Monosodium glutamate supplementation of pig starters

Abstract

In a total digestibility trial, 24 pigs were distributed into 6 groups and 4 replicates according to a factorial design 3 x 2. Three levels (2.5, 4.5 and 6.5 p. 100) of crude fibre (wheat bran) were combined to the absence or presence of whey at a level of 30 p. 100 of dietary DM. The same combination was studied for ileal digestibility in six pigs fitted with an ileo-rectal anastomosis, using a latin square design. The apparent digestibility coefficients (aDC) of all dietary nutrients were significantly reduced (p < 0.01) by the increase in the cellulose content : by 4 points for energy for 1 p. 100 crude fibre, but the presence of 30 p. 100 whey also provoked an additional reduction by 4 points. However, significant interactions only occurred between these factors for cell-wall constituents. Digestibility of the lignin-cellulose fraction, and at a lesser extent that of hemicelluloses was lower in cellulose-poor diets than in the others. The difference between total and ileal aDC for each diet was generally positive, except for lipids. However, the magnitude of the difference varied according to the diets : from 4 points for energy with cellulose-poor diets with water up to 13 points for whey-rich diets.