The Effects of Partially or Completely Substituted Dietary Zinc Sulfate by Lower Levels of Zinc Methionine on Growth Performance, Apparent Total Tract Digestibility, Immune Function, and Visceral Indices in Weaned Piglets
Yuhuai Xie,
Qing Zhang,
Lixue Wang,
Yuxi Wang,
Zhenfeng Cheng,
Zaibin Yang,
Weiren Yang
Affiliations
Yuhuai Xie
Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology and Disease Control and Prevention, College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an 271018, Shandong, China
Qing Zhang
Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology and Disease Control and Prevention, College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an 271018, Shandong, China
Lixue Wang
Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology and Disease Control and Prevention, College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an 271018, Shandong, China
Yuxi Wang
Lethbridge Research Center, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge, Alberta T1J 4B1, Canada
Zhenfeng Cheng
Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology and Disease Control and Prevention, College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an 271018, Shandong, China
Zaibin Yang
Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology and Disease Control and Prevention, College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an 271018, Shandong, China
Weiren Yang
Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology and Disease Control and Prevention, College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an 271018, Shandong, China
The study aimed to evaluate the effects of replacing zinc sulfate (ZnSO4) with a lower level of zinc methionine (ZnMet) on the growth performance, apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of nutrients, serum metabolites and immune functions of weaned piglets. Thirty-five weaned Duroc × Landrace × Large White male piglets (10.69 ± 0.26 kg) were randomly allotted to five diets. The control diet was supplemented with 100 mg/kg of Zn from ZnSO4, and experimental diets included 75 + 12.5, 50 + 25, 25 + 37.5, and 0 + 50 mg/kg of Zn from ZnSO4 and ZnMet, respectively. The results showed that no differences were observed in growth performance, ATTD of nutrients and serum metabolites among treatments, while serum white blood cell count, lymphocyte count, IgM contents and spleen index were higher (p < 0.01) in piglets fed with 50 + 25 mg/kg of Zn. Zinc digestibility (p < 0.05), IgA content (p < 0.001) and thymus index (p < 0.05) were increased when at least 50% of ZnSO4 was replaced by ZnMet. All the results indicated that using a lower level of ZnMet in weaned piglet’s diet instead of ZnSO4 had no adverse impacts on ATTD of nutrients and serum metabolites; and a 50 + 25 mg/kg of Zn (from ZnSO4 and ZnMet, respectively) diet showed the best advantages for parameters relating to immune functions.
