Supplementary alpha-tocopherol acetate in full-fat rapeseed-based diets for pigs: effect on performance, plasma enzymes and meat drip loss

Twenty-four Large White x Landrace pigs were individually fed, from 50 to 9 0 kg live weight, either a control (CONT) diet containing palm oil or one o f three diets based on full-fat rapeseed (250 g kg(-1)) (diets RD). The RD diets were supplemented with 0, 200 or 500 mg DL-alpha-tocopherol acetate ( ATA) kg(-1) diet (diets RD0, RD200 and RD500 respectively). Diets were form ulated to be isonitrogenous and isocaloric. Daily live weight gain was sign ificantly increased (p<0.01) in pigs fed diet RD500. Plasma AT concentratio n was significantly increased by dietary supplementation with 200 mg ATA kg (-1) but showed no further significant increase by supplementation with 500 mg ATA kg(-1). At slaughter, after 45 days, carcass weights were increased for the RD500 group but dressing percentage was unaffected. ATA supplement ation significantly reduced drip loss on days 4 and 5-7 in fresh muscle and on days 1 and 4 in frozen muscle. The concentrations of calcium, sodium an d potassium in drip loss fluid collected on days 1 and 4 from fresh muscle were not significantly affected by treatment or by time of collection and d id not suggest any change in the relative contribution of intra- and extrac ellular fluid to total drip loss. Plasma enzyme activities related to tissu e damage (creatine kinase, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransfe rase and lactate dehydrogenase) were not influenced by dietary treatments. (C) 2000 Society of Chemical Industry.