Find in Library

Two experiments were carried out with the objective of verifying the effect ofsupplementation of enzyme complexes on the nutrients digestibility and performance of pigsfed diets based on corn or sorghum. The metabolism assay was used in order to determinenitrogen balance (NB), digestibility coefficient of crude protein (DCCP), digestible energy (DE) and metabolizable energy (ME) of the experimental diets with corn or corn replaced bysorghum in the isometric way. The methodology of total feces and urine collection and ferricoxide as a fecal marker was utilized. In order to determine the performance in the growing andfinishing phases, 32 pigs were utilized in a randomized block design in a 2 x 2 factorial scheme,being two diets based on corn or sorghum and two diets with or without enzyme supplementation.Regardless the diet followed, the effect of the enzyme supplementation on the digestibility ofnutrients and energetic values of the diets showed increases of 2.06 and 2.55% for DE andME, respectively. There was an interaction (P<001) on NB and diets with sorghum supplementedwith enzymatic complex showed higher NB. The performance trial showed that the enzymaticsupplementation influenced (P<005) daily average weight gain (DAWG) and feed conversion(FC) in the diets based on corn. Among the diets tested, those formulated with sorghum withoutsupplementation showed (P<005) a greater DAWG. These results show that supplementationwith enzyme complexes improve digestibility and the energy values regardless the feed utilized.The pigs performance fed diets formulated with corn improved with addition of enzymes.Therefore the enzyme supplementation utilized in the diet based on sorghum is not technicallyviable for growing and finishing pigs.