The influence of ergot-contaminated feed on growth and slaughtering performance, nutrient digestibility and carry over of ergot alkaloids in growing-finishing pigs

Diets containing 0, 1 and 10 g ergot (Claviceps purpurea) per kg, corresponding to mean total alkaloid contents of 0.05, 0.60 and 4.66 mg/kg (sums of ergometrine, ergotamine, ergocornine, alpha-ergocryptine, ergocristine, ergosine and their -inine isomers analysed by a HPLC-method), were each fed ad libitum to 12 pigs in the BW range of 30-115 kg to study the effect of ergot-contaminated feed on growth and slaughtering performance and the carry over of ergot alkaloids. Additionally, balance trials were conducted to investigate the digestibility of nutrients. Tendencies towards reduced feed intake and BWG were observed at a feeding level of 4.66 mg total alkaloids per kg diet. Typical symptoms of ergot poisoning were not observed. Heart and spleen weights showed significant linear increases. Differences in carcass quality due to dietary treatment were not detected. No genuine ergot alkaloids were found in physiological samples. The balance trials demonstrated a significantly decreased protein digestibility for the most highly supplemented diet.

[Nutritional-physiological effects of dietary fats in rations for growing pigs. 4. Effects of sunflower oil and coconut oil on protein and fat retention, fatty acid pattern of back fat and blood parameters in piglets]

Rations containing 12% sunflower oil (Ration II) and 12% coconut fat (Ration III) were compared with a control ration (Ration I) in a 34 day experiment with growing boars of the German Landrace breed (12-30 kg body weight). The relationships between DP and ME were held constant for all 3 rations, and because of the higher ME contents of the two fat rations, this was achieved by reducing the feed intake, relative to that of the control ration. Parameters measured were growth, composition at slaughter, the apparent digestibility of the crude nutrients and energy, the N-balance and the concentrations of urea, insulin, glucose, triglyceride and cholesterol in the blood. In comparison to Ration I, the apparent digestibilities of crude protein in Rations II and III were 5 and 4% (p less than 0,05) higher, respectively. There was little difference in the apparent digestibility of crude fat between the Rations II and III. However, large differences in the values were determined depending upon method of extraction. There were little differences in the productive performance of the animals fed the fat diets. The control animals had, however, a 13% lower growth rate (p less than 0,05) when compared at similar ME-intakes. As the energy concentration and the growth rate were higher in groups II and III, the feed conversion efficiency and the ME required per kg growth were approximately 30 and 13% lower than that of the control animals. The efficiency of protein utilization of the animals in group III was 4% higher (p greater than 0.05) and the blood urea concentration 20% lower (p less than 0.05) than that in group II. The values for the control animals were intermediate. A similar result was obtained concerning the fat content of the animals. The fat content of the animals in group III was 15.9% and this was significantly lower (p less than 0.001) than that of 21.1% measured in group II. That of the control animals, 18.6%, was not significantly different from the above values. The differences in feeding over the relatively short period of 34 days lead to marked differences in the fatty acid pattern of the backfat. The contents of myristic acid and linoleic acid were significantly different between group II and III; for the former values of 0.8% and 16.9% were determined, respectively, with corresponding values of 48.7 and 11.3% for the latter.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

[Nutritive physiological effect of dietary fats in growing swine rations. 3. Effect of sunflower and coconut kernels on protein and fat retention, backfat fatty acid pattern and various blood parameters in piglets]

Two groups, each of 9 castrated male piglets of the German Landrace breed, body weight 13-29 kg, were fed ad libitum for a 5 week period in order to determine the influence of the fatty acid composition of the dietary fat on protein and fat retention. The concentrations of urea, insulin, glucose, free glycerol and triglycerides were also determined. That fat in ration I (derived from 27% sunflower seed) contained 50% linoleic acid while that of ration II (derived from 12,5% coconut kernels) had a maximum lauric acid content of 41,8%. The relationship between digestible crude protein and ME-content was calculated to be similar in both rations. In addition protein quality was calculated to be similar in both rations. Protein deposition was determined from both nitrogen and comparative slaughter procedures. The results can be summarized as follows: The animals fed ration I had a higher daily ME-intake and growth rate than those fed ration II, although no great difference was observed in ME required per kg body weight gain. The efficiency of protein utilization was significantly better in group I and this was associated with a lower blood urea concentration. The concentrations of insulin and glucose in the blood, measured before as well as 20, 45, 60 and 120 minutes following feeding, showed little differences between the groups. The triglyceride concentration measured before and 1 and 5 hours following feeding was significantly higher (p less than 0,01) in group II. There was no significant difference in the protein and fat content of the body as well as in the daily protein and fat deposition. The fatty acid composition of the back fat was significantly influenced by the fatty acid pattern of the dietary fat. In group I the linoleic acid content was 3,6 times higher and the lauric- and myristic acid content 11,7 times lower compared to that of group II.

