Tolerance of growing pigs for dietary vitamin A, with special reference to bone integrity

Weanling crossbred pigs (144) of 8 kg initial weight were fed to 90 kg on diets containing graded levels of vitamin A representing 0, 1, 5, 10, 50 and 100 times the NRC (1988) estimated requirement. No clinical signs of deficiency or toxicity were recorded although plasma and liver retinol levels were affected by treatment. Histopathological examination indicated a high incidence of lesions in the cartilage of the distal femur and ulna, but they were not related to treatment. There was some evidence that excessive vitamin A levels in the diet significantly reduced the uronic acid concentration in joint cartilage, indicating a reduced concentration of proteoglycans. However no relationship was established between dietary vitamin A level and the incidence of clinical osteochondrosis. The results suggest that the allowable range of vitamin A set out in the Canadian feeds regulations is appropriate for practical pig production.