Abstract

MENDES, C.; FERRAZ-DE-OLIVEIRA, M. I.; RIBEIRO, T.  and  D'ABREU, M. C.. Estimation of intake and digestibility of pasture and acorns by alentejano pigs using n-alkanes. Rev. de Ciências Agrárias [online]. 2007, vol.30, n.1, pp.198-204. ISSN 0871-018X.

The aim of this experiment was to estimate intake and digestibility of grass and acorns in Alentejano pigs, using long chain n-alkanes as fecal markers. Eight male Alentejano pigs, housed in metabolic cages were randomly allocated into two groups. Group 1 received one small cake per animal per day containing 100 mg of C32 and 150 mg of C36 and group 2 received two small cakes per animal per day containing 50 mg of C32 and 75 mg of C36. The animals were fed, during all the trial, with acorns and grass. Intake and digestibility were measured in vivo, per animal, during 5 days and estimated using the n-alkane technique. The estimates of digestibility, based on the concentration of the natural n-alkanes C25 and C27, were close to the measured digestibility in vivo. C29 and C31, in combination with the artificial n-alkanes (C32 and C36), gave the closest digestibility estimates to the measured one. The pairs C29:C32 and C29:C36 gave the best estimates of digestibility. The frequency of administration of artificial alkanes (once or twice daily) did not affect the estimates of intake and digestibility. Diet composition (acorn and grass) was also estimated using n-alkanes. The combination of C29 and C31 n-alkanes gave the closest estimates to the in vivo measurements.

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