title: The effect of Eucommia ulmoides leaf supplementation on the growth performance, blood and meat quality parameters in growing and finishing pigs.
abstract: The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of Eucommia ulmoides leaf (EUL) supplementation on the growth performance, blood and meat quality parameters in growing and finishing pigs. Ninety gilts (L x LW x D, 20 kg initialBW) were housed 10 per pen in a front-open building with three replicate pens per treatment. Experimental treatment was started from the beginning of the growing stage (20 +/- 3 kg) by supplementing EUL at 0(C), 3(T1) and 5% (T2) to the growing and finishing diet. Pigs were slaughtered by electrical stunning at 105 +/- 3 kg live weight. Average daily feed intake (ADFI, kg/day) decreased (P < 0.05) by addition of EUL in growth performance, average daily gain (ADG, kg/day) was lower (P < 0.05) in T1 and T2 than in C. In hematology, leukocytes (WBC, 10(3)/mm(3)) decreased (P < 0.05) in T1 and T2 than in C. Erythrocytes (RBC, 10(6)/mm(3)), hemoglobin (HGB, g/dL) and hematocrit (HCT, %) increased (P < 0.05) in T1 and T2 than in C. Platelet (PLT, 10(3)/mm(3)) was lower (P < 0.05) in T2 than in C and T1. In biochemical composition of serum, total protein (g/dL), r-GTP (micro/L), total cholesterol (mg/dL) and triglycerides (mg/dL) were lower (P < 0.05) in T1 and T2 than in C. On longissimus dorsi muscle, crude protein was higher (P < 0.05) in T1 than in C. Crude ash was higher (P < 0.05) in T1 and T2 than in C. Yellow to blue color scale (CIE b*) in meat color was higher (P < 0.05) in T2 than in C. CIE b* in back fat color was higher (P < 0.05) in T2 than in the other treatments. In sensory evaluation scores for fresh meat, the values of meat color, fat color, drip loss and marbling were not significantly affected by addition of EUL. In cooked meat, the values of chewiness and overall acceptability were higher (P < 0.05) in T1 and T2 than in C. The results indicate that the addition of EUL affected growth performance, blood parameters and meat quality parameters in growing and finishing pigs.
authors.affiliation: Swine Science Division, National Institute of Animal Science, Cheonan, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sung Dae
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Hoi Yun
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Young Min
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Hyun Jung
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Sang Yun
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.forename: Hae Dong
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.forename: Jae Weon
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Ryu
authors.forename: June Cheol
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Hong Kil
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Moon
authors.forename: In Cheul
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed; D000822:Animal Husbandry; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D031283:Eucommiaceae; D005260:Female; D008460:Meat / Q000592:standards*; D018515:Plant Leaves; D013552:Swine / Q000097:blood / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism