husk is an available, abundant, and sustainable resource of bioproducts [17]. The most widespread uses of cocoa pod husk are as fertilizer for the soil [18,19] and as animal feed [20][21][22][23]. Once dry, the cocoa pod husk has approximately 4% potassium, and, taking advantage of this component, the cocoa shell ash allows the production of potassium hydroxide that has been used to make soap [24].…”