0
A total of 24 four-week-old barrows with an average initial body weight of 6.7 kg were used in two consecutive experiments with 12 piglets each. Betaine, organic acids and inulin at a level of 0.2, 0.4 and 0.2%, respectively, or combinations of these supplements were added to the basal diet. A basal diet was formulated with wheat, barley, soybean meal, maize starch, a mineral and vitamin premix and titanium dioxide was used as an indigestible marker. The basal diet was defined as the control treatment. The remaining 7 assay diets were referred to as betaine (BET), organic acids (AC), inulin (IN), betaine+organic acids (BET+AC), betaine+inulin (BET+IN), organic acids+inulin (AC+IN), betaine+organic acids+inulin (BET+AC+IN) treatments. The diets were fed in a mash form, mixed with water (1/1 w/v), twice daily at 07.00 and 19.00 h at a total level of 4.5% of individual BW. The study was conducted as a 2×2×2 factorial experimental design with 2 supplemental levels of betaine (0, 0.2%), 2 levels of organic acids (0, 0.4%) and 2 levels of inulin (0, 0.2%), and was balanced over 2 experiments, each including 2 experimental periods.
The supplementation of betaine, organic acids and inulin or any of their combinations did not affect ileal and total tract nutrient digestibilities (P>0.05). The microbial fermentation products both at the ileal and faecal level were not affected by any of the treatments (P<0.05).
In conclusion, combining betaine with organic acids and inulin did not have any associated effects on the variables that were measured.
A Ratriyanto, R Mosenthin, D Jezierny, N Sauer and M Eklund, 2009, Journal of Animal and Feed Sciences, 18:453–464.
