Six barrows, average initial body weight 32.5 kg, fitted with a simple T-can-nula at the distal ileum, were used to investigate factors responsible for the variability of apparent ileal amino acid (AA) digestibility values among six pea samples. The barrows were fed six corn-starch-based diets, formulated to contain 16.5% crude protein (CP) (as-fed) from six different pea samples, according to a 6 × 6 Latin square design. Chromic oxide (0.3%) was used as the digestibility marker. The pigs were fed twice daily, at 0800 and 2000 h. The dietary allowance was 1600 g−1. Each experimental period lasted 7 d. Ileal digesta were collected at 2-h intervals for a total of 24 h from 0800 h on day 6 to 0800 h on day 8. With the exception of arginine, cysteine, histidine, and methionine, there were differences (P < 0.05) in the apparent ileal digestibility values of the indispensable including semi-essential (+semi-) AA among the pea samples. Of the indispensable AA (+semi-) within each pea sample, the digestibility values of arginine and lysine were relatively high, ranging from 88.3 to 91.3% and from 78.7 to 85.2%, respectively, while the digestibility values of cysteine, methionine, and tryptophan were relatively low, ranging from 53.8 to 62.7%, from 69.4 to 75.4%, and from 53.1 to 70.4%, respectively. With the exception of arginine, cysteine, and tryptophan, the ileal digestibility values of the indispensable AA (+semi-) were negatively correlated (P < 0.05) with the neu-tral-detergent fiber content in the pea samples. Of all the AA, only the digestibility of tryptophan was negatively correlated (P < 0.05) with the trypsin inhibitor activity in the pea samples. The significant finding of this study was that with the exception of arginine, cysteine, and proline, differences in the digestibility values of all other AA in the pea samples were positively correlated (P < 0.05) with their respective dietary AA contents. This suggests that differences in AA levels in the assay diets were responsible for the variability of apparent ileal digestibility values of AA between pea samples. Therefore, to eliminate this methodological effect, true rather than apparent ileal AA digestibility values for peas should be determined. Key words: Amino acids, ileal digestibility, peas, pigs
Optimal dietary standardized ileal digestible lysine and crude protein concentration for growth and carcass performance in finishing pigs weighing greater than 100 kg1,2
