187 Polyphenols as a partial replacement for vitamin E in nursery pig diets

Abstract A total of 300 pigs [241×600; DNA, Columbus, NE; initial body weight (BW) = 6.0 ± 0.01 kg] were used in a 42-d trial to determine the effects of vitamin E levels and partially replacing vitamin E with a polyphenol (Cabanin CSD, R2 Argo, Denmark) on growth performance, complete blood count (CBC), serum thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), serum superoxide dismutase (SOD), and serum cytokines. Sixty pens of pigs were weighed and allotted to 1 of 5 dietary treatments in a completely randomized design with 12 pens/treatment with 5 pigs/pen. A control treatment was formulated to provide 15 IU/kg of vitamin E. This control treatment was then used as a base for 3 replacement strategies to determine the effects of replacing an additional 60 IU/kg of vitamin E above baseline with polyphenol in diets containing a basal level of vitamin E (15 IU/kg). First, an additional 60 IU/kg of vitamin E was added for a total of 75 IU/kg of vitamin E. Second, 50% of the additional vitamin E (30 IU/kg) was replaced with the vitamin E equivalency of polyphenol. Third, all 60 IU/kg of the additional vitamin E was replaced with the equivalency of polyphenol. To evaluate whether there are negative effects of feeding nursery pigs a high level of polyphenol, a fifth treatment was formulated to provide 575 IU/kg of vitamin E equivalence with 75 IU/kg from vitamin E and 500 IU/kg from polyphenol. Whole blood and serum samples were collected on d 10 and 42, and pig BW and feed disappearance measured on d 10, 21, 31, 38, and 42. For growth performance, there was no evidence of differences (P > 0.10) in average daily gain (ADG) and average daily feed intake (ADFI) as vitamin E equivalence increased or between replacement strategies throughout the entire 42-d experimental period (Table). From d 10 to 21, increasing vitamin E equivalence from 15 to 75 IU/kg increased (quadratic, P = 0.086) gain to feed ratio (G:F) with no further increase at 575 IU/kg. From d 21 to 42 and overall, there was a tendency for increased (linear, P < 0.10) G:F as the vitamin E equivalence increased. There was a vitamin E equivalence × day interaction (P = 0.050) for serum SOD activity where increasing vitamin E equivalence increased (linear, P < 0.05) serum SOD activity on d 42, but not on d 10 (P > 0.10). For serum TBARS, there was no evidence of differences (P > 0.10) between treatments, vitamin E equivalence levels, or day, and negligible differences in complete blood count parameters and serum cytokines. In summary, increasing vitamin E equivalence tended to increase G:F, which may be related to the improved SOD activity. These data indicate that when diets contain requirement levels of vitamin E, additional vitamin E equivalency can be provided by polyphenol or vitamin E to achieve similar levels of performance.