This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary Saururus chinensis (S. chinensis) extract supplementation on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, meat quality, longissimus muscle and subcutaneous adipose fatty acid composition and slurry noxious gas emission in finishing pigs. A total of 120 [(Landrace×Yorkshire)×Duroc] pigs (54.10kg) were randomly allocated into one of the following dietary treatments: 1) CON, basal diet; 2) S1, basal diet with 1 g/kg S. chinensis extract; 3) S2, basal dietwith 2 g/kg S. chinensis extract. There were 10 replications per treatment with 4 pigs (2 gilts and 2 barrows) per pen. Throughout the experiment, no significant difference was observed in growth performance or nutrient digestibility among treatments. However, serum triglyceride and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol concentrations as well as total cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol ratio were significantly decreased in pigs fed S2 diet compared with those fed diets without S. chinensis extract. Furthermore, the S. chinensis extract administration improved lightness (L*) value while having little effects on the fatty acid composition of longissimus muscle and subcutaneous adipose tissue. Providing S2 diet also decreased slurry concentrations of NH3. Taken together, S. chinensis extract administration had only minor effects on finishing pigs with the exception of improving serum lipid protein profile and decreasing the emission of noxious gases from slurry.
For more information the full article can be found at http://www.journals.elsevierhealth.com/periodicals/livsci
