To evaluate the effects of glutamine (Gln) supplementation on sow performance during late gestation and lactation and their offspring, eighty pregnant, multiparous sows of a commercial hybrid line were used in a completely randomized, 2 χ 2 experimental design at the end of gestation and lactation, respectively. Females were subjected to a control diet or a Gln-supplemented diet (1% of L-glutamine) from 85 d of gestation until farrowing. During lactation, the dietary treatment groups were CON_C: without Gln supplementation; CON_G: Gln only during lactation; GLN_C: Gln only during gestation; GLN_ GLN: Gln during gestation and lactation. At 105 d of gestation, there was no statistical difference regarding the body weight of the sows, however, sows fed the Gln-supplemented diet had greater backfat thickness at P1 and loin depth at P2 than control sows. Placental weight and efficiency showed no effect between treatments. Litters born from Gln-supplemented sows tended to be heavier at birth compared to control litters, reducing the probability of piglets weighing less than 1.5 kg. In addition, litters from supplemented sows had a lower standard deviation of BW at birth. There were no effects of dietary treatments on the performance of sows and offspring during the lactation period. Maternal Gln supplementation during late gestation improved piglet weight and litter uniformity at birth without affecting sow body composition after farrowing.

An experiment was carried out to evaluate the digestibility of diets, and metabolism of finishing pigs fed diets containing citric extracts. Twelve barrows with average initial weight of 54 kilograms were used. A completely randomized experimental design was used, with two treatments (control diet and control diet + 750mg.kg-1 of a compound of citric extracts, containing ascorbic acid and bioflavonoids) with six replications, and the animal as an experimental unit. The citric extracts did not alter (p>0.05) nitrogen balance, but increased (p<0.05) in 3.56 % the retained energy and in 1.94 % the digestible energy. Pigs fed diets containing citrus extracts had decreased (p<0.05) from 12.9 % in the level of blood cholesterol. The addition of citric extracts in diets for pigs improves the retention of energy, the use of digestible energy and reduces the plasma cholesterol levels.

O experimento foi realizado com o objetivo de avaliar a digestibilidade das dietas e o metabolismo de suínos em terminação alimentados com dietas contendo extratos cítricos. Foram utilizados 12 suínos, machos castrados, com peso médio inicial de 54 quilogramas. O delineamento experimental foi inteiramente casualizado com dois tratamentos (dieta controle e dieta controle + 750 mg.kg-1 de um composto de extratos cítricos, contendo ácido ascórbico e bioflavonóides) de seis repetições cada, sendo o animal a unidade experimental. O uso de extratos cítricos não alterou (p>0,05) o balanço de nitrogênio, porém aumentou (p=0,05) em 3,56 % a energia retida e em (p<0,05) 1,94 % a energia digestível. Suínos alimentados com dietas contendo extratos cítricos apresentaram redução (p<0,05) de 12,9 % no nível de colesterol sanguíneo. A adição de extratos cítricos em dietas para suínos melhora a retenção de energia, o aproveitamento da energia digestível e reduz os níveis plasmáticos de colesterol.

An experiment was carried out to evaluate performance, vulvae morphology, visceral organs and reproductive tract weight in pre-puberal gilts fed diets containing aflatoxins or zearalenone during 28 days. Eighteen animals with an average initial weight of 11 kg were used. Three treatments (control diet - CD; CD + 1 mg kg-1 of aflatoxins; CD + 2 mg kg-1 of zearalenone) were utilized in a completely randomized design with six replications. Feed intake, weight gain and final live weight were reduced (p<0.05) by 30% (CD x CD + aflatoxins: 1.087 x 0.758 kg), 27% (0.608 x 0.441 kg) and 16% (27.4 x 22.9 kg) for animals fed diets containing aflatoxins. Feed intake (CD x CD + zearalenone: 1.087 x 0.986 kg), feed conversion ratio (1.85 x 1.86) and final live weight (27.4 x 25.5 kg) were not affected (p>0.05) by zearalenone in comparison to control group. The relative weight of liver and heart were not altered (p>0.05) by mycotoxins. However, zearalenone increased (p<0.05) the bulk of vulva, the length and weight of reproductive tract. Feeding diets with aflatoxins or zearalenone prejudices performance and stimulates estrogenic effects in gilts.

Um experimento foi realizado para avaliar o desempenho, a morfologia vulvar e os pesos de órgãos viscerais e de trato reprodutivo em leitoas pré-púberes alimentadas com dietas contendo aflatoxinas ou zearalenona durante 28 dias. Foram utilizados 18 animais com peso médio inicial de 11 quilogramas. Três tratamentos (dieta controle - DC; DC + 1 mg kg-1 de aflatoxinas; DC + 2 mg kg-1 de zearalenona) foram utilizados em um delineamento inteiramente casualizado com seis repetições. As aflatoxinas reduziram (p<0,05) em 30% o consumo de ração (DC x DC + aflatoxinas: 1,087 x 0,758 kg), em 27% o ganho de peso (0,608 x 0,441 kg) e em 16% o peso vivo dos animais ao final do experimento (27,4 x 22,9 kg). A zearalenona não alterou (p>0,05) o consumo de ração (DC x DC + zearalenona: 1,087 x 0,986 kg), a conversão alimentar (1,85 x 1,86), o ganho de peso (0,608 x 0,539 kg) e o peso vivo dos animais (27,4 x 25,5 kg) em relação ao grupo controle. Os pesos relativos de fígado e coração também não foram alterados (p>0,05) pelas micotoxinas. Porém, a zearalenona aumentou (p<0,05) o volume vulvar, o peso e o comprimento do trato reprodutivo. Os resultados indicam efeitos estrogênicos associados à zearalenona e perdas em produtividade às aflatoxinas presentes nas dietas.

O desempenho, o peso de alguns órgãos e a morfologia vulvar de leitoas pré-púberes, alimentadas por 28 dias com dietas contendo zearalenona, foram avaliados. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi inteiramente ao acaso, com dois tratamentos, dieta controle (DC) e dieta controle + 2mg kg-1 de zearalenona (DZ), e seis repetições cada. Não houve diferença (P>0,05) entre os tratamentos para consumo médio diário de ração (1,24 x 1,19kg), ganho médio diário de peso (0,68 x 0,71kg), conversão alimentar (1,86 x 1,71) e peso vivo (PV); (30,9 x 30,4kg). A zearalenona não alterou (P>0,05) os pesos absoluto e relativo do coração (137 x 141g e 0,45 x 0,45% PV), fígado (699 x 699g e 2,31 x 2,26%PV), rins (47 x 49g e 0,15 x 0,16%PV) e baço (166 x 171g e 0,55 x 0,55%PV). Houve aumento (P<0,05) no comprimento (17 x 27cm) e no peso (23 x 157g e 0,07 x 0,51%PV) do trato reprodutivo das leitoas do grupo DZ. O volume vulvar ao final do período foi 820% maior (P<0,05) nos animais alimentados com zearalenona (941 x 8658mm³/kgPV0,6). Os resultados indicam que em suínos a zearalenona e seus metabólitos possuem atividade estrogênica, mas não interferem no desempenho dos animais.

The performance, the weights of some organs, and the vulvae morphology in pre-pubertal gilts fed diets containing zearalenone were evaluated during 28 days. The experimental design was completely randomized with two treatments (control diet, ZD - control diet + 2mg kg-1 of zearalenone) and six replications of each were done. No differences (P>0.05) between treatments for daily feed intake (1.24 x 1.19kg), average daily gain (0.68 x 0.71kg), feed conversion ratio (1.86 x 1.71), and live weight (30.9 x 30.4kg) were observed. Zearalenone did not change (P>0.05) the absolute and relative weights of heart (137 x 141g and 0.45 x 0.45%BW), liver (699 x 699g and 2.31 x 2.26%BW), kidneys (47 x 49g and 0.15 x 0.16%BW), and spleen (166 x 171g and 0.55 x 0.55% BW). However, zearalenone increased (P<0.05) the length (17 x 27cm) and weight (23 x 157g and 0.07 x 0.51%BW) of the reproductive tract. The final vulvae volume was 820% larger (P<0.05) in gilts fed diets containing zearalenone than those fed control diet (941 x 8658mm³/kgBW0.6). Results suggested that zearalenone and its metabolites have an estrogenic activity in pigs without changing the animal performance.