Effect of increasing dietary isoacid levels on total tract and apparent ileal nutrient digestibility and fermentation products in growing pigs fed corn-soybean meal diets

Abstract Background Isoacids are the product of branched-chain amino acid fermentation and are naturally produced in the hindgut by microbial fermentation. In ruminants, supplementation of isoacids as a feed additive improves fiber utilization, with a positive impact on animal productivity. However,...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Angie P. Benavides-Infante, Lucas A. Rodrigues, Mike T. Socha, Wesley P. Schweer, Crystal L. Levesque, Jorge Y. Perez-Palencia
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-07-01
Series:Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s40104-025-01239-0
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849764213111652352
author Angie P. Benavides-Infante
Lucas A. Rodrigues
Mike T. Socha
Wesley P. Schweer
Crystal L. Levesque
Jorge Y. Perez-Palencia
author_facet Angie P. Benavides-Infante
Lucas A. Rodrigues
Mike T. Socha
Wesley P. Schweer
Crystal L. Levesque
Jorge Y. Perez-Palencia
author_sort Angie P. Benavides-Infante
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background Isoacids are the product of branched-chain amino acid fermentation and are naturally produced in the hindgut by microbial fermentation. In ruminants, supplementation of isoacids as a feed additive improves fiber utilization, with a positive impact on animal productivity. However, information on how isoacids impact nutrient digestibility in swine is limited. The objective of this experiment was to determine the optimal inclusion level of an isoacid blend product based on apparent ileal digestibility (AID) and apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of nutrients and fermentation products in the ileal digesta and feces of growing pigs fed a corn-soybean meal diet. Methods Twelve ileal cannulated pigs (20.9 ± 0.6 kg) were used in a 5-period crossover design with 6 diets and 2 replicate pigs in each period. Dietary treatments consisted of increasing levels (0%, 0.5%, 0.75%, 1%, 1.25%, and 1.5%) of an isoacid blend (isobutyrate, isovalerate, and 2-methyl butyrate, 1:1:1) added to a corn-soybean meal basal diet. Each experimental period consisted of 14 d: 10 d for acclimatization to the diets, 2 d for fecal collection, and 2 d for digesta collection. Results Isoacids supplementation quadratically improved the AID of hemicellulose (P < 0.05) and tended to improve the AID of crude fiber (P < 0.1). The AID of most indispensable amino acids (except Met + Cys, Trp, and Val) as well as the ATTD of crude protein, gross energy, neutral detergent fiber, and hemicellulose improved or tended to improve linear or quadratically (P < 0.05 or P < 0.1). In addition, the ATTD values of Arg, His, Ile, Leu, Met + Cys, Phe, Thr, and Val increased quadratically (P < 0.05). Collectively, 1% of isoacids inclusion resulted in the greatest response. Furthermore, isoacids supplementation tended to increase (P = 0.071, quadratically) the concentration of ammonia and decreased (P < 0.05) the concentrations of acetic acid and total volatile fatty acids with a tendency to decrease (P = 0.064) isovaleric acid in the ileal digesta. In fecal samples, the proportion of acetic acid decreased (P < 0.05) quadratically, whereas the proportions of propionic, valeric, and caproic acids tended to increase linearly and/or quadratically (P < 0.1). Conclusions Isoacids supplementation at 1% in swine diets can improve nutrient digestibility, particularly amino acids and fiber at the ileal level and ATTD of crude protein, gross energy, and hemicellulose.
format Article
id doaj-art-9493018e1b7a48b79260ea6bb09e8ae3
institution DOAJ
issn 2049-1891
language English
publishDate 2025-07-01
publisher BMC
record_format Article
series Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology
spelling doaj-art-9493018e1b7a48b79260ea6bb09e8ae32025-08-20T03:05:13ZengBMCJournal of Animal Science and Biotechnology2049-18912025-07-0116111210.1186/s40104-025-01239-0Effect of increasing dietary isoacid levels on total tract and apparent ileal nutrient digestibility and fermentation products in growing pigs fed corn-soybean meal dietsAngie P. Benavides-Infante0Lucas A. Rodrigues1Mike T. Socha2Wesley P. Schweer3Crystal L. Levesque4Jorge Y. Perez-Palencia5Department of Animal Science, South Dakota State UniversityZinpro CorporationZinpro CorporationZinpro CorporationDepartment of Animal Science, South Dakota State UniversityDepartment of Animal Science, South Dakota State UniversityAbstract Background Isoacids are the product of branched-chain amino acid fermentation and are naturally produced in the hindgut by microbial fermentation. In ruminants, supplementation of isoacids as a feed additive improves fiber utilization, with a positive impact on animal productivity. However, information on how isoacids impact nutrient digestibility in swine is limited. The