Chromium yeast affects growth performance and plasma traits but not carcass characteristics of growing-finishing pigs depending on the glycemic index

Forty Swiss Large White pigs (barrows with 31.7 kg initial to 103.7 kg fina l BW were equally and randomly assigned to one of four treatments (H0, H200 , LO, L200) involving a combination of chromium supplementation (0 or 200 m u g/kg) and glycemic index thigh GI (H) or low GI (L)). Growth performance, energy and protein digestibility, carcass composition, and some plasma tra its were investigated. The data indicated, that the substitution of dietary carbohydrates with fat and crude fibre (low GI) resulted in lower growth performance due to impai red energy digestibility. Moreover, the strong stimulation of insulin secre tion due to the high and rapid availability of carbohydrates of the diets H 0 and H200 caused increased carcass fat deposition; Chromium supplementatio n also affected plasma insulin and glucagon concentrations. Depending on gl ycemic index, chromium affected the growth performance. Daily gain was redu ced in pigs of the L200 treatment compared to the LO group. This finding in dicated that the energy availability expressed as GI is one of several nutr itional factors, which determine the efficacy of dietary chromium. We could not corroborate evidences that dietary chromium modifies the chemical comp osition of the whole carcass, but depending on GI, chemical composition of the longissimus muscle was affected.