Authors : L. Q Nguyen, H. Everts , N.H. Duong , P.V. Thanh and A. C.Beynen
Abstract: We have suggested that the addition of eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acid to the diet of growing pigs, kept in small holdings in Central Vietnam, would improve growth performance. Thus, the effect was studied of dietary fish meal, as source of eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acid, on growth performance and fatty acid composition of adipose tissue in growing pigs. Fish meal was exchanged with ruminant meal so that the diets contained either 0, 10 or 20% fish meal in the dry matter. The diets were fed on 6 different small-holder farms in Central Vietnam. The farmers fed a base diet according to their personal choice, but were instructed as to the use of fish meal and ruminant meal. The diets were fed to the pigs from 70 to 126 days of age. There were three animals per treatment group per farm and biopsies of adipose tissue were analysed for their contents of linoleic, ?-linolenic, eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acid. The diets without and with 20 % fish meal on average contained 0.01 and 0.03 g eicosapentaenoic acid/MJ of metabolizable energy (ME) and 0.00 and 0.25 g docosahexaenoic acid/MJ ME. The relative percentages of docosahexaenoic, ?-linolenic and linoleic acid in adipose tissue were reflected by the intake of the corresponding fatty acids. Eicosapentaenoic acid was not detectable in adipose tissue. There was no impact of fish meal intake on growth performance of the growing pigs. The intake of eicosapentaenoic or docosahexaenoic acid was not related with average daily gain, and neither was the adipose tissue content of docosahexaenoic acid. Adipose tissue ?-linolenic acid or linoleic acid and average daily weight gain were significantly, and directly related, the explained variance in weight gain being 44 and 69 %, respectively. The basis and implication of these relationships require further study.
Nguyen, L. Q , H. Everts , N.H. Duong , P.V. Thanh and A. C.Beynen , 2005. Growth Performance of Growing Pigs Kept on Small-holder Farms in Central Vietnam and Fed Diets Containing Either Ruminant or Fish Meal . Journal of Animal and Veterinary Advances, 4: 39-45.