Levels of copper and zinc in diets for growing and finishing pigs can be reduced without detrimental effects on production and mineral status

Abstract

One hundred and sixty pigs were used to evaluate dietary copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) supplementation on performance, fecal mineral levels, body mineral status and carcass and meat quality. Diets differed in mineral form (MF) (Cu and Zn in the form of proteinate amino acid chelate (organic) or sulfate (inorganic)) and inclusion level (IL) (27 mg/kg of total Cu and 65 mg/kg of total Zn ('low') or 156 mg/kg of total Cu and 170 mg/kg of total Zn ('high')) according to a 2 3 2 factorial arrangement of treatments. Pigs were used from 25 to 107 kg body weight (BW) and fed their respective diets ad libitum. Blood and fecal samples were collected on days 14 and 77 of the experiment. Blood was analyzed for concentration of Cu and Zn, hemoglobin (Hb), Cu content of red blood cells (RBC Cu) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and feces for Cu and Zn concentration. Hot carcass weight (HCW) and backfat depth were measured at slaughter and indices of meat quality were assessed on a section of longissimus thoracis. Liver, kidney and bone samples were collected immediately after slaughter and liver and kidney were tested for Cu and Zn content, while bone was only tested for Zn. Over the entire experimental period (25 to 107 kg BW) no significant treatment differences in average daily gain (ADG) or average daily feed intake (ADFI) occurred; however, feed conversion ratio (FCR) was improved by the inclusion of proteinate amino acid chelate ( P 5 0.012). Copper and Zn concentrations in feces were in direct proportion to the IL in the diet. Blood mineral levels were within normal physiological ranges in all treatments and tissue Cu and Zn concentrations increased with dietary IL ( P , 0.05). Results indicate that Cu and Zn fecal concentrations were reduced by approximately 6-fold for Cu and by 2.5-fold for Zn by feeding 27 mg/kg Cu and 65 mg/kg Zn, in either the proteinate amino acid chelate or the sulfate form, compared with a diet containing 156 mg/kg Cu and 170 mg/kg Zn. This decrease in total dietary Cu and Zn did not reduce performance or mineral status of pigs.

Effects of Dietary Copper and Zinc Supplementation on Growth Performance, Tissue Mineral Retention, Antioxidant Status, and Fur Quality in Growing-Furring Blue Foxes (Alopex lagopus)

“…In this experiment, all foxes were fed the same basal diet with Cu and Zn supplementation. We believe that the effect of their addition on palatability was limited as the supplemented amount was relatively low compared with supplemental levels in pigs [29]. Li et al [30] reported that high dietary Cu (125 and 250 mg/kg) appears to increase feed intake and promote weight gain by enhancing the neuropeptide Y (NPY) concentration and NPY mRNA expression level in the hypothalamus of pigs.…”

Supplementation of pigs diet with zinc and copper as alternative to conventional antimicrobials

“…Zinc oxide supplied at pharmacological level evidently improves weaned pig performance and is cheap what may led to inappropriate usages, environmental Zn accumulation and increase of bacterial resistance. Hernandez et al (2008) have demonstrated that the use of dietary Cu and Zn organic complexes, which show higher bioavailability, enabled to obtain increased improvement of the performance of pigs in comparison to that observed in the animals receiving supplementation with inorganic sources of these metals. For example, Zn in TM bioplexes may be used in concentrations of 100 and 250 mg/kg feed still showing some positive impact on piglets growth (Mullan et al 2007).…”

New feed supplement from macroalgae as the dietary source of microelements for pigs

“…It was found that the source of supplemental Zn did not influence plasma Zn concentration [32]. Also Hernández et al (2008) pointed that the concentration of Cu and Zn in the blood of pigs fed with the organic form of these microelements as proteinate amino acid chelate was higher by 4% and 11%, respectively, compared to the blood of pigs, the diet of which was supplemented with such inorganic form as sulfate after 77 days of the experiment (the total content of Cu and Zn in feed was 156 mg kg -1 and 170 mg kg -1 , respectively) [33]. In the study of Wedekind et al (1994), the concentration of Zn in the plasma of pigs was similar for all tested forms of zinc: zinc-methionine complex, zinc-lysine complex and ZnSO 4 ·H 2 O.…”

“…The content of Zn in liver of weanling pigs in the ZnOrg group was slightly lower than in ZnSO 4 ·7H 2 O (for the Zn level 10 and 20 mg kg -1 of feed it was a decrease by 9.5% and 3.0% respectively) [32]. Also Hernández et al (2008) pointed out that the content of Cu and Zn in the liver of pigs fed with the organic form of such microelements as proteinate amino acid chelate was lower by 12% and 3%, respectively than in the liver of pigs, the diet of which was supplemented with an inorganic form as sulfate, after 77 days of the experiment (the total content of Cu and Zn in feed was 156 mg kg -1 and 170 mg kg -1 respectively) [33]. However, Apgar et al (1995) found that the supplementation of the organic form of Cu in the diet of weanling pigs in the form of the copper-lysine complex caused an increase in Cu content in liver by 102% when compared with CuSO 4 [36].…”