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  • Publication
    The influence of duration of feeding dietary vitamin D enriched mushroom powder to finisher pigs on growth performance and meat quality parameters
    Novel feed additives that replace the use of synthetic additives while enhancing pig performance and pork quality are continuously being explored. A complete randomised block design experiment was conducted to examine the effects of the duration of feeding of vitamin D2 enriched mushrooms to finisher pigs and its effect on pig performance and pork quality. Sixty pigs were assigned to one of three dietary treatments for a 69-day feeding period. The dietary treatments were as follows: (T1) basal diet; (T2) basal diet + 1 g/kg of feed vitamin D2 enriched mushroom powder for 48 days prior to slaughter (MPVD-48); and (T3) basal diet + 1 g/kg of feed vitamin D2 enriched mushroom powder for 26 days prior to slaughter (MPVD-26). The mushroom vitamin D content was naturally enriched using synthetic ultraviolet B exposure to obtain a vitamin D2 level of 50 µg/kg of feed. Dietary supplementation of vitamin D2 enriched mushroom powder, irrespective of feeding duration, caused a reduction (P < 0.05) in feed intake, whilst improving (P < 0.05) gain-to-feed ratio. Supplementation of vitamin D2 enriched mushroom powder for 26 days prior to slaughter caused pork lightness (L*) values to remain stable over the 21-day storage time-period compared with all other dietary groups. Supplementation for 26 days also caused a reduction in lipid peroxidation on day 4 of storage compared with supplementation for 48 days. Irrespective of feeding duration, vitamin D2 enriched mushroom powder supplementation improved FRAP (ferric reducing antioxidant power) values of pork compared with the basal. In conclusion, vitamin D2 enriched mushroom supplementation, irrespective of feeding duration, caused a reduction in feed intake but improved feed efficiency. The supplementation of vitamin D2 enriched mushrooms for the shorter duration of 26 days prior to slaughter improved pork quality in relation to colour and antioxidant status.
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  • Publication
    The effects of mushroom powder and vitamin D2 enriched mushroom powder supplementation on the growth performance and health of newly weaned pigs
    A complete randomised block design experiment was conducted to examine the effects of mushroom powder (MP) and vitamin D2-enriched mushroom powder (MPD2) on growth performance, faecal scores, coefficient of apparent total tract digestibility (CATTD) of nutrients and selected microflora in weaned pigs up to day 35 post-weaning. One hundred and ninety-two weaned pigs (7.8kg [SD 1.08kg]) were blocked according to live weight, sex and litter of origin and randomly assigned to the following: (T1) control diet; (T2) control diet +MP; (T3) control diet + MPD2; and (T4) control diet +zinc oxide (ZnO) (n = 12 replicates/treatment). Mushroom powders were included at 2 g/kg of feed achieving a β-glucan content of 200ppm. ZnO was included at 3100 mg/kg feed and halved to 1550 mg/kg after 21 days. Vitamin D content was enhanced in MPD2 using synthetic UVB exposure to obtain a vitamin D2 level of 100 Âµg/kg of feed. Faecal samples were collected on day 14 for microbial and nutrient digestibility analysis. There was no difference (p > 0.05) in ADG, G:F, faecal scores, microbial populations and CATTD of nutrients in pigs supplemented with MP or MPD2 compared with the control diet. The supplementation of MP and MPD2 caused a reduction (p < 0.05) in feed intake compared with the control and ZnO diet throughout the 35-day experimental period. ZnO supplementation increased ADG and ADFI (p < 0.05) during the first period (D0-21) compared with pigs offered MP and MPD2. In conclusion, MP and MPD2 supplementation resulted in similar ADG, G:F, faecal scores compared with the control but were not comparable to ZnO, mainly due to a reduction in feed intake.
    Scopus© Citations 5  67