Amino acid digestibilities in different samples of wheat shorts for growing pigs

An experiment was carried out to investigate the variability in apparent ileal amino acid (AA) digestibilities in simulated samples of wheat shorts consisting of different proportions of wheat bran (WB), wheat shorts (WS), and wheat flour (WF), hereafter referred to as wheat fractions. The proportions of WS, WB, and WF and the NDF content (DM basis) of the wheat fractions were as follows: A, 70% WS, 30% WB, and 42.3% NDF; B, 85% WS, 15% WB, and 41.8% NDF; C, 100% WS and 41.3% NDF; D, 85% WS, 15% WF, and 35.2% NDF; and E, 70% WS, 30% WF, and 29.5% NDF. Six barrows, average initial BW of 37.2 kg, fitted with a simple T-cannula at the distal ileum, were fed one of six experimental diets according to a 6 x 6 Latin square design. Six diets were formulated to contain 17% CP (as-fed basis). Diets A, B, C, D, and E contained 17.53% soybean meal (SBM), which contributed 50% of the CP in these diets. The wheat fractions contributed the remaining 50% of the CP in these diets. Diet F contained 35.05% SBM, which was the sole source of dietary CP. Chromic oxide was used as the digestibility marker. During the first experimental period, the daily dietary allowance was provided at a rate of 5% (wt/wt) of the average BW. Thereafter, the daily dietary allowance was increased by 100 g at each successive period. Each experimental period comprised 12 d. Following a 7-d adaptation period, feces were collected for 48 h and ileal digesta for a total of 24 h. The apparent ileal digestibilities of AA in the wheat fractions were calculated using the difference method. The digestibilities were usually lowest in the wheat fractions containing WB and highest in those containing no WB. The average of the digestibilities of the indispensable AA was 63.5% for wheat fraction A, which contained 30% WB, and 71.9% for wheat fraction C, which did not contain WB. There were no differences (P > .05) in lysine digestibilities among the wheat fractions, which ranged from 54.7 to 64.1%. Of the indispensable AA, with the exception of arginine, lysine, and methionine, the apparent ileal digestibility values of AA were negatively correlated (P < .05) with the NDF content in the wheat fractions.