Ntionl Swine Nutrition Guide Protein nd Amino Acid Sources for Swine Diets Introduction Authors Mrci C. Shnnon, University of Missouri Gry L. Allee, University of Missouri Reviewers R. Den Boyd, The Hnor Compny Joe Crenshw, APC Functionl Proteins Ross Hmilton, Drling Interntionl Pigs of ll ges nd stges of the life cycle require mino cids to enble them for norml body function. Amino cids re the structurl units of protein. During digestion, dietry protein is broken down into mino cids nd peptides (more thn one mino cid linked together). The mino cids nd peptides re then bsorbed into the body nd re used to build new proteins, such s muscle, which is composed of bout 21 different mino cids. Thus, pigs require mino cids, not crude protein. Diets must be blnced with respect to desirble level nd rtio of the 10 essentil mino cids; they must lso contin dequte mounts of mino cids required by pigs for mintennce, growth, reproduction, nd lcttion. Those 10 essentil mino cids for swine re rginine, histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenyllnine, threonine, tryptophn, nd vline. Two other mino cids (cysteine nd tyrosine) re semiessentil since both cn be synthesized if dequte mounts of methionine nd phenyllnine re present for cysteine nd tyrosine, respectively. The other nine mino cids (sprtic cid, sprgines, glutmic cid, glutmine, glycine, lnine, proline, hydroxyproline nd serine) re considered nonessentil becuse they cn be synthesized t sufficient rtes if n dequte mount of non-specific protein is present in the diet. [3, 9, 10, 11] Objectives Provide generl bckground nd concepts bout protein nd mino cids s nutrient source Provide informtion bout protein sources Overview of mino cid formultion in swine diets Amino Acid Sources The proteins of corn nd other cerel grins re deficient in certin essentil mino cids for swine. Thus, protein supplements or sources re used in combintion with cerel grins to correct the mino cid deficiencies. For exmple, the correct combintion of grin nd soyben mel provides good blnce of mino cids. Soyben mel is often the most economicl source of mino cids for pigs throughout the United Sttes. However, economic conditions cn chnge mking lterntive plnt-bsed mino cid sources (cottonseed mel, cnol mel, sunflower mel, nd penut mel), niml co-products (met nd bone mel, fish mel, spry-dried egg, blood co-products, poultry mel), grin co-products (dried distillers, nd corn gluten mel) or synthetic mino cids ttrctive for use in pig feed. Soyben mel is the only plnt protein tht compres with niml protein in terms of qulity of mino cid content nd cn be used s the sole protein bsed ingredient in most swine diets. Therefore, there is generlly no nutritionl need to hve both niml nd plnt protein sources in swine diet, with the exception of erly nursery diets. [3, 9] However, depending on commodity mrkets, there my be n economicl dvntge for using both niml nd plnt proteins in swine diet. PAGE 1 PIG 07-02-05
Animl protein products (met nd bone mel, fish mel, spry-dried egg, blood co-products, poultry mel) my vry in composition more nd qulity more thn plnt protein sources. Met nd bone mel nd met mel re byproducts of the met pcking industry, nd their composition depends on the nimls slughtered. Methods of processing lso influence the qulity of niml proteins. The rendering process (270 to 280 F) is sufficient to kill slmonell nd other bcteri present in the rw mteril, but through improper hndling, the rendered product cn be recontminted. Strtegies exist for deling with vribility of niml proteins. First, niml proteins from single rendering plnt hve nutrient vribility tht is similr to soyben mel, becuse the rw mteril is reltively constnt. The vribility is when compring clss of niml proteins (such s met nd bone mel) cross the industry. One strtegy then is to purchse from single fcility or