The appropriate standardized ilealdigestible tryptophan to lysine ratio improves pig performance and regulateshormones and muscular amino acid transporters in late finishing gilts fedlow-protein diets
W. F. Ma, S. H. Zhang, X. F. Zeng, X. T.Liu, C. Y. Xie, G. J. Zhang and S. Y. Qiao
This study investigated the effects ofvarious standardized ileal digestible (SID) Trp to Lys ratios on theperformance and carcass characteristics of late finishing gilts receivinglow-CP (9.6%) diets supplemented with crystalline AA. Ninety gilts (89.1 ± 5.1kg) were used in a dose–response study conducted for 35 d. Crystalline Trp (0,0.1, 0.2, 0.4, or 0.6 g/kg) was added to a corn–wheat bran basal diet providingSID Trp to Lys ratios of 0.12, 0.15, 0.18, 0.21, or 0.24. Each diet was fed to6 pens of pigs with 3 gilts per pen. At the end of the experiment, 30 gilts (1 pigper pen) were slaughtered to evaluate carcass traits and meat quality (BW = 121kg). Increasing the SID Trp to Lys ratio increased ADG (linear and quadraticeffect, P < 0.05) and also improved G:F (linear and quadratic effect, P <0.05). Serum urea nitrogen (SUN) decreased as the SID Trp to Lys ratioincreased (linear and quadratic effects, P < 0.05). A quadratic effect of L*light and marbling in the longissimus dorsi was observed as the dietary SID Trpto Lys ratio increased (P < 0.05). Increasing the SID Trp to Lys ratioincreased the level of serum GH (quadratic effect, P < 0.05) and alsoincreased the level of serum IGF-1 (linear and quadratic effect, P < 0.05).Increasing the SID Trp to Lys ratio increased the protein abundance of themuscular AA transporter of sodium-coupled neutral amino acid transporter 2(SNAT2) in the longissimus dorsi muscle (linear and quadratic effect, P <0.05). The optimum SID Trp to Lys ratios to maximize ADG and G:F as well as tominimize SUN levels were 0.16, 0.17, and 0.16 using a linear-breakpoint modeland 0.20, 0.20, and 0.20 using a quadratic model. Tryptophan could influenceserum GH and IGF-1 secretion and protein abundance of the muscular AAtransporter of SNAT2 in the longissimus dorsi muscle in late finishing giltsfed low-protein diets.