JOURNAL OF THE SCIENTIFIC AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY OF FINLAND 57 Maatalouslieteellinen A ik_akausk}ria Vol. 19SI Polyol mixture supplementation as a sweetener and/or feed additive in the diet of piglets MATTI NÄSI 1 and TIMO ALAVI UHKOLA 2 1 Department of Animal Husbandry, University of Helsinki, 00710 Helsinki 71 2 Swine Research Station, 01840 Hyvinkää 4 Abstract. In a 2 X 2 factorial experiment the use of polyol mixture (sugar alcohols) in the diet of piglets was investigated by comparing it to sucrose as a sweetener or to growth promoter olaquindox. In the experiment 80 litters, eight or more piglets per litter, were allotted four dietary treatments: sucrose 4 % (1), sucrose 4% + olaquindox 50 mg/kg feed (2), polyol 8 %, 4 % DM (3) and polyol 8 % + olaquindox 50 mg/kg feed (4). Creep feed was offered from one week’s age. The post weaning feeding period was from 5 to 7 weeks’ age. The litter size was 9.9 piglets on average. The mortality of piglets was 11.2%, 8.4 %, 8.8 % and 6.4 % in groups 1, 2, 3 and 4 during the experimental period 7—49 d. After weaning the groups receiving growth promoter grew significantly (Pc 0.01) better, 1 3.8 %and 24.0 % compared to the controls. Polyol and sucrose groups were equ- al. Feed consumption before weaning was small, 31 g/d, on average. After weaning there were no differences between groups in feed consumption. Relative feed conversion efficiences were 100, 79, 90 and 81 for groups 1,2, 3 and 4. The growth promoter decreased the incidence of diarrhoea in piglets after weaning. By using po- lyol mixture as a sweetener sucrose could be substituted and the mortality of piglets was reduced. The use of growth promoter improved the performance of piglets. Introduction A difficult phase in piglet rearing is the transition period from suckling to the starter phase. The risk of infections, change of feed and the lack of appetite followed by overeating cause severe stress in piglets and their defence reactions leading to los- ses due to gastrointestinal disorders and mortality. For successful weaning it is important that starter diets are palatable. Young pigs respond to sweetness and by adding sugars to the diet the feed intake could be increased (LEWIS et al. 195 5, ALDINGER ct al. 1961). Polyol mixture or sugar alcohols, a by-product of xylitol production from xylane-containing material, is a sweetening substance. Savings could be achieved by replacing sugar with a less ex- pensive form of sweetener such as polyol mixture. Sugar alcohols have been found to have antimicrobial effects (SCHEININ and MÄKINEN 1975, KORHONEN et al. 1977, MÄKINEN et al. 1981) and the purpose of the work was to study the effect of polyols on reducing or preventing diarrhoea. The study is part of a research project directed at the utilization of sugar alco- https://www.c-info.fi/en/info/?token=cDua3H2B9ENhcHSM.JDw0ICOwV0t5qXD3mv4SVA.NSIIE3q7HgACTaGTBFTBAIAnOL_Jypl1aQ8IGFRuGO6vB_rzcHHsjgOaz4BGnScoO2WXyOjiF7qxbcNf9B76l7Y45jRE6J5sVlbDXwlJxXQXpEJGmk2mzCHXQ72IMwdRNGiltAwb7kBQ3mAoWWBN3WUZ3FTWJ8HAnY-t-6fm_0ttPGSX2N16MVr80Jw84UGHbE0 58 hols in the nutrition of domestic animals. It is a follow-up examination of the effect of polyol supplementation on piglet performance after a preliminary investigation (NÄSI and ALAVIUHKOLA 1980). Materials and methods The study comprised eighty litters of landrace and large white cross sows of the Swine Unit of Porlammi Co-operative Dairy. The piggery is a commercial enter- prise of four hundred sows and four thousand growing pigs utilizing by-products from dairy industry in the feeding of pigs. The