Betaine, organic acids and inulin do not affect ileal and total tract nutrient digestibility or microbial fermentation in piglets
A Ratriyanto, R Mosenthin, D Jezierny, N Sauer and M Eklund, 2009, Journal of Animal and Feed Sciences, 18:453–464.
19-May-2010 (16 years 19 days ago)It was suggested that the use of rather slowly fermentable non-digestible oligosaccharides in the diet of pigs might have an advantage over rapidly fermentable substrates. Thus, it is hypothesized that the combined supplementation of betaine with organic acids and/or inulin in piglet diets may improve digestive functions due to different modes of actions. The study was conducted to investigate the effects of betaine alone or combined with organic acids and inulin on ileal and total tract nutrient digestibilities and intestinal microbial fermentation characteristics in piglets.
A total of 24 four-week-old barrows with an average initial body weight of 6.7 kg were used in two consecutive experiments with 12 piglets each. Betaine, organic acids and inulin at a level of 0.2, 0.4 and 0.2%, respectively, or combinations of these supplements were added to the basal diet. A basal diet was formulated with wheat, barley, soybean meal, maize starch, a mineral and vitamin premix and titanium dioxide was used as an indigestible marker. The basal diet was defined as the control treatment. The remaining 7 assay diets were referred to as betaine (BET), organic acids (AC), inulin (IN), betaine+organic acids (BET+AC), betaine+inulin (BET+IN), organic acids+inulin (AC+IN), betaine+organic acids+inulin (BET+AC+IN) treatments. The diets were fed in a mash form, mixed with water (1/1 w/v), twice daily at 07.00 and 19.00 h at a total level of 4.5% of individual BW. The study was conducted as a 2×2×2 factorial experimental design with 2 supplemental levels of betaine (0, 0.2%), 2 levels of organic acids (0, 0.4%) and 2 levels of inulin (0, 0.2%), and was balanced over 2 experiments, each including 2 experimental periods.
The supplementation of betaine, organic acids and inulin or any of their combinations did not affect ileal and total tract nutrient digestibilities (P>0.05). The microbial fermentation products both at the ileal and faecal level were not affected by any of the treatments (P<0.05).
In conclusion, combining betaine with organic acids and inulin did not have any associated effects on the variables that were measured.
A total of 24 four-week-old barrows with an average initial body weight of 6.7 kg were used in two consecutive experiments with 12 piglets each. Betaine, organic acids and inulin at a level of 0.2, 0.4 and 0.2%, respectively, or combinations of these supplements were added to the basal diet. A basal diet was formulated with wheat, barley, soybean meal, maize starch, a mineral and vitamin premix and titanium dioxide was used as an indigestible marker. The basal diet was defined as the control treatment. The remaining 7 assay diets were referred to as betaine (BET), organic acids (AC), inulin (IN), betaine+organic acids (BET+AC), betaine+inulin (BET+IN), organic acids+inulin (AC+IN), betaine+organic acids+inulin (BET+AC+IN) treatments. The diets were fed in a mash form, mixed with water (1/1 w/v), twice daily at 07.00 and 19.00 h at a total level of 4.5% of individual BW. The study was conducted as a 2×2×2 factorial experimental design with 2 supplemental levels of betaine (0, 0.2%), 2 levels of organic acids (0, 0.4%) and 2 levels of inulin (0, 0.2%), and was balanced over 2 experiments, each including 2 experimental periods.
The supplementation of betaine, organic acids and inulin or any of their combinations did not affect ileal and total tract nutrient digestibilities (P>0.05). The microbial fermentation products both at the ileal and faecal level were not affected by any of the treatments (P<0.05).
In conclusion, combining betaine with organic acids and inulin did not have any associated effects on the variables that were measured.