Valine requirement of the finishing pig

The biological functions and metabolic pathways of valine in swine

Valine is an essential amino acid and a type of branched-chain amino acid. Due to the involvement of branched-chain amino acids in various metabolic pathways, there has been a surge of interests in valine nutrition and its role in animal physiology. In pigs, the interactions between valine and other branched-chain amino acids or aromatic amino acids are complex. In this review, we delve into the interaction mechanism, metabolic pathways, and biological functions of valine. Appropriate valine supplementation not only enhances growth and reproductive performances, but also modulates gut microbiota and immune functions. Based on past observations and interpretations, we provide recommended feed levels of valine for weaned piglets, growing pigs, gilts, lactating sows, barrows and entire males. The summarized valine nutrient requirements for pigs at different stages offer valuable insights for future research and practical applications in animal husbandry.

The Linear-Logistic Model: A Novel Paradigm for Estimating Dietary Amino Acid Requirements

This study aimed to determine whether current methods for estimating AA requirements for animal health and welfare are sufficient. An exploratory data analysis (EDA) was conducted, which involved a review of assumptions underlying AA requirements research, a data mining approach to identify animal responses to dietary AA levels exceeding those for maximum protein retention, and a literature review to assess the physiological relevance of the linear-logistic model developed through the data mining approach. The results showed that AA dietary levels above those for maximum growth resulted in improvements in key physiological responses, and the linear-logistic model depicted the AA level at which growth and protein retention rates were maximized, along with key metabolic functions related to milk yield, litter size, immune response, intestinal permeability, and plasma AA concentrations. The results suggest that current methods based solely on growth and protein retention measurements are insufficient for optimizing key physiological responses associated with health, survival, and reproduction. The linear-logistic model could be used to estimate AA doses that optimize these responses and, potentially, survival rates.

Crystalline amino acids supplementation improves the performance and carcass traits in late-finishing gilts fed low-protein diets

This study investigated the effects of amino acids (AA) supplementation in low-crude protein (CP) diets on the growth performance and carcass characteristics in late-finishing gilts. Ninety gilts (93.8 ± 5.5 kg) were randomly allotted to one of the five diets which consisted of a normal-CP (137 g/kg) or four low-CP (105 g/kg) diets for 28 days. The low-CP diets were supplemented with lysine + threonine + methionine (LCM), LCM + tryptophan (LCT), LCT + valine (LCV) or LCV + isoleucine (LCI), respectively. Non-significant difference in average daily gain (ADG) was obtained in gilts receiving the control and LCV diet, which was higher than that of gilts fed the LCM diet (p < .05). The additions of crystalline AA in the low-CP diet resulted in the improvements in ADG (linear and quadratic effect, p < .05) and fat-free lean gain (quadratic effect, p < .05) and influenced the valine concentration (linear and quadratic effect, p < .05) and proportion of saturated fatty acid (linear effect, p < .05) in longissimus muscle. The results indicated that the valine supplementation could further improve the performance in 94 to 118 kg gilts fed the 105 g/kg CP diet.

Meta-regression analysis to predict the influence of branched-chain and large neutral amino acids on growth performance of pigs1

A meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the effects of branched-chain amino acids (BCAA), their interactions, and interactions with large neutral amino acids (LNAA) to develop prediction equations for growth performance of pigs. Data from 25 papers, published from 1995 to 2018, for a total of 44 trials and 210 observations were recorded in a database. Diets were reformulated using the NRC (2012) loading values to estimate nutrient concentrations. The response variables were average daily gain (ADG), average daily feed intake (ADFI), and gain-to-feed ratio (G:F). The predictor variables tested included average body weight (BW), crude protein, neutral detergent fiber, Ile:Lys, Leu:Lys, Val:Lys, BCAA:Lys, Ile:Leu, Val:Leu, Ile:Val, (Ile+Val):Leu, Trp:Lys, Leu:Trp, Ile:Trp, Val:Trp, BCAA:Trp, Met:Lys, Leu:Met, Ile:Met, Val:Met, BCAA:Met, His:Lys, Leu:His, Ile:His, Val:His, BCAA:His, Thr:Lys, Leu:Thr, Ile:Thr, Val:Thr, BCAA:Thr, (Phe+Tyr):Lys, Leu:(Phe+Tyr), Ile:(Phe+Tyr), Val:(Phe+Tyr), BCAA:(Phe+Tyr), LNAA:Lys, Leu:LNAA, Ile:LNAA, Val:LNAA, and BCAA:LNAA. Amino acids were expressed on standardized ileal digestible basis. The MIXED procedure of SAS (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC) was used to develop the equations. The inverse of squared SEM was used to account for heterogeneous errors using the WEIGHT statement. Models were selected with a step-wise manual forward selection. In order to be included in the final model, predictor variables had to be statistically significant (P < 0.05) and provide an improvement of at least 2 points in Bayesian information criterion. The optimum equations were: ADG, g = - 985.94 + (15.2499 × average BW (kg)) - (0.08885 × average BW × average BW) + (1.063 × Leu:Lys) + (20.2659 × Ile:Lys) - (0.1479 × Ile:Lys × Ile:Lys) + (9.2243 × (Ile+Val):Leu) - (0.03321 × (Ile+Val):Leu × (Ile+Val):Leu) - (0.4413 × Ile:Trp); G:F, g/kg = 648.3 - (6.2974 × average BW (kg)) + (0.02051 × average BW × average BW) + (0.5396 × Ile:Lys) + (1.7284 × Val:Lys) - (0.00795 × Val:Lys × Val:Lys) - (1.7594 × Met:Lys); and ADFI, kg = predicted ADG/predicted G:F. Overall, the prediction equations suggest that increasing Leu:Lys negatively impacts ADG due to a reduction in G:F and ADFI caused by insufficient levels of other BCAA and LNAA relative to Leu. According to the model, the addition of Val, Ile, and Trp, alone or in combination, has the potential to counteract the negative effects of high dietary Leu concentrations on growth performance.

Standardized ileal digestible valine:lysine dose response effects in 25- to 45-kg pigs under commercial conditions

Two experiments were conducted to estimate the standardized ileal digestible valine:lysine (SID Val:Lys) dose response effects in 25- to 45-kg pigs under commercial conditions. In experiment 1, a total of 1,134 gilts (PIC 337 × 1050), initially 31.2 kg ± 2.0 kg body weight (BW; mean ± SD) were used in a 19-d growth trial with 27 pigs per pen and seven pens per treatment. In experiment 2, a total of 2,100 gilts (PIC 327 × 1050), initially 25.4 ± 1.9 kg BW were used in a 22-d growth trial with 25 pigs per pen and 12 pens per treatment. Treatments were blocked by initial BW in a randomized complete block design. In experiment 1, there were a total of six dietary treatments with SID Val at 59.0, 62.5, 65.9, 69.6, 73.0, and 75.5% of Lys and for experiment 2 there were a total of seven dietary treatments with SID Val at 57.0, 60.6, 63.9, 67.5, 71.1, 74.4, and 78.0% of Lys. Experimental diets were formulated to ensure that Lys was the second limiting amino acid throughout the experiments. Initially, linear mixed models were fitted to data from each experiment. Then, data from the two experiments were combined to estimate dose-responses using a broken-line linear ascending (BLL) model, broken-line quadratic ascending (BLQ) model, or quadratic polynomial (QP). Model fit was compared using Bayesian information criterion (BIC). In experiment 1, ADG increased linearly (P = 0.009) with increasing SID Val:Lys with no apparent significant impact on G:F. In experiment 2, ADG and ADFI increased in a quadratic manner (P < 0.002) with increasing SID Val:Lys whereas G:F increased linearly (P < 0.001). Overall, the best-fitting model for ADG was a QP, whereby the maximum mean ADG was estimated at a 73.0% (95% CI: [69.5, >78.0%]) SID Val:Lys. For G:F, the overall best-fitting model was a QP with maximum estimated mean G:F at 69.0% (95% CI: [64.0, >78.0]) SID Val:Lys ratio. However, 99% of the maximum mean performance for ADG and G:F were achieved at, 68% and 63% SID Val:Lys ratio, respectively. Therefore, the SID Val:Lys requirement ranged from73.0% for maximum ADG to 63.2% SID Val:Lys to achieve 99% of maximum G:F in 25- to 45-kg BW pigs.

