Characteristics of lipids and their feeding value in swine diets

Authors: Kerr, Brian; KELLNER, TREY - Iowa State University; SHURSON, GERALD - University Of Minnesota

Submitted to: Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/4/2015
Publication Date: 7/1/2015
Publication URL: https://handle.nal.usda.gov/10113/6554365
Citation: Kerr, B.J., Kellner, T., Shurson, G. 2015. Characteristics of lipids and their feeding value in swine diets. Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology. 7:1-23.

Interpretive Summary: Supplemental dietary lipids are an important part of balancing diets for energy in swine and poultry diets because of their high energy concentration. Lipids may also improve diet palatability, supply fat soluble vitamins and essential fatty acids, and reduce feed dust. There is new information on the digestibility and utilization of lipids, as well as the impact of their peroxidation status on their caloric value to growing animals. The results obtained in this experiment show that energy values of dietary lipids are directly affected by their ability to be digested and that peroxidation status can affect the metabolic oxidative status of an animal, but that measuring the impact of peroxidation status on a lipid's caloric value is difficult to access. These results also indicte that the peroxidation status of a lipid is extremely complex and is poorly understood in the livestock industry. