Two experiments were carried out to determine the effect of poly(3-hydroxyb
utyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) and polycaprolactone (PCL) inclusion (
Exp. 1), and of PHBV pre treatment with sodium hydroxide (Exp. 2) on the di
gestibility of diets in growing pigs. In Exp. 1, eight male castrated Large
White pigs (initial liveweight 24 kg; final liveweight 64 kg) received rat
ioned amounts of a cereal-based diet containing 0 (C) or 8 % of either barl
ey straw meal (S), PHBV (PI) or PCL (P2) in a replicated double 4 x 4 Latin
square design. In Exp. 2, ten animals (23-84 kg liveweight) were fed the s
ame standard diet including 0 (C), 10 or 20% of either untreated (P10, P20)
or pretreated PHBV (tP10 and tP20) in a replicated double 5 x 5 Latin squa
re design. Inclusion of untreated biodegradable plastic and straw negativel
y influenced (P < 0.01) organic matter and energy digestibility. Untreated
PHBV was poorly digested. The analogy of data indicates that PCL was even l
ess digested. Untreated plastic can be considered as undegradable material
in the gastrointestinal tract of pigs. In contrast, pretreatment (Exp. 2) s
ignificantly increased (P < 0.01) PHBV, organic matter and energy digestibi
lity. Independently of the amount included, 37 % of pretreated PHBV x;as di
gested on average. ((C) Elsevier / Inra).