Animal Science Abstract
Effect of supplemental levels of chromium picolinate on the growth performance, serum traits, carcass characteristics and lipid metabolism of growing-finishing pigs
T.-F. Lien1, C.-P. Wu1, B.-J. Wang2, M.-S. Shiao3, T.-Y. Shiao2, B.-H. Lin1, J.-J. Lu1 and C.-Y. Hu4
1Department of Animal Science, National Chiayi University, Chiayi, Taiwan Republic of China2Department of Food Science, National Chiayi University, Chiayi , Taiwan, Republic of China
3Department of Medical Research, Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China
4Department of Animal Science, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
Abstract
This study investigated the effect of chromium picolinate supplementation on growth performance, carcass characteristics and lipid metabolism of growing-finishing pigs. Sixty Landrace × Yorkshire × Duroc (LYD) pigs with a mean initial body weight of 46·65 (s.e. 6·72) kg were randomly allocated into three groups with two replicates. They were supplemented with 0 , 200, or 400mg/kg (ppb) chromium in the organic form of chromium picolinate for 90 days. Supplementation with chromium picolinate in the pigs' ration improved their growth performance, enhanced average daily gain (P < 0·05), and increased their food consumption, especially in the 200ppb group (P < 0·05). Chromium picolinate supplementation also improved carcass characteristics, as the average back fat thickness was reduced and the loin-eye area was enhanced (P < 0·05). The serum chromium concentration in the chromium picolinate supplemented groups was approximately twice that of the controls (P < 0·05). Supplementation with chromium also markedly reduced serum total cholesterol, triacylglycerol (TG) and urea concentrations in the pig serum (P < 0·05). Serum insulin was significantly decreased in the 400 ppb group, while serum glucose was decreased in the 200 ppb group (P < 0·05). Very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) was reduced and low density lipoprotein (LDL) was increased in the chromium supplementation group. Meanwhile, the high density lipoprotein-cholesterol and VLDL-cholesterol were markedly increased, while LDL-cholesterol was significantly diminished (P < 0·05) in the 200ppb group. The adipocyte diameter and volume in the chromium-supplemented groups tended to be larger than in the control (P = 0·07). In vitro studies indicated that incorporation of [u, 14C]glucose into total lipids (P < 0·05) was increased by chromium supplementation. However, there were no lipolysis differences among the groups (P > 0·05). The carcasses of the pigs that received the chromium supplemented ration contained less oleic acid (C18 : 1) and total unsaturated fatty acids (P < 0·05). On the other hand, the total saturated fatty acid content was higher than that of the controls (P < 0·05). Results in this study demonstrate that chromium picolinate supplementation in pigs has several beneficial effects.
Keywords: carcass composition, chromium picolinate, lipid metabolism, pigs
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