The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of digestible lysine levels in diets with or without supplementation of industrial amino acids on performance, carcass characteristics and nitrogen excretion in broilers of 22 to 42 days of age. Birds were distributed in a completely randomized experimental design in a 4 × 2 factorial arrangement, with four digestible lysine levels (9.0, 10.0, 11.0 and 12.0 g/kg) and two methods to obtain the lysine levels (variation in the proportion of corn and soybean meal, without supplementation; or supplementation of industrial amino acids), eight replicates and 20 birds per replicate. There was an interaction effect on the performance characteristics and on the weights and yields of prime cuts. In both diets, feed conversion improved linearly as the lysine levels were increased. Feed intake; weight gain; carcass, thigh and drumstick weights; and boneless breast yield increased and abdominal fat reduced linearly as the lysine levels were increased in the unsupplemented diet. The lysine levels of the supplemented diets linearly reduced the yield of drumstick and quadratically reduced the yields of bone-in and boneless breast up to the estimated levels of 10.4 and 10.7 g/kg, respectively. Diets without supplementation increased the excretion and retention of nitrogen. The levels of 9.0 and 12.0 g/kg digestible lysine obtained with supplementation of industrial amino acids and without it, respectively, provide the best performance and yield of prime cuts in the birds. Diets in which the digestible lysine levels are obtained without supplementation provide better performance responses and carcass characteristics compared with supplemented diets.

Este estudo foi realizado com o intuito de se determinar as melhores relações de treonina digestível com lisina digestível para leitões dos 28 aos 49 dias de idade. Para isso foram utilizados 120 leitões híbridos comerciais com alto potencial genético para deposição de carne magra na carcaça, desmamados aos 28 dias de idade com peso inicial médio de 7,45kg. Os animais foram distribuídos em delineamento em blocos ao acaso, compostos por cinco tratamentos (relações de treonina digestível e lisina digestível) e controlando o peso inicial, com oito repetições e três animais por unidade experimental. Os tratamentos corresponderam às seguintes relações treonina e lisina digestíveis: 0,50; 0,57; 0,64; 0,71; 0,78. Foram avaliados o desempenho dos leitões e os valores de haptoglobina e escore fecal por períodos: Período I - dos 28 aos 42 dias e Período II - dos 28 aos 49 dias. As relações de treonina e lisina digestíveis não influenciaram o consumo de ração médio diário e o ganho de peso médio diário dos animais. Houve efeito quadrático dos tratamentos em relação à conversão alimentar nos períodos I e II. Não houve efeito dos tratamentos sobre os teores haptoglobina e escore fecal no quinto e décimo dia do período experimental. As melhores relações treonina digestível com lisina digestível encontradas para conversão alimentar foram as de 0, 629 e 0, 648, respectivamente para os períodos I (28 aos 42 dias de idade) e II (28 aos 49 dias de idade).

This study was conducted in order to determine the best relations of threonine with lysine for pigs from 28 to 49 days of age. For this 120 commercial crossbred pigs with high genetic potential for lean meat in the carcase, weaned at 28 days of age with an average initial weight of 7.45kg were used. The animals were allotted to a randomized block design, with five treatments (ratios of threonine and lysine) and controlling the initial weight, with eight replications and three animals per experimental unit. The treatments were the following digestible threonine and lysine: 0.50; 0.57; 0.64; 0.71; 0.78. - From 28 to 42 days and Period II - 28 to 49 days of Period I: piglet performance and values of haptoglobin and faecal score by periods were evaluated. The relations of threonine and lysine did not affect average daily feed intake and average daily weight gain of the animals. Quadratic effect of treatments on the feed conversion in periods I and II. There was no effect of treatments on haptoglobin levels and fecal score in the fifth and tenth day of the trial period. Best digestible threonine to lysine found for feed conversion were 0, 629 and 0 648, respectively for the I (28 to 42 days old) and II (28 to 49 days of age) periods.

This study was developed to evaluate the effects of adding L-glutamine and L-glutamate in diets with no lactose or with 4.0 or 8.0% lactose inclusion for piglets weaned at 21 days old. One hundred and eight piglets with initial weight of 6.12±0.70 kg were allotted in a complete randomized block design, in a 3 × 2 factorial arrangement, with six treatments, six replicates, and three piglets per experimental unit. The experimental diets were supplied from 21 to 35 days. From 36 to 49 days, animals received the same diet with no lactose inclusion, but the animals in the treatments with L-glutamine + L-glutamate in the previous phase continued to receive diets containing these ingredients. There was no interaction between the level of lactose and the inclusion of L-glutamine + L-glutamate on the parameters evaluated. The levels of lactose did not affect the performance of piglets in either of the two periods. Adding L-glutamine and L-glutamate in the diet positively influenced the weight gain of pigs from 21 to 49 days of age and increased the villous height in the duodenum, jejunum and ileum. Inclusion of L-glutamine + L-glutamate in diets for piglets weaned at 21 days of age improves the performance and the intestinal mucosa morphology, regardless of lactose addition.

Ninety-six barrows from 63 to 103 days of age were used to evaluate the effects of dietary digestible lysine levels on performance and carcass traits of two genetic lines selected for lean deposition. Pigs with initial body weight of 23.800 ± 1.075 kg were allotted in a completely randomized block design, within a 4 × 2 factorial arrangement (four digestible lysine levels: 0.80, 0.90, 1.00, 1.10%, and two genetic lines), with six replicates and two pigs per experimental unit. There was no interaction between genetic and digestible lysine levels. The digestible lysine levels also did not influence performance or carcass traits of pigs; however, average daily lysine intake increased with increasing digestible lysine level in the experimental diets. Pigs from genetic line B had better carcass traits when compared with those from genetic line A. The level of 0.80% digestible lysine corresponding to a daily intake of 16.60 g digestible lysine meets the nutritional requirement of pigs from both genetic lines evaluated, from 63 to 103 days of age.