Abstract

LEHNEN, C.R. et al. Feeding piglets in post weaning with diets containing ascorbic acid and bioflavonoids. Arch. zootec. [online]. 2012, vol.61, n.233, pp.103-109. ISSN 1885-4494.  https://dx.doi.org/10.4321/S0004-05922012000100011.

An experiment was carried out to evaluate the post-weaning performance of piglets fed during 42 days diets with or without citric extracts. Thirty-two weanling piglets were used, with initial average live weight of 6.2 kg (± 0.87), during one period of 42 days. A complete randomized block design was utilized, with two treatments: control diet CD, and CD + 750 mg kg^-1 of citric extracts (ascorbic acid + bioflavonoids), with eight replicates and two animals per experimental unit. Final live weight was 4% higher (p<0.01) in the animals fed with diets containing citric extracts than control group (30.5 vs. 28.9 kg). Average daily feed intake of animals fed diets with citric extracts was 9% higher (p<0.01) than control group (0.77 vs. 0.84 kg). Average daily weight gain was increased by 3.7% (p= 0.05) in piglets fed diets containing citric extracts. The feed conversion ratio was not influenced (p>0.05) by the citric extracts. Addition of citric extracts containing bioflavonoids and ascorbic acid in diets can improve piglet post-weaning performance by increasing voluntary feed intake.

Keywords : Additives; Citric extracts; Vitamin C.

        · abstract in Portuguese     · text in Portuguese     · Portuguese ( pdf )