experiment was conducted in two de- partments of the unit. Only litters with eight or more piglets aged seven days were taken into the experiment. The litters were divided in four groups, twenty in each, in rotation. All sows had the same feeding regime during the gestation and lactation periods. During the lactation period the sows were fed with a mixture of grain and protein concentrate according to the number of piglets (2.8 kg + 0.3 kg/piglet feed daily). The litters were taken in the experiment at the age of seven days. Creep feed was offered on the floor from the beginning of the trial. The recording offeed con- sumption was made from three weeks of age from creep feeders, in which feed was allowed ad libitum. Piglets were weighed at seven days of age and thereafter at the age of three, five and seven weeks. A check for diarrhoea of litters was made daily and for every individual piglet with the weighing. Weaning took place at 5 weeks. Piglets remained in the pens until the experiment was terminated at 7 weeks of age. The four groups of twenty litters were as follows: 1. sucrose 2. sucrose + olaquindox 3. polyol mixture 4. polyol mixture 4- olaquindox The creep feed for piglets was supplemented with either 4 % of sucrose or 8 % (4 % DM) of polyol mixture. The growth promoter, olaquindox, trade name bayo- nox®, supplementation was 50 mg/kg feed. All diets were given in a pelleted form. Feed analyses were made by standard methods (PALOHEIMO 1969) and the sugar alcohol composition of the polyol mixture was analysed with a gas chromatog- raph (Carlo Erba 180). The average weight gain of piglets for each group was tested by a two-way va- riance analysis. The data of the feed consumption of litters was tested by the analysis of covariance. The differences between the treatment means were tested by the Tukey-test (STEEL and TORRIE 1960). Results and discussion The composition of diets is presented in Table 1 and the chemical composition of mixtures in Table 2. The average crude protein content in creep feed was 19.5 %. 59 Table I Composition of the diets. Ingredients, % Creep feed 1 Sugar 2 Sugar + 3 Polyol 4 Polyol + Lactation Olaquindox2 Olaquindox2 diet Skim milk powder 0.50.5 0.50.5 1.6 Whole milk powder 3.53.5 3.53.5 Fish meal 6.06.0 6.06.0 5.4 Meat and bone meal 1.8 Dried grass 1.4 Rape seed meal 3.03.0 3.03.0 Soybean meal 14.014.0 14.014.0 3.4 Yeast 1.01.0 1.01.0 1.1 Oats 9.59.5 9.59.5 20.0 Barley 30.030.0 30.030.0 62.0 Oatmeal 20.020.0 20.020.0 Sucrose 4.04.0 - - - Sugar alcohol 8.08.0 Water 4.04.0 - - - Mineral and vitamin 1 4.54.5 4.54.5 3.2 Supplements 1 Provided per kg creep feed: NaCl sg, CaHP0 4 20 g, Zn 100 mg, Mn 47 mg, Fe 158 mg, Cu 123 mg, Sc 0.1 mg, vitamin A 10 000 lU, vitamin D, 1000 lU, vitamin E 20 mg, pantotcnic acid 20 mg, niasin 40, vita- min B ; 5.5 mg and vitamin B 6 4 mg. 1 Olaquindox-supplemcntation 50 mg/kg. Table 2. Chemical composition of the diets. In dry matter Creep feed Lactation 12 3 4 diet Sugar Sugar 4- Polyol Polyol + Olaquindox Olaquindox Dry matter, % 84.684.9 84.084.9 87.6 Ash,% 6.96.8 7.37.5 6.0 Crude protein, % 22.722.7 22.022.8 19.1 True protein, % 21.020.8 20.321.3 16.9 Ether extract, % 4.54.6 5.04.6 3.5 Crude fibre, % 5.05.1 5.15.5 6.2 NFE,% 60.960.8 60.659.6 6 5.2 Calcium g/kg 10.5810.39 10.8011.62 9.84 Phosphorus g/kg 7.677.64 7.497.36 6.84 Magnesium g/kg 1.611.68 1.761.64 1.78 Sodium g/kg 3.854.33 4.614.34 3.28 Potassium g/kg 7.687.31 7.537.18 5.39 Ironmg/kg 436 370 335 359 313 Coppermg/kg 144 139 155 112 10 Zincmg/kg 194 191 191 229 150 Manganese mg/kg 103 106 129 108 71 The dry matter percentage of the polyol mixture was 51.6 %. The polyol mixture used in this study had the following composition, % in dry matter: arabinitol 16.6, erythritol 3.2, galactitol 2.4, glyserol 2.7, mannitol 11.3, rhamnitol 4.9, sorbitol 14.7, xylitol 27.1, glycose 10.0 and other reducing matter 7.1. 60 The mean values of litter performances are given in Table 3. The total number of piglets in the experiment was 794, about two hundred in each group. The average litter size at the beginning of the experiment, at seven days of age, was 9.9 piglets. The percentage of the mortality of piglets was on average in the period of 7—49 days 11.2, 8.4, 8.8 and 6.4 for groups 1,2, 3 and 4, respectively. After weaning 4.4, 3.1, 3.3 and 0.5 % of the piglets died in groups 1,2,3 and 4. The most impor- tant factors in piglet losses were chrushing and starvation. The climatic environment in the pig house was not good enought because of the very hard winter during the experimental period. Mortality was less in groups fed with a diet supplemented with growth promoter or polyol mixture. During the suckling period the daily gain of the piglets was 196 g on average. Groups 1 and 3 grew better during the first two experimental periods (P<0.01). These groups had a smaller litter size, 0.4 piglet less. Also the mortality of group 1 was higher. Between 3—5 weeks the daily gain was quite similar in all the groups. After weaning, the groups receiving feed additive olaquindox grew significantly (P<0.01) better, 13.8 and 24.0 %, compared to groups without growth promoter. Between supplements of sucrose or polyol mixture there were no differences in the daily gain. In a previous experiment performed at the swine research station the dai- ly gain improved 7 per cent with piglets fed on diet supplemented with polyol mix- Tabic 3. Average daily gain, feed intake and feed efficiency of piglets. Groups 1. Sucrose 2. Sucroset + 3. Polyol 4. Polyol + Olaquindox Olaquindox x s.d. x s.d. x s.d. x s.d. No oflitters 20 20 20 20 No ofpiglets 7d 197 202 193 202 21 d 188 195 187 195 35 d 183 191 182 190 49d 175 185 176 189 Piglets/litter 7d 9.91.6 10.11.3 9.71.2 10.11.6 21 d 9.41.8 9.81.4 9.41.0 9.81.6 35 d 9.21.8 9.61.4 9.10.9 9.51.8 49d 8.81.7 9.31.5 8.81.1 9.51.8 Live weight, kg 7d 2.640.70 2.480.66 2.740.63 2.500.60 21 d 5.541.45 5.211.41 5.591.31 5.061.29 35 d 8.432.21 8.061.97 8.392.00 7.692.00 49d 11.233.25 11.372.84 11.122.70 10.712.72 Daily gain, g/d 7-21 d 205 d 75 194cd 69 202 d 63 181c 63 22-35 d 202 a 80 I9 68 199 a 82 187 a 69 36-49 d 191c 129 237 d 115 188c 112 214 d 106 7-49 d 203 a 69 21 la 59 197a 57 195 a 56 Creep feed intakeg/d 22-35 d 37 a 28 30a 17 30a 18 28a 13 36-49 d 385a 116 394 a 71 385 a 110 381 a 77 Kg creepfeed/kg gain 36-49 d 2.34 a 1.36 1.84a 0.58 2.12 a 0.60 1.89a 0.53 Means with different letters were significantly different (a, b P< 0.05, c, d P<0.01). 61 ture of 2.5 % DM (NÄSI and ALAVIUHKOLA 1980). In the same good condition olaquindox supplementation increased growth by 10 % before weaning and by 27 % after weaning (PARTANEN 1976). ALAVIUHKOLA (1978) compared various growth promoters in the same piggery as the present study and found an improvement of growth with olaquindox- supplementation (44.6 mg/kg) before weaning by 8 % and by 48 % after weaning. Also olaquindox-supplement has been found to increase the daily gain of weaning piglets by 3 3 % (PFIRTER et al. 1978). The consumption of creep feed before weaning was quite low, on average 31 g/d in period 22—35 days of age. Group 1 receiving a diet supplemented with su- crose alone ate 2 5 % more feed compared to others. After weaning the differences between