Sangrovit G is a phytogenic feed additive derived from Macleaya cordata composed of isoquinoline alkaloids (IQ), primarily sanguinarine, that are believed to benefit animal performance. Sanguinarine has anti-inflammatory, immuno-modulatory, and antimicrobial effects. As a result, inclusion of IQ in diets for pigs may reduce inflammation in the intestine and thereby increase absorption of essential nutrients.

However, there are no data published for the effects of IQ on digestibility of crude protein, amino acids, starch, and lipids in pigs. Therefore, the objective of the experiment was to test the hypothesis that the apparent ileal digestibility (AID) of crude protein, amino acids, acid hydrolyzed ether extract and starch in corn-soybean meal diets fed to young growing pigs increases as IQ is added to the diet.

Hybrid rye is grown in Europe, Canada, and the United States, and compared with conventional rye, it has increased yields and reduced risk of ergot contamination, making it an interesting ingredient in the feeding of pigs. However, there is limited information about the nutritional value of hybrid rye when fed to pigs. Therefore, the objective of the experiment was to determine the standardized ileal digestibility (SID) of crude protein and amino acids, as well as the apparent ileal digestibility (AID) of starch in hybrid rye compared with barley, wheat, and corn.

Fiber in feed ingredients used in diets for pigs is mainly used for energy, which is synthesized by microbes in the hindgut of the pig and absorbed in the form of short chained fatty acids. To estimate the energy that a pig can obtain in a particular fibrous ingredient, a digestibility experiment is usually conducted and the digestible energy (DE) and the metabolizable energy (ME) in the ingredient is determined. However, it is not known if the obtained DE and ME values are accurate for all inclusion rates of the feed ingredient in diets.

There are two reasons that differing inclusion rates of high fiber ingredients in diets fed to pigs might result in variable DE and ME values. Because energy from dietary fiber is obtained via hindgut fermentation, there may be a saturation point in the fermentation capacity in the hindgut of growing pigs. In addition, increasing dietary fiber increases the passage rate of feed through the digestive tract and thus reduces time for fermentation. However, it is not known if these potential issues affect the DE and ME in fibrous ingredients fed to pigs. An experiment was conducted to determine effects of inclusion rate of four commonly used high fiber dietary ingredients on the concentration of DE and ME by growing pigs.

Rice bran is the main coproduct of the production of white rice for human consumption, and is used in livestock diets around the world. Rice bran can be full fat (FFRB), with 14 to 25% fat, or defatted (DFRB), containing 3 to 5% fat.

The type of fat in the diet affects the quality of fat in the pig, because pigs deposit fatty acids in approximately the same proportions as they exist in the diet. A high consumption of unsaturated fat can inhibit the pig's own synthesis of fat, which tends to be more saturated. The amount of unsaturated fatty acids  in fat can be expressed using the iodine value (IV), where high IVs correspond to more unsaturated fat. Increased IV in pig fat can lead to softer bellies, which are less valuable due to reduced shelf life, increased susceptibility to oxidative damage, and reduced belly sliceability.

Distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) is a co-product of ethanol production. In recent years, companies that produce DDGS have begun to remove some of the corn oil for use in biodiesel production. Conventional DDGS contains 10-12% fat, compared with 6-9% in low-oil DDGS.

Research has shown that adding fat to diets fed to pigs increases the digestibility of amino acids in the diets. However, there is limited information about how reduced oil concentration in DDGS influences the digestibility of protein when fed to pigs. An experiment was conducted to compare the standardized ileal digestibility (SID) of crude protein and amino acids in conventional DDGS and in the low-oil DDGS product Dakota Gold, which is produced using a process that does not involve heating.

In recent years, ethanol plants have begun extracting more oil from the solubles left over after fermentation. The resulting low oil distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) contain less digestible energy (DE) and metabolizable energy (ME) than traditional DDGS.

The fat content of the diet affects the digestibility of energy and nutrients. Because the production of low oil DDGS is a relatively new development, it has not been established that digestibility values are the same across suppliers. Therefore, an experiment was conducted to measure the apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and the concentration of DE and ME among DDGS samples from different suppliers.

Distillers dried grains with solubles, or DDGS, is a co-product from the dry-grind ethanol production. It is increasingly in demand for use in livestock feeding, including diets fed to pigs. Conventional DDGS (DDGS-CV) contains approximately 27% crude protein. A high protein DDGS (DDGS-HP) product, containing 38 to 40% crude protein, has recently been developed by Lincolnway Energy by using front end separation that allows for fractionation of the corn kernel before it is fermented. The nutritional value for pigs of the resulting  DDGS-HP has, however, not yet been fully described.

Therefore, two experiments were conducted. The objective of the first experiment was to determine the concentrations of digestible energy (DE) and metabolizable energy (ME) and the apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of energy in DDGS-HP and DDGS-CV fed to growing pigs. In the second experiment, the standardized ileal digestibility (SID) of crude protein and amino acids in DDGS-CV and DDGS-HP were compared.

The chemical composition and structure of dietary fiber, as well as physicochemical characteristics such as bulk density, swelling, water binding capacity, and viscosity, may influence the digestion of energy and nutrients in feed ingredients. Having a complete account of the components of a feed ingredient, particularly the type and concentration of fiber, is necessary in order to accurately the energy value of an ingredient using prediction equations.

An experiment was conducted to obtain a detailed description of the composition of ten feed ingredients, and to compare the analyzed gross energy (GE) with the GE predicted by adding together the measured energy-containing components. A secondary objective was to measure the in vitro apparent total tract digestibility (IVATTD) and in vitro apparent ileal digestibility (IVAID) of dry matter (DM) and organic matter (OM) in the feed ingredients, and to determine the correlations between the physicochemical characteristics of the ingredients and the in vitro digestibility.