Nutritive value of acetate in growing pigs

Area of Science:

• Animal Nutrition
• Nutrient Metabolism
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Acetate's role as an energy source in animal diets is not fully understood.
• Investigating acetate's nutritive value is crucial for optimizing livestock feed formulations.
• Understanding acetate utilization can enhance growth performance and nutrient efficiency in pigs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the nutritive value of acetate, supplied as triacetin, in growing pigs.
• To determine the effects of varying acetate levels on growth, nitrogen retention, and tissue composition.
• To assess the energetic efficiency and metabolic adaptation to acetate intake.

Main Methods:

• Twelve crossbred barrows were fed basal diets supplemented with 0, 5, or 10% metabolizable energy (ME) from triacetin.
• Metabolism tests were conducted at weeks 1 and 4 to measure energy and nitrogen balance.
• Tissue samples (liver, heart, muscle) were analyzed for RNA and protein content.

Main Results:

• Weight gain and nitrogen retention showed a linear response to increasing acetate levels (P < .001).
• Acetate utilization efficiency for body weight gain was 0.90 g/g, with a mean N-sparing effect of 32.9 mg N/g.
• Increased acetate intake led to linear increases in RNA and protein content in liver, heart, and muscle tissues (P < .05).

Conclusions:

• Acetate supplementation enhances growth performance and nitrogen utilization in growing pigs.
• Nutritional adaptation or synergistic effects with other energy sources may increase acetate's energy value over time.
• The energetic efficiency of acetate for growth is estimated between 56% and 59%.