the groups were quite small and the intake was on average 386 g/d in peri- od 36—49 days. In the previous experiments at the swine research station piglets consumed considerably more feed supplemented with 2.5 % polyol DM, before we- aning 93 g/d and after weaning 5—7 weeks 786 g/d. The creep feed in that trial in- cluded rather a lot of oat meal (50 %) and was thus very palatable and digestible (NÄSI and ALAVIUHKOLA 1980). Olaquindox-supplcment in feed was found to increase feed consumption (PARTANEN 1976, ALAVIUHKOLA 1978 and PFIRTER et al. 1978). A trial to study the palatability of creep feeds supplemented with two concentra- tions of polyol mixture (2.5 vs. 5.0 % DM) was also performed at the Swine rese- arch station. The relative feed consumptions were before weaning 100—105—127 and after weaning 100—144—129for diets with 5 % sucrose, 2,5 % polyols or 5 % polyols (not published). The satisfactory growth of piglets in the period before and after weaning de- pends on a high intake and digestibility of creep feed. The palatability of the diet is of great importance, and feed consumption increases when sweetening incrcdients, e.g. sugar, are added (LEWIS et al. 195 5, ALDINGER ct al. 1961). Xylitol is as sweet as sucrose, and it has a pleasant cool taste (AMINOFF 1974, EMODI 1978). LUCAS and LODGE (1961) have reported that the amount of feed required daily for a maximum growth rate of 3, 4 and 5 weeks old suckling pigs is 45, 227 and 363 g, respectively. The groups receiving growth promoter utilised more efficient feed to daily gain, 12—27 %, but the differences were not statistically significant (P>0.05). This was attributed to the considerable variation in feed intake within the treatment. Group 3, which received polyols, utilised feed 9.5% more effectively than the control group fed on a sucrose supplemented diet. NÄSI and ALAVIUHKOLA (1980) found some improvement in feed utilisation with polyol supplementation. Olaquindox- supplementation improved feed conversion efficiency by 20 % in the Porlammi pig house, while at the Swine research station the improvement was 7 % (PARTANEN 1976). PFIRTER et al. (1978) found a 6 % improvement. The health of sows and piglets was normal during the experiment. The incidence of diarrhoea is presented in Table 4. After weaning piglets fed on diet supplemented with olaquindox had fewer scours than groups without growth promoter. Group 4 fed on diet supplemented with both olaquindox and polyols had the lowest incidence of diarrhoea and also a very low mortality. Polyol inclusion in diet had no clear ef- fect on diarrhoea. ALAVIUHKOLA (1978) reported marked decrease of diarrhoea in 62 Table 4. Diarrhoea, percent of piglets at different observation times. Percentage of 1 Sugar 2 Sugar + 3 Polyol 4 Polyol + piglets in diarrhoea Olaquindox Olaquindox 7d 5.6a 8.4a 5.7 a 5.4 a 21 d 5.9cd 3.6 C 1.6C 10.8d 35 d 6.0a 6.3a 4.9 a 4.7 a 49 d 9.2 d 6.5 cd 11.4 d 2.1 c Litters without diarrhoea 12 15 14 12 Litters treated 8 5 6 8 Diarrhoea-index' 264 186 211 311 1 Diarrhoea-index calculated by multiplying piglets in diarrhoea with score of diarrhoea. Means with different letters were significandy different (a, b P<0.05 ; c, d P<0.01) olaquindox group compared to control or other growth promoters in the same envi- ronment as the present study. The supplementation of growth promoter in such environmental and hygienic conditions as the present experiment showed an improvement on performance of pi- glets. By using polyol mixture as a sweetener sucrose could be substituted. Mortality and incidence of diarrhoea decreased in groups fed on diet