PSV-7 - Effects of Feed Additives Ambitine and Taktik X-hit on Amino Acid Digestibility in Pigs

Abstract: Improvements in digestion of amino acids (AA) in the small intestine of pigs improve feed efficiency and feed conversion. Non-nutritive feed additives that improve growth performance may affect AA digestibility. Therefore, the objective of the study was to investigate two different feed additives in the diets of grower pigs on ileal digestibility of AA. A total of 10 pigs, 5 barrows and 5 gilts, were surgical implanted with ileal cannulas. Each pig was randomly assigned to one of three dietary treatments, in three different collection periods, according to a Latin Square design. Dietary treatments were as follows: 1) Control – standard corn soybean-meal diet; 2) Control plus the addition of Ambitine at 1 kg/tonne; 3) Control plus the addition of TakTik X-Hit at 100 grams/tonne. An indigestible marker of 0.3% titanium was included in each dietary treatment. Each pig was fed the assigned dietary treatment ration at 4% of body weight. Following an adaption of 5 days, ileal digesta was then collected over a 2 day period for 12 hours each collection day. Diets and digesta were analyzed for AA concentrations to determine AA digestibility and basal endogenous losses were measured by feeding a nitrogen free diet. There were no differences (P >0.05) in AID or SID of AA Lys (92%), Thr (89%), Trp (91%), Met (94%) or crude protein (89%) according to feed additive inclusions. These results indicate that the inclusion of the non-nutritive feed additives Ambitine and TakTik X-Hit did not impact AA digestibility.