Uso de colina para suínos em crescimento e terminação

Abstract

Choline is an essential nutrient for intermediary metabolism, but its use in pigs is still little explored in the literature. This study aims to explore in silico and in vivo the use of choline on the performance of growing and finishing pigs. In the systematic review and meta-analysis study, 8 studies published between 1998 and 2021 were compiled, totaling 1918 animals distributed across 35 treatments. The information was grouped into basal diet (DB) and choline sources (COL). Feed conversion has a negative correlation with choline supplementation and weight gain (P<0.05). Choline supplementation in diets for growing and finishing pigs does not alter performance (P>0.05). The lack of information in the database limited exploring effects such as sources and levels of choline for growing and finishing pigs. Based on these results, an in vivo experiment was designed. This study aimed to analyze the interaction of choline and methionine supplementation for growing and finishing pigs. The experiment included 1730 animals (males and females), being a 4x2x2 factorial with four levels of choline (0, 300, 500 and 700 ppm) and two levels of methionine (NRC (2012) and 15% lower than the NRC requirement (2012) - -15%NRCmet). There was no effect of choline on the performance of growing and finishing pigs (P>0.05). Daily weight gain showed a difference between treatments that met the NRC methionine level, being 4% higher compared to -15%NRCmet (P<0.001). Castrated males gained 8.9% more weight than females (P<0.001). Choline supplementation associated with diets with -15%NRCmet showed lower levels of total cholesterol in the blood (P<0.05). The associated choline -15%NRCmet decreases the backfat thickness of finished pigs (P<0.05). Choline supplementation decreases the number of inflammatory cells and infiltrates in hepatocytes (P<0.050. Choline supplementation in diets of growing and finishing pigs does not alter performance, but it decreases the thickness of backfat in the carcass. Use of choline decreases total cholesterol levels and hepatic inflammatory response in finishing pigs.