Efficacy of dietary ethyl-enzyme liquid energy on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, meat quality-carcass grades of grower-finisher pigs

Previous studies have led to observations regarding the negative impact of non-starch polysaccharides in corn-soybean meal diets on nutrient digestibility. Therefore, steps are undertaken to positively influence nutrition in livestock by utilizing enzymes. This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of ethyl-enzyme liquid energy (ELE) on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, meat quality traits and carcass grades of grower-finisher pigs.

In this study, a total of 180 pigs [(Landrace×Yorkshire)×Duroc] with initial weight of 23.3±1.40 kg were used for 16 week (wk) feeding trial. Pigs were randomly allocated to 3 treatments [T1-CON (Basal diet), T2 (-50kcal/kg of CON diet), T3 (T2+1% Alcopro®)] according to their sex and body weight (BW) as 12 replicates/treatments, with 5 pigs/pen. Ethyl-enzyme liquid energy (Alcopro®, Simco Nutrition Group™, USA) is a commercially available ethanol based liquid feed additive containing energy source (about 10,000 kcal/kg ME) and natural digestive enzymes for livestock. It is not oxidized and rancid, a stable liquid in storage. Pigs were weighed at initial, wk 2, 6, 8, 12 and 16 of the experimental period while feed consumption was recorded on a per pen basis to calculate the growth performance traits and to test the effect of liquid energy supplementation (T1vs.T2; T1vs.T3; T2vs.T3) using orthogonal contrasts. Significance was defined as P≤0.05.

Our results showed significant (P≤0.05) effects on BW, growth performance of average daily gain, average daily feed intake (ADFI) and gain:feed (G:F), no (P> 0.05) effect on G:F at grower stage and ADFI at finisher stage was observed. Supplementation of ELE showed significant effects (P≤0.05) on nutrient digestibility of energy (E) at wk 6 and dry matter (DM) at wk 16; live back fat thickness (BFT) at wk 12 and 16. Our results depict significant effects (P≤0.05) on meat color (L*), carcass weight and BFT. We also observed equal number of “1+” carcass grade in pigs fed with basal diet and ELE supplemented diet and higher number of “1” carcass grade in pigs fed with ELE supplemented diet than others.

In conclusion, these results indicate optimistic effects of ELE supplementation in corn-based soy bean meal on performance of pigs and potentially it may increase the dietary energy level economically. Although this study only provides a limited report on ELE supplementation, further research is necessary to determine if an energy response from ELE can be found in grower-finisher pigs.

Disclosure of Interest: None Declared.