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Pig farming is still a growing sector that requires a large amount of protein feed. Feeding animals with oilseeds and grains like soy is expensive and requires a large amount of cultivated land. Therefore, there is a rising need to replace protein feed to change the current feed supply and meet growing demand. Mulberry leaves are an ingredient found around the world that can be an alternative to other traditional protein feed sources. The crude protein content of Mulberry leaves is around 16%, with some varieties that can reach more than 20%. Besides, the composition of amino acids in Mulberry leaves is balanced, which is close to the ideal amino acid ratio. It is also rich in active ingredients including polyphenols, flavonoids, and alkaloids. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary Mulberry leaves on growth performance, carcass traits, and meat quality in finishing pigs. For that purpose, a total of 72 crossbred [(Landrace × Yorkshire) × Duroc] pigs with an average initial body weight of 70.03 ± 0.48 kg were used in a 45-day feeding trial. Pigs were randomly divided into three groups (6 pigs/pen and 4 replicates/group). Dietary treatments included a control diet (without any Mulberry leaves) and diets supplemented with 5% non-fermented or fermented Mulberry leaf powder (MF or FMF respectively). At slaughter, five pigs were selected from each group for blood collection from the anterior vena cava for antioxidant capacity analysis. The Longissimus dorsi muscles (LDM) and subcutaneous fat between the 5th to 6th thoracic vertebrae of the right carcass were used for histochemical staining and fatty acid and amino acid composition.
The present findings indicated that compared with the control group, administration of MF or FMF significantly improved gain: feed ratio and reduced the backfat thickness. Meanwhile, dietary MF and FMF significantly enhanced triglyceride deposition in Longissimus dorsi muscles. Besides, both MF and FMF could effectively improve the antioxidant capacity by increasing the content of superoxide dismutase and the total antioxidative capacity in serum and reduce the rancidity of pork.
In conclusion, supplementary MF and FMF could promote gain: feed ratio, reduce backfat thickness, increase fat deposition in muscle and reduce the rancidity of pork.
Fan L, Peng Y, Wu D, Hu J, Shi XE, Yang G, Li X. Morus nigra L. leaves improve the meat quality in finishing pigs. Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition. 2020; 104(6): 1904-1911. https://doi.org/10.1111/jpn.13439
