Lipid profile of subcutaneous fat, growth performance, and carcass characteristics of gilts fed with diets supplemented with ractopamine, organic chromium or subjected to energetic feed restriction

ABSTRACT: This study identified the effects of dietary supplementation with ractopamine, chromium picolinate, chromium yeast, or an energetic feed restriction on the growth performance and lipid profile of subcutaneous fat, in late finishing gilts. Twenty genetically similar gilts with initial body weight of 105.35 ± 4.77 kg and a final body weight of 131.37 ± 5.58 kg were distributed in a completely randomized block design with five treatments (control; ractopamine: 20 ppm; chromium picolinate: 0.48 ppm; chromium yeast: 0.80 ppm; and energetic feed restriction: -150 kcal kg-1 of metabolizable energy), with four replicates of one animal each. The experimental diets were isonutritives, except for the metabolizable energy level of the diet fed to the group subjected to energy restriction. There were no effects on the growth performance and carcass characteristics. Ractopamine and organic chromium (picolinate and yeast) supplementation increased the concentration of total polyunsaturated fatty acid. The proportion of α-linolenic fatty acids were higher when the diets were supplemented with ractopamine or chromium yeast. The energy restriction increased the n-6:n-3 ratio and reduced α-linolenic acid concentration. Therefore, ractopamine, chromium picolinate, chromium yeast supplementation, and energetic feed restriction did not affect the growth performance or carcass characteristics but altered the lipid profile of subcutaneous fat in finishing gilts. Ractopamine and organic chromium supplementation increased PUFA in the fat of finishing female pigs.