Ge. Onibi et al., Supplementary alpha-tocopherol acetate in full-fat rapeseed-based diets for pigs: effect on performance, plasma enzymes and meat drip loss, J SCI FOOD, 80(11), 2000, pp. 1617-1624
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.