supplemented with poly- ols. Also the feed conversion efficiency was improved with polyol inclusion in the diet of piglets. Acknowledgements. This study was made possible by the support of the Farmos Group Agricultural Di- vision. We are indebted to Mr. O. Kähönen, Manager of Porlammi Dairy, for providing the necessary facilities for this work. Thanks are due to Mr. M. Tuomikoski and Mrs. K. Ala-Kurki for the care of the experimental animals. References ALAVIUHKOLA, T. 1978. Kolmen lisäaineen vertailu pikkuporsailla. Sika 8 (5): 23—24. ALDINGER, S. M„ SPEER, V. C, HAYS, V. W. & CATRON, D. V. 1961. Effect ofsaccharin and sucro- se on the performance of young pigs. J. Anim. Sci. 20: 249—254. AMINOFF, C. 1974. New carbohydrate sweetener. Sugars in nutrition (Ed. H. L. SIPPLE and K. W. McNUTT). London p. 136—140. EMODI, A. 1978. Xylitol its properties and food applications. Food Techn. 1: 28. LEWIS, C. J., CATRON, D. V., COMBS, G. E. Jr., ASHTON, G. C. & CULBERTSON, C. C. 1955. Sugar in pig starters. J. Anim. Sci. 14: 1103—1115. LUGAS, I. A. M. & LODGE, G. A. 1961. The nutrition of the young pig a review. Techn. Commun. No 22. Rowett Institute. Aberdeen. MÄKINEN, K., NÄSI, M. & ALAVIUHKOLA, T. 1981. On the chemical composition of sow milk during polyol feeding. Nutr. Rep. Internat. 19. (in press). NÄSI, M. & ALAVIUHKOLA, T. 1 980. Polyol mixture supplementation in the diet of breeding sows and pi- glets. J. Scicnt. Agric. Soc. Finl. 52: 50—58. PALOHEIMO, L. 1969. Weender Analyse. Handb. Tierernähr. I 164—171. Hamburg. PARTANEN, J. 1976. Bayonox porsaiden ja lihasikojen rehuseosten lisäaineena. Sika 6 (5): 11 13. PFIRTER, H. P„ HALTER, H. M., JUCKER, H. & BICKEL, H. 1978. The influence of feeding chinoxa- line derivatives on the daily gain and metabolism of piglets and growing pigs. Z. Ticrphysiol. Tierer- nähr. Futtermittelk. 40: 191—203. SCHEININ, A & MÄKINEN, K. 1975. Turku sugar studies I-XXI. Acta Odont. Scand. 33. suppl. 70. STEEL, R. G. & TORRIE, J. H. 1960. Principles and procedures of statistics. 481 p. New York. Ms received February 9, 1981. 63 SELOSTUS Polyoliseos porsasrehun makeutus- ja/tai lisäaineena Matti Näsi Helsingin yliopisto, kotieläimilleen laitos, 00710 Helsinki 71 Timo Alaviuhkola Sikatalouskpeasema, 0)840 Hyvinkää 4 Tutkimuksessa selvitettiin polyolilisäyksen (sokerialkoholiseos) vaikutusta porsaiden kasvuun, rchunkulu- tukseen, rehuhyötysuhteeseen sekä ripulin esiintymiseen. Kokeessa oli neljä ryhmää, joissakussakin 20 pahnuetta. 2x2 faktorikokeessa ryhmät saivat rehuseosta, jossa oli (1) 4 % sakkaroosia, (2) 4 % sakkaroosia 4- 50 mg olaquindox-lisäainetta/kg rehua, (3) 8 % polyoliseosta (4 % ka) ja (4) 8 % polyoli seosta 4- 50 mg olaquindox- lisäainetta/kg rehua. Porsasrehua annettiin viikon iästä. Vieroituksen jälkeen 5—7 ikäviikoilla porsasrehu oli yk- sinomaisena rehuna. Pahnueiden keskimääräinen koko oli 9.9 porsasta. Porsaskuolleisuus oli 11.2 %, 8.4 %, 8.8 % ja 6.4 % ryhmissä 1,2, 3 ja 4, 1 ja 7 viikon välillä. Vieroituksen jälkeen olaquindox-lisäaine paransi porsaiden lisäkasvua 1 3. 8 % ja 24 % vertailuryhmään nähden. Rehunsyönti ennen vieroitusta oli vähäistä, keskimäärin 31 g päivässä. Rchunkulutukscssa eri ryhmien välillä ei ollut eroja vieroituksen jälkeen. Suhteelliset rchuhyötysuhtcct olivat 100, 79, 90 ja 81 ryhmissä 1,2, 3 ja 4. Rehun lisäaine vähensi ripulin esiintymistä porsailla vieroituksen jälkeen. Polyoliseoksclla voitiin korvata sokeri makeutusaineena ja porsaskuolleisuus laski polyolilisän vaikutuk- sesta. Käyttämällä rehun lisäainetta saatiin näissä olosuhteissa parempia tuloksia porsaiden kasvusta ja rehun hy- väksikäytöstä.