monitor vribility on ech of few select fcilities to ssist in formultion. A second strtegy is to purchse from protein blending plnt. These plnts tke met nd bone mel from different sources nd blend to rech constnt endpoints. Photo courtesy of Ntionl Pork Bord Mny plnt proteins re more uniform becuse they re mde from single source. Also, methods of processing plnt proteins hve become stndrdized, nd the sme kind of product cn be produced yer round. However, improper processing cn occur in the production of soyben mel nd other plnt proteins. Also, clcium crbonte (limestone) cn be dded to plnt protein products (up to 0.5%) to prevent them from becoming lumpy nd to mintin good flow chrcteristics. The dditionl clcium is not problem s long s it is ccounted for in diet formultion. In order to determine reltive feeding vlue of lterntive protein sources, it is importnt to first compre the lysine content nd digestibility of lysine of the lterntive source to soyben mel. It is lso importnt to consider the mximum inclusion rte of the lterntive protein source. The softwre progrm included with the nutrition guide will help you estblish the reltive feeding vlue of lterntive protein sources; thus tble is not included in this fctsheet since reltive feeding vlue is bsed on the current vlue of the protein source. Concepts of Amino Acid Nutrition The concept of n idel protein or idel mino cid blnce is to provide perfect pttern of essentil nd nonessentil mino cids in the diet without ny excesses or deficiencies. This pttern is supposed to reflect the exct mino cid requirements of the pig for mintennce nd growth. Therefore, n idel protein provides exctly 100% of the recommended level of ech mino cid. Although stndrd diets re usully formulted to meet the pig s requirement for lysine (the most limiting mino cid), excesses of mny other mino cids exist. Two prcticl methods cn be used to provide more idel blnce of mino cids in pig feed. They re to use combintion of supplementl protein sources or to formulte the diet with crystlline mino cids. [6, 7, 8, 10, 11] The idel mino cid pttern or rtios re presented in Tble 1 (nursery), Tble 2 (growing-finishing), Tble 3 (gestting femles nd breeding bors) nd Tble 4 (lctting femles) nd in PIG Fctsheet 07-02-03, Understnding the Nutrient Recommendtions in the Ntionl Swine Nutrition Guide. Lysine is used s the bse vlue with other mino cids expressed s the percentge of the lysine requirement. [10, 11] The threonine, methionine, methionine + cysteine nd phenyllnine + tyrosine rtios increse s the growing nd finishing pig mtures due to incresed in mintennce needs. PAGE 2 PIG 07-02-05
Tble 1. Amino cid rtio recommendtions for nursery pigs Type of diet Phse 1 to 4 Body weight, lb 9 to 45 Stndrdized ilel digestible ---------------------------% of lysine -------------------------- Lysine 100 Threonine 62 Methionine 28 Methionine + cysteine 58 Tryptophn 17 Isoleucine 55 Vline 65 Arginine 42 Histidine 32 Leucine 100 Phenyllnine + tyrosine 94 Phenyllnine 60 Tble 2. Amino cid rtio recommendtions for growing nd finishing swine Type of diet Phse 1 Phse 2 Phse 3 Phse 4 Phse 5 Phse 5 + Phse 6 + RAC b RAC b Body weight, lb 45 to 90 90 to 135 135 to 180 180 to 225 225 to 270 225 to 270 270 to 315 Stndrdized ilel digestible ------------------------------------------------% of lysine----------------------------------------------- Lysine 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 Threonine 63 63 64 65 67 67 68 Methionine 29 29 29 29 30 30 31 Methionine + cysteine 58 58 60 60 62 62 63 Tryptophn 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 Isoleucine 55 55 55 55 55 55 55 Vline 65 65 65 65 65 65 65 Arginine 40 38 36 34 34 34 34 Histidine 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 Leucine 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 Phenyllnine + tyrosine 94 94 94 94 95 95 96 Phenyllnine 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 b Rctopmine hydrochloride (Pylen ). PAGE 3 PIG 07-02-05
