Nitrogen balance and ileal nutrient digestibility in weanling pigs fed spray dried plasma protein and fermented fish meals

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of spray dried plasma protein (SDPP) and fermented (L. acidophilus and B. licheniformis) fish meals on nitrogen (N) balance and ileal nutrient digestibility of weanling pigs. Sixteen crossbred [(Landrace x Yorkshire) x Duroc] nursery pigs (8.58 +/- 0.32 kg) were surgically fitted with a T-cannula at the distal ileum. The dietary treatments were: 1) FM (5% unfermented fish meal), 2) FFA (5% fermented fish meal with L. acidophilus), 3) FFL (5% fermented fish meal with B. licheniformis), and 4) SDPP (3% Spray dried plasma protein, AP920 (R), APC, Inc, Ames, IA). The N retention was greater in the SDPP treatment than in other treatments (p<0.05), and biological value was greater in the SDPP treatment than in the FM and FFL treatments (p<0.05). Dry matter (DM) and N digestibility were higher in the SDPP treatment than in other treatments (p<0.05). When calcium (Ca) digestibility was evaluated, it was found to be higher in the SDPP treatment than in the FM and FFA treatments (p<0.05). The FFA and FFL treatments had a higher calcium (Ca) digestibility than the FM treatment (p<0.05). Arginine, histidine and isoleucine digestibility were higher in the SDPP treatment than in the FM and FFL treatments (p<0.05). Lysine digestibility was higher in the SDPP treatment than in the FFL treatment (p<0.05). Compared to all dietary treatments, phenylalanine and valine digestibility were the greatest in the SDPP group (p<0.05). Glutamic acid and tyrosine digestibility were higher in the SDPP treatment than in the FM and FFL treatments (p<0.05). In conclusion, compared with feeding 3% SDPP, no positive effects were observed on N retention or nutrient digestibility in weanling pigs on the 5% fermented fish meal diets. Thus, SDPP provides a better nutrient digestibility outcome than the use of fermented fish meal.