Changes in the acyl and alkenyl group composition of cardiac phospholipids in boars fed corn oil or rapeseed oil

Boars fed diets containing rapeseed oil for 8 weeks showed significantly higher levels of neutral lipids and similar levels of phospholipids, compared to those fed corn oil. Erucic and eicosenoic acids were found to be high in ethanolamine phosphoglycerides, and in particular alkenyl acyl-ethanolamine phosphoglyceride. Furthermore, both long chain monoenes were incorporated preferentially in position 2 of the choline and ethanolamine phosphoglycerides. The alkenyl group composition of the cardiac lipids of pigs was influenced by dietary fatty acids. When rapeseed oil was fed, small amounts of 20:1 and 22:1 alkenyl constituents were detected.

Relationship between erucic acid and myocardial changes in male rats

The back and belly fat of pigs fed a diet containing 20% by wt rapeseed oil (22% erucic acid) for 16 weeks was rendered into oil. This rendered pig fat, which contained 5.6% erucic acid, was fed to male rats in three separate experiments at 20% by wt of the diet for 16 weeks. In experiment I rendered pig fat was compared only to Brassica campestris var. Span rapeseed oil containing 4.8% erucic acid. In experiments II and III, rendered pig fat was compared to commercial lard containing 0.2% docosenoic acid, commercial lard to which 5.4% free erucic acid was added, and Span rapeseed oil. There was no significant (P less than 0.01) differences observed in the level of erucic acid in the hearts of rats fed diets of rendered pig fat, Span rapeseed oil, or commercial lard plus erucic acid. However, the incidence (P less than 0.001) and severity (P less than 0.01) of cardiac lesions were significantly higher in Span rapeseed oil fed rats compared to rats fed control diets. The number of rats affected or the severity of lesions in the rendered pig fat fed group was not significantly different from controls. The results of this study indicate that the myocardial lesions associated with feeding 20% rapeseed oil diets are not related to the content of erucic acid per se. The possible reasons why rapeseed oil causes cardiac lesions in rats are discussed. It is suggested that a triglyceride imbalance in the oil might play an important role in causing these lesions in rats.

Distribution of cholesteryl esters and other lipids in subcellular fractions of the adrenal gland of the pig

Total lipids from whole pig adrenal glands as well as from their mitochondria, microsomes, liposomes, and cell sap were extracted and fractionated first into neutral lipids and phospholipids. The highest percentage of neutral lipids was found in the cell sap, and the lowest in the microsomal fraction. Neutral lipids were subfractionated into cholesteryl esters, free cholesterol, triglycerides, and free fatty acids. Cholesteryl esters were distributed throughout the liposomes. Free fatty acids represented a substantial part of cell sap lipids, but were present also in the mitochondria, microsomes, and liposomes. Fatty acids of all fractions were analyzed by gas liquid chromatography. Free fatty acids and cholesteryl ester fatty acids from all cellular fractions were similar in composition and were characterized by considerable quantities of linoleic and arachidonic acid. Triglycerides were characterized by an increased percentage of palmitic and a low content of arachidonic acid. Phosphatidyl choline, phosphatidyl ethanolamine, diphosphatidyl glycerol, and sphingomyelin plus phosphatidyl inositol were isolated from the lipids by preparative thin layer chromatography, and their fatty acids analyzed by gas liquid chromatography. Phosphatidyl choline and phosphatidyl ethanolamine from mitochondria, microsomes, and cell sap were very similar in respect of their fatty acid composition. Sphingomyelin plus phosphatidyl inositol was characterized by a high content of C22:2omega6. Diphosphatidyl glycerol was present in mitochondria and in the cell sap.