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A low-protein diet supplemented with essential amino acids can reduce nitrogen excretion without affecting the growth performance of pigs. Furthermore, sodium dichloroacetate supplementation could be used as a metabolic modulator to increase glucose consumption and decrease urea amino acid metabolism. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of supplementing low-protein diets with sodium dichloroacetate and glucose on growth performance, carcass traits, and meat quality of growing-finishing pigs. A total of 80 crossbred (Duroc × Landrace × Large White) growing barrows (27 ± 0.4 kg BW) were allocated randomly to one of the five treatments during three successive 4-week periods. There were five diets in three phases. Diet 1 was the control diet with normal protein levels (control; protein levels in each phase: 18%, 16.5%, and 15.5%). The dietary protein levels of Diets 2, 3, 4, and 5 (low-protein) were decreased by 4.5% compared to Diet 1. Additionally, Diets 3 and 4 were supplemented with an extra 120 mg/kg sodium dichloroacetate (low-protein + sodium dichloroacetate) or 1.8% glucose (low-protein + glucose), respectively. Diet 5 was further supplemented with an extra 120 mg/kg sodium dichloroacetate and 1.8% glucose (low-protein + sodium dichloroacetate + glucose).
Diet 3 increased the average daily weight gain of pigs compared to Diets 1 and 2 in phase 3 and the overall experimental period. Diet 2 reduced the gain:feed ratios of the pigs compared to Diets 1, 3, and 5 in phase 1 and the overall experimental period. Furthermore, gain:feed in Diets 3 and 5 groups did not differ from that of Diet 1. Pigs fed Diet 3 had higher pH values of meat at 24h post-mortem than Diet 1. Diet 5 increased the total protein content in the longissimus dorsi muscle of pigs, compared to the other treatments, and increased the Arg and Leu contents in the longissimus dorsi muscle compared to Diet 3. Moreover, Diet 3 induced a higher C18:1n9t percentage in the longissimus dorsi muscle of pigs compared to other diets.
In conclusion, a low-protein diet reduced the feed efficiency in pigs and barely affected meat quality, whereas 120 mg/kg sodium dichloroacetate supplementation in a low-protein diet improved the growth performance of growing-finishing pigs, showed modest effects on carcass traits, and improved the muscle protein content with the addition of glucose.
Xu Y, Chen H, Wan K, Zhou K, Wang Y, Li J, Tang Z, Sun W, Wu L, An R, Ren Z, Ding Q, Liang K, Sun Z. Effects of supplementing low-protein diets with sodium dichloroacetate and glucose on growth performance, carcass traits, and meat quality of growing-finishing pigs. Journal of Animal Science. 2022; 100(1): skab359. https://doi.org/10.1093%2Fjas%2Fskab359