Valine Requirement of the Lactating Sow

Abstract

An experiment was conducted using production and metabolic criteria to estimate the valine requirement of the lactating sow. Ground corn, gelatin, corn sugar, vitamins, minerals and indispensable amino acids were used to formulate a diet containing all the essential nutrients except valine. L-valine was added to provide .23 (basal), .38, .53, .68 and .83% valine. Twenty-five mature Landrace x Yorkshire sows were randomly assigned to the five dietary treatments. Milk production and average pig weight gain increased quadratically (P less than .01) and were maximized at .68% dietary valine. Total solids production (p less than .05) and protein production (P less than .01) increased with increasing level of valine, and both were maximized at .68% dietary valine. Protein content also was maximized (P less than .01) at .68% dietary valine. Fecal (P less than .05) and urinary (P less than .01) nitrogen decreased with increasing valine, yielding greatest (P less than .01) nitrogen retention (excluding milk nitrogen) at .53% dietary valine. Because daily milk nitrogen production also increased (P less than .01) with increasing valine, there were no treatment differences (P greater than .05) in nitrogen balance (including milk nitrogen). Plasma valine concentration increased (P less than .01) gradually until .53% valine was fed, after which there was a rapid increase in concentration. Plasma isoleucine and leucine decreased (P less than .01) with increasing dietary valine. Plasma urea concentration was minimal (P less than .05) with .38% dietary valine. When all the criteria measured are considered, the lactating sow's requirement of valine is between .53 and .68%. The metabolic data support .53% dietary valine for the requirement, although the maximum response in production parameters at .68% dietary valine suggests that the requirement is above .53% dietary valine.

Performance of lactating sows in response to the dietary valine supply

“…Several publications are available on the requirement of sows on lysine, sulphur‐containing amino acids or threonine ( Speer , 1990; Kirchgessner et al., 1992, 1993; Schneider et al., 1992a,b; Schwarz et al., 1993; Paulicks et al., 1998; Westermeier et al., 1998). Those dealing with valine (Val) are either inconsistent or recommend Val concentration between 5.3 g/kg ( Rousselow and Speer , 1980) and 12.0 g/kg ( Moser et al., 2000) in the feed of lactating sows. To verify these recommendations the effects of graded Val supply on the performance of lactating sows were examined.…”

Valine Requirement for Reproduction in Swine

“…The lactation requirement for some amino acids determined by the Iowa group were: 30 g per day for lysine (Lewis and Speer, 1973); 3.9 g per day for tryptophan (Lewis and Speer, 1974a); 23 g per day for threonine (Lewis and Speer, 1975b); 21 g per day for isoleucine (Naught and Speer, 1977); 25 g per day of leucine (Rousselow et £[., 1979) and 29 to 39 g per day for valine (Rousselow and Speer, 1980). In general these lactations studies were conducted during a 21 day lactation period.…”

“…In another study (Young et_ al., 1972), valine plasma levels were measured to assess the requirement of valine for humans. Studies of valine metabolism and its interaction with the other branched chain amino acids have been conducted with rats (Reeds, 1974;Oldendorf and Szabo, 1976;Shinnick and Harper, 1977); with poultry (Boldizsar, et al., 1973); and with humans (Nakagawa et ^., 1975) Requirement recommendations for valine have been reported for different animal species: poultry (Zimmerman and Scott, 1965), rats (McLaughlan and Illman, 1967;Stockland et aj_., 1970), growing pigs (Mitchell et 3%., 1968), pregnant swine (Rippel, 1967), lactating sows (Rousselow and Speer, 1980), growing kitten (Hardy et , 1977), green sea turtle (Wood and Wood, 1977), and also for man (Rose et a]^. » 1965).…”

“…The basal gestation diet (Table Al) During lactation, all sows were fed a common diet formulated to be marginal in valine (Rousselow and Speer, 1980 …”

Aromatic amino acid requirement for pregnant swine

“…Essential amino acid requirements for lactation studies have reported a similar trend (Lewis and Speer, 1973;Lewis and Speer, 1974a, b;Rousselow et al, 1979). However, in a study to determine the valine requirement for lactation, Rousselow and Speer (1980) (Sauberlich and Salmon, 1955) and chicks (Gray et al, 1960;Hill and 01 sen, 1963) has shown that dietary amino acid deficiencies result in reduced plasma concentration of that amino acid. Using mongrel dogs, Longenecker and Hause (1959) stated that changes in the plasma amino acid concentration after a meal is dependent upon the amino acid composition of the protein ingested.…”