Tble 3. Amino cid rtio recommendtions for gestting femles nd breeding bors Gestting femles Breeding bors Stndrdized ilel digestible ------------------------------------------% of lysine----------------------------------------- Lysine 100 100 Threonine 76 74 Methionine 27 27 Methionine + cysteine 70 70 Tryptophn 18 18 Isoleucine 57 57 Vline 68 68 Arginine 89 89 Histidine 30 30 Leucine 94 94 Phenyllnine + tyrosine 100 100 Phenyllnine 58 58 Tble 4. Amino cid rtio recommendtions for lctting femles Prity 1 Prity 2 or greter Litter wening weight, lb Litter wening weight, lb 145 115 160 125 Stndrdized ilel digestible ------------------------------------------% of lysine----------------------------------------- Lysine 100 100 100 100 Threonine 59 63 62 66 Methionine 25 27 26 28 Methionine + cysteine 46 49 48 51 Tryptophn 18 19 18 20 Isoleucine 54 57 57 59 Vline 82 86 85 89 Arginine 53 53 57 59 Histidine 38 40 40 42 Leucine 110 114 114 121 Phenyllnine + tyrosine 96 101 101 108 Phenyllnine 53 55 55 59 PAGE 4 PIG 07-02-05
Use of Digestibility Vlues for Diet Formultion The mino cid requirements of pigs re expressed s digestible mino cids; this reflects the fct tht only certin proportion of ech mino cid in feedstuff is digested nd bsorbed. Not ll of the mino cids in feedstuffs re biologiclly vilble to the pig. Mny ttributes cn limit digestion nd bsorption of the mino cid from the feedstuff. Therefore, the digestibility vlues of feedstuffs re being determined nd utilized for diet formultion. There re two common methods to express digestibility of mino cids for feedstuffs: 1) Apprent nd 2) Ilel. Apprent totl trct digestibility is the mount of nutrient in the diet minus the mount in the feces divided by the mount of nutrient in the diet. However, reserch hs shown tht protein tht disppers from the lrge intestine is not used effectively by the pig; thus digestibility t the end of the smll intestine (terminl ileum) before the digest enters the lrge intestine hve been determined to be more ccurte. [1, 2, 4, 5, 6] This type of digestibility is referred to s ilel digestibility. Due to the high mino cid digestibility of corn nd soyben mel, ilel digestibility vlues cn only improve the precision of formulting swine diets when ny lterntive grin source, high fiber or high protein product is utilized, then the diet should be formulted on digestible mino cid bsis. Otherwise, pigs my not perform s expected due to n overestimtion of mino cid bsorption. When formulting diets on n ilel digestibility, the tryptophn, threonine, nd methionine levels need to be checked to ensure requirements re met nd tht the mino cid blnce (rtio) is mintined. In ddition, isoleucine, vline, rginine, histidine, leucine, phenyllnine plus tyrosine nd phenyllnine rtios my be checked s well. Formulting on digestible mino cid bsis is the most precise. Do not formulte diets on crude protein bsis becuse the diet could be deficient in lysine nd (or) other mino cids, resulting in reduced pig performnce. [1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 12] Ilel digestibility vlues my be expressed s pprent (AID), stndrdized (SID), or true (TID). These vrious terms reflect how ilel endogenous mino cid losses re ccounted for nd seprted. Ilel endogenous mino cid losses re seprted into bsl losses, which re not influenced by feed ingredient composition nd specific losses, which re influenced by feed chrcteristics such s fiber nd ntinutritionl fctors. Apprent ilel digestibility (AID) vlues re clculted by deducting the totl ilel outflow of mino cids (sum of endogenous losses nd non-digested dietry mino cids) from dietry mino cid intke. However, when pprent ilel digestibility (AID) is corrected for the bsl endogenous losses of mino cids then stndrdized ilel digestibility (SID) vlues re estblished. Furthermore, when AID is corrected for both bsl nd specific endogenous mino cid losses then true ilel digestibility (TID) vlues re clculted. Currently, SID vlues should be used for feed formultion until more informtion on TID vlues becomes vilble. [12] References 1. Gines, A. M., G. F. Yi, B. W. Rtliff, P. Srichn, D. C. Kendll, G. L. Allee, C. D. Knight, nd K. R. Perrymn. 