UTILIZATION OF CRUDE SOYBEAN LECITHIN AS A NATIVE CHOLINE SOURCE IN FEED RATIONS OF FATTENING PIGS

In a feeding experiment with six times eight Du x DL-barrows it was te sted whether crude soybean lecithin is an useable source for choline i n ordinary feed mixtures for fattening pigs. The animals alternatively received,diets with 2% soybean oil with or without choline chloride s upplement or 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5% crude soybean lecithin, respectively. The groups receiving soybean oil with choline chloride as well as 1.5% so ybean lecithin achieved the best fattening performance, but difference s in growth and carcass values resp. meat condition were not significa nt. Lecithin supplements up to 2% in the ration provided an acceptable fat quality with contents of polyunsaturated fatty acids below 15% in carcass fat. The analyzed bloodparameters of the fat metabolism indic ated that supplements of soybean lecithin decreased the cholesterol le vel resp. increased the level of free fatty acids with all parameters within the normal standard. Thus, the results show, that choline chlor ide as well as soybean lecithin can be used as an alternative source f or choline in diets for fattening pigs.