Sunflower meal (SFM) is a protein source that can be included in diets for pigs and other livestock species. In addition to providing amino acids, SFM also provide energy and other nutrients to diets, but because of the high concentration of fiber, SFM does not contain as much energy as other oilseed meals. The nutritive value of SFM depend on growing area, degree of de-hulling, and oil extraction process. Sunflower meal is obtained through a prepress-solvent extraction method, which yields a meal product with less than 3% fat. However, a double press procedure without solvent extraction may also be used to remove oil from the seeds, which results in generation of a co-product called sunflower expellers (SFE). Because the double-press procedure is less efficient in removing oil from the seeds, SFE contains between 6 and 10% oil. The concentration of fiber and protein also varies among different sources of SFM and SFE and is largely determined by the degree of de-hulling that takes place prior to oil extraction. Because the hulls are very high in fiber, there is a linear relationship between fiber concentration and the concentration of hulls in SFM and SFE, and there is a negative relationship between fiber and protein concentrations. However, data on the digestibility of nutrients and energy and concentrations of digestible energy (DE) and metabolizable energy (ME) in different sources of sunflower co-products are limited. Therefore, the objective of this research was to test the null hypothesis that there are no differences in the apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of dry matter, crude protein, fat, and gross energy and concentrations of DE and ME in SFM fed to growing pigs. The second objective was to test the null hypothesis that there are no difference in the ATTD of nutrients and energy concentrations between SFM and SFE fed to growing pigs.

Conventional breeding of corn has generated a new variety (i.e., high-oil corn; Byron Seeds LLC, Rockville, IN), which is believed to contain more oil and phosphorus than conventional corn. Because of the increased oil, it is possible that high-oil corn contains more digestible energy (DE) and metabolizable energy (ME) than conventional hybrids, but this hypothesis has not been experimentally verified. Inclusion of microbial phytase in diets for pigs usually improves digestibility of P because phytase hydrolyzes the ester bond that binds P to the phytate molecule in corn. However, there are at this point no data for effects of adding phytase to diets containing high-oil corn and no data to demonstrate the nutritional value of high-oil corn. Therefore, an experiment was conducted to test the hypothesis that the standardized total tract digestibility (STTD) of P, as well as concentrations of DE and ME in high-oil corn are greater than in conventional corn. The second hypothesis was that inclusion of microbial phytase to diets improves the STTD of P in corn sources.

Oliveira, Maryane, Charmaine Espinosa, Ferdinando Almeida, Hans H. Stein. 2020. Digestibility of energy and dietary fiber by growing pigs and concentrations of digestible and metabolizable energy in corn- or sorghum-based diets without or with microbial enzymes. J. Anim. Sci. 98(Suppl. 3): 66-67.  doi.org/10.1093/jas/skaa054.120. (Abstr.). Link to abstract.

Absorption of Ca and P by active transport in the small intestine is regulated by calcitriol, which is the active form of vitamin D (1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol) and the hormones calcitonin and PTH. One-alpha-hydroxycholecalciferol (1-α-OH-D₃) is an active vitamin D₃ analog that does not require the second hydroxylation step for vitamin D₃ to be active. It is possible that supplementation of 1-α-OH-D₃ may increase absorption of Ca and P.

The requirement for Ca and P by gestating sows increases in late gestation compared with early- and mid-gestation because of increased needs by the developing fetuses. It is also possible that dietary concentrations of Ca and P affect the rate of absorption of Ca and P in sows but data to demonstrate this have not been reported. Therefore, the objective of this experiment was to test the hypothesis that the Ca and P concentrations in diets fed to gestating sows in late gestation and supplementation of 1-α-OH-D₃ affect apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) and retention of Ca and P as well as the ATTD of GE and concentration of DE in diets. The second hypothesis was that there is an interaction between dietary Ca and P concentrations and supplementation of 1-α-OH-D₃ in diets fed to gestating sows.

Oliveira, M. S. F., C. D. Espinosa, J. D. Berrocoso, O. J. Rojas, J. K. Htood H. H. Stein. 2020. Concentration of digestible and metabolizable energy in L-threonine and L-valine biomass products fed to weanling pigs. Animal Feed Science and Technology 263 (2020) 114463. Link to full text.

Recently a high-protein distillers dried grains (HP-DDGS; ProCap DDGS, Marquis Energy, Hennepin, IL) was developed and the HP-DDGS has greater concentrations of CP and fat, but contains less fiber compared with conventional DDGS, which may affect the digestibility of energy and P and concentrations of DE and ME. There are, however, no data for the nutritional value of this new source of DDGS. Therefore, 2 experiments were conducted to test the hypothesis that concentrations of DE and ME, and standardized total tract digestibility (STTD) of P in HP-DDGS are greater than in conventional DDGS.

Espinosa Charmaine D., Su A. Lee, and Hans H. Stein. 2019. Digestibility of amino acids, energy, acid hydrolyzed ether extract, and neutral detergent fiber, and concentration of digestible and metabolizable energy in low-oil distillers dried grains with solubles fed to growing pigs. Transl. Anim. Sci. 2019.3:662–675. Link to full text

Blavi, L., J. Jørgensen, and H. Stein. 2018. Effects of two direct fed microbials on digestibility of amino acids and energy in diets fed to growing pigs. 14th International Symposium on Digestive Physiology of Pigs. Adv. Anim. Biosci. Volume 9, Issue S2, 9:S147. (Abstr.). Link to abstract