The response of weaned piglets to dietary valine and leucine

Valine (Val) is considered to be the fifth-limiting amino acid in a maize-soyabean meal diet for pigs. Excess leucine (Leu) levels often occur in commercial diets, which may attenuate the effect of Val deficiency because of an increased oxidation of Val. The objective of the present experiment was to determine the effect of increasing concentrations of Leu on the response of young piglets to dietary Val. In all, 75 Large White×Landrace entire male pigs, 44 days of age and with a mean starting weight of 13.5 kg, were used. Three of these were sacrificed at the start to determine their mean initial chemical composition. A summit feed first limiting in Val was serially diluted with a non-protein diluent to produce a series of five digestible Val concentrations of 11.9, 10.1, 8.3, 6.6 and 4.8 g/kg, with a sixth treatment being added to test that the feeds were limiting in Val. Three identical Val series, each with six levels of Val, were supplemented with increasing amounts of Leu (23, 45 and 67 g/kg), thus 18 treatments in total. All pigs were killed at the end of the trial after 18 days for analysis of water, protein, lipid and ash in the carcass. The levels of Val and Leu and their interaction significantly influenced all the measurements taken in the trial. Daily gain in liveweight, water and protein, and feed conversion efficiency all increased with dietary Val content, whereas feed intake decreased as both Val and Leu contents increased. The deleterious effect of increased Leu on feed intake and growth was more marked at lower levels of Val. Supplementing the feed with the lowest Val content with additional Val largely overcame the effect of excess Leu. The efficiency of utilisation of Val for protein growth was unaffected by the level of Leu in the feed, the primary response to excess Leu being a reduction in feed intake. An intake of around 9 g Val/day yielded maximal protein growth during the period from 44 to 62 days of age in pigs of the genotype used in this trial.

Lysine requirement of finishing pigs administered porcine somatotropin by sustained-release implant1,2

To alleviate the need for daily injection of porcine somatotropin (pST), a sustained-release implant (pSTSR) was devised that continuously delivers a daily dose of 2 mg of pST for 42 d. Ninety-six white composite (Large White x Landrace) finishing barrows (83.6 +/- 1.2 kg BW) were assigned to receive zero or two pSTSR implants (4 mg pST/d) and to consume one of six diets differing in total Lys concentration (0.29, 0.52, 0.75, 0.98, 1.21, or 1.44%, as-fed basis). Diets were formulated to be isocaloric and based on the ideal protein concept. Pigs were housed individually, allowed ad libitum access to feed and water, and slaughtered at 112 kg of BW. The pSTSR affected neither ADG (P = 0.88) nor 10th rib LM area (LMA; P = 0.51), but it decreased (P < 0.01) ADFI, average backfat thickness, 10th rib fat depth, weights of leaf fat and ham fat, improved (P < 0.05) G:F, and increased (P < 0.01) weights of four trimmed lean cuts (T-cuts), and percentages of ham lean and bone. Increasing total Lys increased ADG (quadratic; P < 0.05) and ADFI (linear; P < 0.01). The G:F, plasma urea N concentrations (PUN), and T-cuts were affected by the interaction pSTSR x dietary Lys (P < 0.01). Without pSTSR, the G:F did not differ (P = 0.37) among pigs fed 0.52% and greater total Lys. With pSTSR, the G:F was less (P < 0.05) for pigs fed 0.52% than 0.98 and 1.44% total Lys. Increases in dietary total Lys resulted in increased PUN (P < 0.01), and incremental increases were less in pSTSR-implanted pigs. Maximal yield of T-cuts was at 0.98% dietary total Lys in nonimplanted pigs and 1.21% total Lys in pSTSR-implanted pigs. Estimates of total Lys requirements of pigs without and with pSTSR, respectively, were 0.52 and 0.86% for growth (ADG and G:F) and 0.73 and 0.88% for lean production (LMA and T-cuts). Equivalent apparent ileal digestible Lys requirements of pigs without and with pSTSR, respectively, were 0.44 and 0.68% for growth, and 0.62 and 0.75% for lean production. With ADFI of 3.5 kg daily, an intake of approximately 26.1 g of total daily Lys (0.75%) or 22.4 g of apparent ileal digestible Lys is needed to maximize lean production in finishing barrows receiving 4 mg pST/d via sustained-release implant.

Relation between daily urinary creatinine and body weight in castrated male Landrace pigs

For clarifying the relation between the amount of daily urinary creatinine (Cr) and the body weight (BW), fifty-eight healthy castrated male Landrace pigs ranging from 28.6 kg to 93.5 kg in body weight (BW) were examined. There was a significant positive correlation between the BW (X = kg) and Cr (Y = mg/day), and a linear regression formula of Y = 40.7X-224.9 (R2 = 0.985, P < 0.001) was obtained. The coefficient of variation of the daily urinary Cr was small (5.1 +/- 2.4%). On the other hand, in the relation between the BW and quantity of urine in 24 hr, and in the relation between the daily urinary creatinine and daily urinary volume, no significant correlation was recognized (P > 0.2), respectively.