2005. Estimtion of the idel rtio of true ilel digestible sulfur mino cids:lysine in 8- to 26-kg nursery pigs. J. Anim. Sci. 83: 2527-2534. 2. Gines, A. M., R. D. Boyd, M. E. Johnston, J. L. Usry, K. J. Touchette, nd G. L. Allee. 2006. The dietry vline requirement for prolific lctting sows does not exceed the Ntionl Reserch Council estimte. J. Anim. Sci. 84: 1415-1421. 3. Knss Stte University Swine Nutrition Guide. Generl Nutrition Principles of Swine. MF2298 2007; http://www.oznet.ksu. edu/librry/lvstk2/s99.pdf 4. Kendll, D. C., A. M. Gines, G. L. Allee, nd J. L. Usry. 2008. Commercil vlidtion of the true ilel digestible lysine requirement for eleven- to twenty-seven-kilogrm pigs. J. Anim. Sci. 86: 324-332. 5. Kendll, D. C., A. M. Gines, B. J. Kerr, nd G. L. Allee. 2007. True ilel digestible tryptophn to lysine rtios in ninety- to one hundred twenty-five-kilogrm brrows J. Anim. Sci. 85: 3004-3012. 6. Kim, S. W., W. L. Hurley, G. Wu, nd F. Ji. 2009. Idel mino cid blnce for sows during gesttion nd lcttion. J. Anim. Sci. 87:E123-E132. 7. Knowles, T. A., L. L. Southern, nd T. D. Bidner. 1998. Rtio of totl sulfur mino cids to lysine for finishing pigs. J. Anim. Sci. 76: 1081-1090. 8. Lenis, N. P., H. T. vn Diepen, P. Bikker, A. W. Jongbloed, nd J. vn der Meulen. 1999. Effect of the rtio between essentil nd nonessentil mino cids in the diet on utiliztion of nitrogen nd mino cids by growing pigs. J. Anim. Sci. 77: 1777-1787. 9. Nebrsk nd South Dkot Nutrition Guide. Nebrsk Coopertive Extension EC 95-273. 2000; http://inr.unl.edu/pubs/ swine/ec273.pdf 10. NRC. 1998. Nutrient Requirements of Swine. 10th ed. Ntionl Acdemy Press, Wshington, DC. 11. PIC Nutrient Specifictions. 2008. 12. Stein, H.H., B. Seve, M. F. Fuller, P.J. Moughn nd C. F. M. de Lnge. 2007. Invited review: Amino cid biovilbility nd digestibility in pig feed ingredients: Terminology nd ppliction. J. Anim. Sci. 85:172-180. PAGE 5 PIG 07-02-05
Frequently sked questions Will over feeding protein or mino cids ffect niml performnce? There is little evidence to indicte tht the performnce of pigs fed diets contining more idel blnce of mino cids is better or worse thn tht of pigs fed prcticl corn-or milo soyben mel bsed diets. However, there is potentil tht concentrtions of some mino cids in the diet will exceed recommended levels. It is encourged for producers to feed diets using the idel mino cid rtios in order to reduce nitrogen excretion through the urine nd feces. This will reduce the mount of lnd required to properly mnge the nitrogen in the mnure. Unless there is strong incentive to reduce nitrogen in the mnure, choose sources of mino cids tht re the most economicl. How do you determine whether nother source of mino cids is more economicl? The formultion softwre helps estblish utiliztion (shdow) price for determining the time to consider n lterntive protein source other thn soyben mel. Averge dily gin nd reproductive performnce will not be ltered by replcing soyben mel with n lterntive mino cid source if the digestible mino cid rtios nd diet energy level re mintined. Most mino cid sources re byproducts nd subject to some vrition in qulity, becuse of the processing methods used. Also, be sure to consider fctors such s storge costs, nti-nutritionl fctors, fiber content, spoilge, product vribility, hndling chrcteristics, nd vilbility. To ensure proper distribution in the complete feed, mino