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Flaxseed meal (FM) is a co-product from flax seeds oil extraction. The FM is rich in α-linoleic acid, oil, protein and dietary fibre. Therefore, it has received considerable interest as an alternative source of nutrients. There is a scarcity of information regarding energy content and standardized ileal digestibility (SID) of dispensable amino acids (AA) of FM in growing pigs fed corn and soybean-based diets. The objectives of this experiment were to determine the coefficient of apparent (CAID) and SID (CSID) of crude protein (CP) and amino acids (AA), the digestible energy (DE), metabolisable energy (ME) and calculated net energy (NE) values of flaxseed meal (FM) fed to growing pigs. Nine ileal-cannulated [(Yorkshire-Landrace × Duroc)] barrows (46.0 ± 1.66 kg BW) were allotted to three dietary treatments in a 3 × 3 Latin square design with three pigs per diet and period to give nine replicates per treatment. The experimental diets were: 1) a corn-soybean meal diet (Basal), 2) a FM plus corn-soybean meal-based diet (Basal-FM), and 3) low N-casein diet. The basal diet was formulated to meet nutrient requirements for growing pigs. In the Basal-FM diet, a portion of corn and soybean meal were replaced by the FM in the basal diet with 278 g/kg of FM. Titanium dioxide (TiO2; 3 g/kg), was included in all diets as an indigestible marker. The CAID and CSID of AA and CP as well as the DE and ME values of FM were calculated by the difference method. The NE value of FM was calculated using the determined ME value and analysed macronutrient content.
The GE was 19.5 MJ/kg, and CP, Lys, Met, Thr, ether extract, NDF, ADF, water holding capacity, swelling capacity, and bulk density of FM were 339, 12.21, 6.01, 12.21, 78, 416, 147 g/kg, 8.31 mL/g, 4.05 mL/g and 0.737 g/mL, respectively. The CAID of CP, Lys, Met, and Thr for FM were 0.59, 0.62, 0.65 and 0.58, respectively. The CSID of CP, Arg, His, Ile, Leu, Lys, Thr, Trp, Phe and Val for FM were 0.71, 0.79, 0.66, 0.72, 0.71, 0.63, 0.70, 0.68, 0.72 and 0.68, respectively. The DE, ME and calculated NE values of FM were 12.6, 11.4 and 7.5 MJ/kg, respectively.
In conclusion, FM is an attractive alternative source of dietary AA and energy that can be incorporated in swine diets to replace common protein sources. Limitations for using FM are its low lysine content, its dietary fibre content, and the bulking capacity. The opportunity of incorporating FM in combination with other oilseed meals and exogenous enzymes during feed formulation for swine should be explored.
Ndou, S. P., Kiarie, E., Walsh, M. C., Nyachoti, C. M. (2018). Nutritive value of flaxseed meal fed to growing pigs. Animal Feed Science and Technology, 238, 123-129. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2018.02.009