The influence of ergot-contaminated feed on growth and slaughtering performance, nutrient digestibility and carry over of ergot alkaloids in growing-finishing pigs.
Diets containing 0, 1 and 10 g ergot (Claviceps purpurea) per kg, corresponding to mean total alkaloid contents of 0.05, 0.60 and 4.66 mg/kg (sums of ergometrine, ergotamine, ergocornine, alpha-ergocryptine, ergocristine, ergosine and their -inine isomers analysed by a HPLC-method), were each fed ad libitum to 12 pigs in the BW range of 30-115 kg to study the effect of ergot-contaminated feed on growth and slaughtering performance and the carry over of ergot alkaloids. Additionally, balance trials were conducted to investigate the digestibility of nutrients. Tendencies towards reduced feed intake and BWG were observed at a feeding level of 4.66 mg total alkaloids per kg diet. Typical symptoms of ergot poisoning were not observed. Heart and spleen weights showed significant linear increases. Differences in carcass quality due to dietary treatment were not detected. No genuine ergot alkaloids were found in physiological samples. The balance trials demonstrated a significantly decreased protein digestibility for the most highly supplemented diet.
Mainka
Simone
S
Institute of Animal Nutrition, Federal Agricultural Research Centre, Braunschweig, Germany. simone.mainka@fal.de
Dänicke
Sven
S
Böhme
Hartwig
H
Ueberschär
Karl-Heinz
KH
Polten
Siegrid
S
Hüther
Liane
L
D000821:Animal Feed; D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary; D004063:Digestion; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D002149:Energy Intake; D004876:Ergot Alkaloids / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*; D005260:Female; D005506:Food Contamination; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D011897:Random Allocation; D013552:Swine / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism*; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000187:drug effects
D004876:Ergot Alkaloids