The use of porcine digestible peptides and their continuity effect in nursery pigs

A total of 552 entire male and female nursery pigs were selected to be used in 2 different experiments that aimed to study if milk ingredients can be replaced by highly preferred protein sources (Exp. 1) and if pre- and postnatal exposure of those protein ingredients through the maternal diet may increase pig performance (Exp. 2). In Exp. 1, 240 pigs were separated after weaning (28 d) into 2 groups depending on the presence of lactose in their diets. Pigs ( =120) fed diets with the precence of lactose (lactose +) were given prestarter (0-14 d) and starter (15-33 d) diets with 142 and 50 g/kg of sweet milk whey, respectively; the lactose-free group ( = 120) was offered an isoenergetic diet with 20 g/kg of porcine-digestible peptides (PDP; Palbio 62SP; Bioibérica S.A., Palafolls, Spain) and wheat replacing sweet milk whey. Choice and 1-feeder tests were performed in another group of animals ( = 72) to evaluate the preference and acceptance for both diets. Pigs preferred ( = 0.039) the lactose+ over the lactose-free diet after a 30-min choice test and consumed more ( = 0.001) lactose+ than lactose-free diet in a 1-feeder test. However, no difference ( > 0.467) in performance was observed between groups for the entire nursery period. In Exp. 2, 120 animals were obtained from sows that, during late gestation (14 d) and lactation (28 d), were fed diets containing 20 g/kg of PDP and another 120 animals were obtained from sows fed an isoenergetic diet without PDP inclusion. Placenta samples were collected at farrowing to assess the volatile compounds present in the placental fluid of sows. After weaning, all pigs received a feed containing 20 g/kg of PDP in the prestarter and starter diets. A principal components analysis of the total volatile compounds showed the exclusive presence of sulfur-containing compounds and a higher presence of terpene compounds in the placental fluid of PDP-supplemented sows. In addition, pigs coming from sows fed diets supplemented with PDP tended to show a higher ADFI ( = 0.07) and ADG ( = 0.06) than did pigs coming from control sows during the 15 to 33 d after-weaning period. These results suggest that dietary incorporation of sweet milk whey may be replaced by a specific protein source without affecting performance of pigs after weaning. However, more experiments are needed to elucidate the mechanism for the sow's diets' influence over pig's performance.