Energy and nutrient digestibility in NutriDense corn and other cereal grains fed to growing pigs

• Published in: Journal of animal science Vol. 85; no. 10; pp. 2473 - 2483
• Main Authors: Pedersen, C, Boersma, M.G, Stein, H.H
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Savoy, IL American Society of Animal Science 01.10.2007; Am Soc Animal Sci
• Subjects: amino acid composition; amino acids; Amino Acids - metabolism; Animal Feed; Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Animal productions; Animals; barley; Biological and medical sciences; corn; Cross-Over Studies; cultivars; dent corn; digestible energy; Digestion; Edible Grain - metabolism; Energy Metabolism - physiology; essential amino acids; feed grains; feed supplements; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; grain sorghum; ileum; Ileum - metabolism; Male; metabolizable energy; NutriDense corn; Nutritive Value; Swine - growth & development; Swine - metabolism; swine feeding; Terrestrial animal productions; Vertebrates; wheat; Zea mays - metabolism; Farming animal; amino acid; Corn; cereal grain; Pig; Vertebrata; Meat animals; Mammalia; Energy; NutriDense corn; Cereal; Nutrient; Artiodactyla; Ungulata; Digestibility
• ISSN: 0021-8812; 1525-3163
• DOI: 10.2527/jas.2006-620

Two experiments were conducted to measure the energy and nutrient digestibilities in NutriDense corn and other cereal grains. An additional objective was to evaluate the effect of balancing diets with AA on the values measured for DE and ME of corn varieties. In Exp. 1, 6 growing pigs were fitted with a T-cannula in the distal ileum and allotted to a 6 x 6 Latin square design to measure apparent ileal digestibility (AID) and standardized ileal digestibility (SID) values for CP and AA in NutriDense corn, yellow dent corn, barley, wheat, and sorghum. Diets based on each of the 5 cereal grains were formulated, along with a N-free diet. Results of this experiment showed that the AID for most indispensable AA were greater (P < 0.05) in NutriDense corn and wheat than in the other cereal grains. The SID for Lys in NutriDense corn (77.6%) was greater (P < 0.05) than in yellow dent corn (68.5%), and sorghum (56.9%), but not different from wheat (75.1%) and barley (71.7%). The SID for Arg and Met in NutriDense corn also were greater (P < 0.05) than in yellow dent corn (88.1 and 87.2% vs. 84.5 and 82.8%, respectively). For the remaining indispensable AA, no differences in SID between NutriDense corn and yellow dent corn were observed. For all AA, the lowest values (P < 0.05) for AID and SID were obtained for sorghum. If calculated as grams of standardized ileal digestible AA per kilogram of DM, concentrations of all indispensable AA in NutriDense corn were greater (P < 0.05) than in yellow dent corn, but barley and wheat had greater concentrations of most AA than yellow dent corn and NutriDense corn. In Exp. 2, 12 growing barrows were placed in metabolism cages, and the DE and ME of NutriDense corn and yellow dent corn were measured. Both grains were used in diets without or with crystalline AA supplementation. Each diet was fed to 6 pigs in a 2-period, changeover design. The DE and the ME in NutriDense corn (4,004 and 3,922 kcal/kg of DM, respectively) were greater (P < 0.01) than in yellow dent corn (3,878 and 3,799 kcal/kg of DM, respectively). Values for DE and ME were not affected by the addition of crystalline AA to the diets. It is concluded that NutriDense corn has a greater value than yellow dent corn in diet formulations due to increased concentrations of digestible, indispensable AA and energy. However, barley and wheat have greater concentrations, whereas sorghum has lower concentrations, of many digestible AA than NutriDense corn.