objective of this experiment was to determine the optimal inclusion level of an isoacid blend product based on apparent ileal digestibility (AID) and apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of nutrients and fermentation products in the ileal digesta and feces of growing pigs fed a corn-soybean meal diet. Methods Twelve ileal cannulated pigs (20.9 ± 0.6 kg) were used in a 5-period crossover design with 6 diets and 2 replicate pigs in each period. Dietary treatments consisted of increasing levels (0%, 0.5%, 0.75%, 1%, 1.25%, and 1.5%) of an isoacid blend (isobutyrate, isovalerate, and 2-methyl butyrate, 1:1:1) added to a corn-soybean meal basal diet. Each experimental period consisted of 14 d: 10 d for acclimatization to the diets, 2 d for fecal collection, and 2 d for digesta collection. Results Isoacids supplementation quadratically improved the AID of hemicellulose (P < 0.05) and tended to improve the AID of crude fiber (P < 0.1). The AID of most indispensable amino acids (except Met + Cys, Trp, and Val) as well as the ATTD of crude protein, gross energy, neutral detergent fiber, and hemicellulose improved or tended to improve linear or quadratically (P < 0.05 or P < 0.1). In addition, the ATTD values of Arg, His, Ile, Leu, Met + Cys, Phe, Thr, and Val increased quadratically (P < 0.05). Collectively, 1% of isoacids inclusion resulted in the greatest response. Furthermore, isoacids supplementation tended to increase (P = 0.071, quadratically) the concentration of ammonia and decreased (P < 0.05) the concentrations of acetic acid and total volatile fatty acids with a tendency to decrease (P = 0.064) isovaleric acid in the ileal digesta. In fecal samples, the proportion of acetic acid decreased (P < 0.05) quadratically, whereas the proportions of propionic, valeric, and caproic acids tended to increase linearly and/or quadratically (P < 0.1). Conclusions Isoacids supplementation at 1% in swine diets can improve nutrient digestibility, particularly amino acids and fiber at the ileal level and ATTD of crude protein, gross energy, and hemicellulose.https://doi.org/10.1186/s40104-025-01239-0Branched-chain fatty acidsDietary fiberFeed additivesIsobutyrateIsovalerateVolatile fatty acid
spellingShingle Angie P. Benavides-Infante
Lucas A. Rodrigues
Mike T. Socha
Wesley P. Schweer
Crystal L. Levesque
Jorge Y. Perez-Palencia
Effect of increasing dietary isoacid levels on total tract and apparent ileal nutrient digestibility and fermentation products in growing pigs fed corn-soybean meal diets
Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology
Branched-chain fatty acids
Dietary fiber
Feed additives
Isobutyrate
Isovalerate
Volatile fatty acid
title Effect of increasing dietary isoacid levels on total tract and apparent ileal nutrient digestibility and fermentation products in growing pigs fed corn-soybean meal diets
title_full Effect of increasing dietary isoacid levels on total tract and apparent ileal nutrient digestibility and fermentation products in growing pigs fed corn-soybean meal diets
title_fullStr Effect of increasing dietary isoacid levels on total tract and apparent ileal nutrient digestibility and fermentation products in growing pigs fed corn-soybean meal diets
title_full_unstemmed Effect of increasing dietary isoacid levels on total tract and apparent ileal nutrient digestibility and fermentation products in growing pigs fed corn-soybean meal diets
title_short Effect of increasing dietary isoacid levels on total tract and apparent ileal nutrient digestibility and fermentation products in growing pigs fed corn-soybean meal diets
title_sort effect of increasing dietary isoacid levels on total tract and apparent ileal nutrient digestibility and fermentation products in growing pigs fed corn soybean meal diets
topic Branched-chain fatty acids
Dietary fiber
Feed additives
Isobutyrate
Isovalerate
Volatile fatty acid
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s40104-025-01239-0
work_keys_str_mv AT angiepbenavidesinfante effectofincreasingdietaryisoacidlevelsontotaltractandapparentilealnutrientdigestibilityandfermentationproductsingrowingpigsfedcornsoybeanmealdiets
AT lucasarodrigues effectofincreasingdietaryisoacidlevelsontotaltractandapparentilealnutrientdigestibilityandfermentationproductsingrowingpigsfedcornsoybeanmealdiets
AT miketsocha effectofincreasingdietaryisoacidlevelsontotaltractandapparentilealnutrientdigestibilityandfermentationproductsingrowingpigsfedcornsoybeanmealdiets
AT wesleypschweer effectofincreasingdietaryisoacidlevelsontotaltractandapparentilealnutrientdigestibilityandfermentationproductsingrowingpigsfedcornsoybeanmealdiets
AT crystalllevesque effectofincreasingdietaryisoacidlevelsontotaltractandapparentilealnutrientdigestibilityandfermentationproductsingrowingpigsfedcornsoybeanmealdiets
AT jorgeyperezpalencia effectofincreasingdietaryisoacidlevelsontotaltractandapparentilealnutrientdigestibilityandfermentationproductsingrowingpigsfedcornsoybeanmealdiets