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African Journal of Pig Farming ISSN 2375-0731 Vol. 5 (1), pp. 001-003, January, 2017. Available online at 
www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals 

 

Author(s) retain the copyright of this article. 

 
 

Full Length Research Paper 

 

Productive performance of piglets fed with different 
sources of lactose 

 
Jimmy Quisirumbay-Gaibor*, Luis Delgado, César Oña, Alexandra Naranjo and 

Eduardo Aragón 

 
Veterinary Medicine College, Central University of Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador, Jerónimo Leiton s/n y Gatto Sobral.  

 
Received 20 July, 2016; Revised 10 August, 2016; Accepted 14 January, 2017 and Published 22 January, 2017 

 
Lactose is important to potentiate the health and growth of piglets before and after weaning. The aim of this 
study was to evaluate the effect of three sources of lactose on performance: 24 piglets from 7 days of age were 
divided into three groups (n = 8), 2 dietary phases were used: pre-weaning (7-35 days) and weaning (36-56 
days). The source of lactose was the variable under study: Crystallized lactose, lacto-whey and permeate. Body 
weight (BW), Average Daily Gain (ADG) and Feed Conversion Rate (FCR) were the parameters evaluated. The 
results were analyzed by ANADEVA and DUNCAN. Piglets receiving the permeate had a higher final weight 
23.98 kg (P> 0.05) and higher ADG 0.42 kg / d (P> 0.05). This experiment determined that any source of lactose 
can be included in feed processing for piglets however the inclusion of permeate cheaper production costs. 

 
Keywords: Piglet, feed, lactose, whey, permeate. 
 
 
INTRODUCTION 

 
There is great interest in developing management and 
feeding strategies that stimulate the development and 
digestive health of piglets in order to enhance its growth 
and minimize the use of antibiotics (de Lange et al., 
2010). The use of dairy products for feeding piglets early 
in life has shown remarkable benefits thanks to the 
contribution of highly digestible nutrients such as the  
lactose (Cromwell et al., 2007). The piglet at weaning 
(21-35 days old) suffers damage at the level of the villi of 
the intestinal mucosa which decreases the digestive 
capacity (Lallès et al. 2007) and it is essential to avoid 
incorporating large amounts of plant nutrients which  
would aggravate the damage (Pluske 2013). The 
inclusion of sources of lactose in the diet of pigs has 
shown an increase in daily weight gain in pigs in the 
weaning stage in approximately 17% (Cera et al. 1988). 
The effect is associated with increased feed intake 
(Gahan et al. 2009) and most nutrient digestibility ( 
Tokach et al. 1989) thus decreasing the atrophy of the  
 
 
*Corresponding author  Email: jrquisirumbay@uce.edu.ec  
Tel: +593996720299 

 
 
 
 
 
 

 
villi and pig productive performance is improved (Dong 
and Pluske, 2007). It has also been observed that diets 
that include lactose improve the digestibility of dry matter 
(DM) and crude protein (CP) thereby reducing the 
excretion of these nutrients (Jin et al. 1998).  
Whey, deproteinized whey (permeate) and lactose 
purified among others are used as source of lactose in 
feeding piglets. These vary greatly in their nutritional 
composition, lactose, protein, ash and its solubility 
properties and pH (Nessmith et al. 1997). Whey is the 
liquid fraction obtained after the coagulation of milk during 
cheese manufacture, it contains about 70% lactose but 
may vary depending the cheesemaking process (Zadow, 
2012). The crystallized lactose is obtained after 
evaporation and dehydration of serum (mainly composed 
of α-lactose) and pure lactose is obtained by 
centrifugation and purification of the crystallized whey: it 
contains more than 99% lactose. The permeate is the 
whey fraction deproteinized resulting from ultrafiltration 
process for the separation of whey protein concentrate 
and contains about 83% lactose (Nessmith et al. 1997). 
The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of 



  
 
 

 

dietary inclusion of three sources of lactose on the 
productive performance of piglets. 
 

 

MATERIALS AND METHODS 

 

The experiment was conducted at the pig farm "San 
Francisco" located in Alangasí, Pichincha-Ecuador. 24 
piglets from 7 days old Landrace-york F1 were selected; 
12 females and 12 males, weaning was performed at 21 
days old. Individuals were randomized into three groups 
of 8 animals each with an equal number of females and 
males (T1, T2 and T3). The study lasted 49 days and was 
evaluated in two diets: pre-weaning phase (7-35 d) and 
post-weaning phase (36-56 d) formulated based on the 
recommendations made by NRC 2012. The T1 group 
received pure lactose, T2 whey and T3 permeate. The 
nutritional composition of the diet study is detailed in 
Table 1. 
 

 
Table 1. Calculated composition of the diets (as-fed 
basis).  

