ACIDIFIER AND NUTRIENTS DIGESTIBILITY IN GROWING PIGS

Abstract The aim of the experiment was to evaluate the effect of the addition of acidifiers to diets on the digestibility of growing pigs. We used 18 pigs with an average initial weight of 53.55 kg. The treatments consisted of conventional diet (corn and soybean meal) and alternative diet (pre-cooked corn and inactive soybean), with the addition of an acidifier at the levels of 0%, 0.1%, and 0.2%. The experimental design was in randomized blocks in a 2 x 3 factorial arrangement (diets x levels of the acidifier). The alternative diet was worse for CP (P<0.03) and ash (P<0.001) digestibility, but improved fiber digestibility (CF, P <0.001; ADF, P <0.001). The addition of the acidifier (0.2%) improved digestibility of Ca (P <0.01). There was an interaction between the acidifier and diet on digestibility coefficients of DM (P <0.01) and NDF (P<0.02). The alternative diet showed higher DM digestibility than the conventional diet when added 0.1% acidifier, respectively, 86.02% and 84.51% (P<0.05). As for NDF digestibility results, the alternative diet showed higher values than the conventional diet with the addition of 0% or 0.1% of the acidifier. For the alternative diet with 0.2%, values greater than 0 or 0.1% (P<0.05) were obtained.