cids must be combined with crrier to chieve minimum volume before they re dded to the mixer (or see Fctsheet 27 on Feed Processing). Wht is the mximum level tht crystlline mino cids cn be used in swine diets? It depends on the price of the synthetic mino cids nd the prices of grin nd supplementl protein sources. The use of both dry nd liquid sources of synthetic lysine is economiclly fesible. Synthetic methionine nd threonine re commercilly vilble nd generlly re economicl to use in swine diets. Synthetic tryptophn, vline nd isoleucine cn be purchsed s well, but re currently re rther expensive nd uneconomicl to use in most swine diets Trditionlly, 3.4 pounds of L lysine HCl (contining 78% pure lysine) plus 96.6 lb of corn contribute the sme mount of digestible lysine s 100 lb of 44% CP soyben mel. However, reserch hs shown tht lrger mounts of synthetic lysine up to 6 or 8 lbs per ton re being used in growing nd finishing diets with the ddition of synthetic threonine, methionine nd tryptophn. Finishing pig diets contining rctopmine my contin up to 8 pounds of synthetic lysine with other synthetic mino cids with no impct on niml performnce. These methods could drmticlly reduce feed costs when soyben mel prices re high. If synthetic lysine is used, one must monitor dietry tryptophn, threonine, nd methionine rtios nd mintin sufficient intct protein (e.g., soyben mel) in the diet to meet the requirements for these mino cids. Greter reductions of intct protein my be possible when using products contining both lysine nd tryptophn. The level of mino cids supplemented will depend on the feeds utilized in the formultion nd is usully dependent on the second limiting mino cid. The second limiting mino cid chnges depending on the ingredients utilized. In most swine diets lysine is first limiting nd threonine, methionine, or tryptophn is second limiting. However, strting pig diets contining lrge mounts of plsm proteins nd blood mel need to be supplemented with synthetic methionine. Should crystlline mino cids be used in gesttion diets? We recommend cution when considering synthetic mino cids s substitutes for intct protein in gesttion diets. Gestting sows re usully fed once per dy, nd reserch in limit fed pigs indictes tht synthetic mino cids re used less efficiently thn they re when pigs consume feed severl times per dy. PAGE 6 PIG 07-02-05
Wht is the impct of using crystlline mino cids on swine mnure content? A fctor not trditionlly considered when evluting the use of synthetic mino cids in swine diets is nitrogen content of the mnure. Reducing excess mino cids in the diet will result in decrese in the nitrogen content of the mnure. When incorported properly, the use of synthetic mino cids will ccomplish tht without ffecting growth performnce. This mens the producer needs fewer cres to spred the mnure on nd potentilly less odor. Wht does the L or D before the nme of synthetic mino cid men? The L nd D refer to the isomeric form. Pigs utilize the L-isomer of ll mino cids. Synthetic mino cids re mixture of both L nd D isomers. Pigs utilize the D isomer form of methionine nd tryptophn; however, the D isomer of lysine nd threonine re not utilized by the pig. [10, 11] Cn soyben mel serve s the sole source of supplementl protein in the diet? Yes, but only for pigs hevier thn bout 25 lb. Younger, lighter pigs hve reduced bility to utilize the complex proteins found in soyben mel. In ddition, strting pigs my develop n llergic rection to certin proteins in soyben mel, cusing difficulty in digesting nd utilizing feed. It is desirble to include less llergenic, highly digestible mino cid sources in diets for strting pigs; for exmple, spry dried plsm proteins nd blood mel, menhden fish mel, dried whey, nd(or) soy protein concentrte, lthough soyben mel would be less expensive source of mino cids. PAGE 7 PIG 07-02-05