 
 7-35 d 36-56 d 
   

DM, % 91.3 89.6 

Lactose, % 15 7.5 
   

CP, % 22.7 22.9 
   

Lys, % 1.60 1.56 

Thr, % 1.03 1.04 
   

Trp, % 0.27 0.27 
   

Met + Cys, % 0.93 0.93 
   

Ca, % 0.78 0.80 
   

P, % 0.71 0.69 

Bioavailable P, % 0.43 0.40 
   

ME, Mcal/kg 3.42 3.43 
   

Fat, % 5.6 5.9 
   

Crude fiber, % 2.3 2.7 
Ash, % 7.6 7.3 

 
Provided per kilogram of diet: vitamin A, 11,600 IU; 
vitamin D3, 1,100 IU; vitamin E, 22 IU; vitamin K, 4 mg; 
riboflavin, 8.25 mg; D-pantothenic acid, 28 mg; niacin, 
33 mg; and vitamin B12, 0.03 mg.  
Provided per kilogram of diet: Zn, 165 mg; Fe, 165 mg; 
Mn, 33 mg; Cu, 16.5 mg; I, 0.3 mg; and Se, 0.3 mg. 

 

 

Production parameters: BW, ADG and FCR were 
recorded from day 7 to day 56 of age. In addition a cost-
based economic analysis was carried out. 
 

Statistic analysis 

 

ANADEVA and DUNCAN test was used for variables, the 
analysis was performed using SPSS version 22.0 (SPSS 

 
 
 
 

 

Inc., Chicago, IL). An α level of P <0.05 was considered 
statistically significant. 
 

 

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 

 

The values obtained for the evaluated parameters are 
presented in Table 2. The final body weight at 56 days of 
age was similar in all three treatments and there was no 
significant difference (P> 0.05). Pigs receiving permeate 
had a slightly higher average in ADG (0.42 ± 0.030 kg / d) 
but no significant difference (P> 0.05). Although there 
was no significant difference between treatments FCR 
was better in the T3 group (0.899 ± 0.06). In the 
economic analysis conducted for this study it was 
obtained as a result that the T3 group (permeate) the cost 
per kilogram of feed produced was lower which led to a 
higher net profit per kilo body weight produced (2.1 USD) 
when compared to T1 (1.99 USD) and T2 (2.04 USD). 

 

It is well established that the inclusion of lactose in the 
diet of piglets improves the yield of animals by stimulating 
the feed intake and palatability (Mascarenhas et al. 
1999), in the study is evidence that all animals showed 
uniformity in the weight at the end of the experiment and 
reached a greater weight than those estimated in the 
tables weight goals. 
 
In studies where higher percentages of lactose (25%) 
were included in the preference of animals by diet and 
overall higher consumption in the weaning it was evident, 
even at the stage of pre-weaning inclusion levels of 
lactose generated differences in consumption (de Souza 
and Landín., 2004). The ADG was statistically similar in 
the 3 groups similar data were found in the work of Jin et 
al. (1998) in which there were no differences in the ADG 
in piglets receiving crystallized lactose (555.52 g/d) and 
those receiving whey (555.91 g/d) 0 to 21 days of age, as 
in the study Nessmith et al. (1997) in which there were no 
differences in ADG by comparing the same three sources 
of lactose in the period 0 to 35 days old.  
As for FCR was no difference between similar to what 
happened in the study by Nessmith et al groups. (1997). 
However, in the study by Jin et al. (1998) significant 
difference (P0.05) was found in both pure lactose CA 
between treatments (1.33) vs. dried whey (1.35). 
 

 

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION 

 

Replacing pure lactose whey or permeate in piglet diets 
phased pre-weaning and weaning not reflect significant 
differences on productive parameters evaluated in this 
study and represent suitable for supplying the nutrient 
sources, however whey can be very variable in 
composition and quality and is an important factor to 
consider for use in animal feeding. 



      

Table 2. Performance parameters.      
       

  T1 T2 T3   

  Pure lactose Whey Permeate   

 Piglets (n) 8 8 8   

 Inicial body weight (kg) 3.51±0.32
a
 3.43±0.14

a
 3.26±0.30

a
   

 Final body weight (kg) 23.13±1.81
a
 23.24±2.59

a
 23.98±1.77

a
   

 ADG (kg/d) 0.40±0.036
a
 0,41±0.049

a
 0,42±0.030

a
   

 FCR 0.941±0.08
a
 0.948±0.14

a
 0.899±0.06

a
   

 Average cost (USD/kg feed) 1.51 1.46 1.40   

 Profit (USD/kg de PV) 1.99 2.04 2.1   
 

Same letters in the same row indicate no significant difference (P> 0.05). 
 
 

 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 

 

The authors thank the pig farm "San Francisco" to allow 
the completion of this work; Dr. Nelson Jaramillo for his 
contribution and leadership in the research, Ing. Roberto 
Solorzano and the company "Bioalimentar”. 
 

 

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