Lagos, V., M. Bedford, and H. H. Stein. 2022. Phytate breakdown, nutrient digestibility, plasma metabolites, and bone ash of pigs fed increasing phytase levels for a long adaptation period. 15th International Symposium on Digestive Physiology of Pigs. Animal - Science Proceedings 13(Issue 2): 174-175. Link to abstract.

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.

Casas, G. A. and H. H. Stein. 2017. Effects of feeding level and physiological stage on digestibility of gross energy and nutrients and concentration of digestible and metabolizable energy in full fat rice bran and defatted rice bran fed to gestating sows and growing gilts. J. Anim. Sci. 95(Suppl. 5):78 (Abstr.) Link to abstract (.pdf)

Pedersen, C., and H. H. Stein. 2009. Effects of liquid and fermented liquid feeding on energy, DM, and nutrient digestibility by growing pigs. In Torrallardona (ed): XI International Symposium on Digestive Physiology of Pigs, Barcelona, May 20-22, 2009.

Pedersen, C., M. G. Boersma, and H. H. Stein. 2007. Energy and nutrient digestibility in NutriDense corn and other cereal grains fed to growing pigs. J. Anim. Sci. 85:2473-2483. Link to full text (.pdf)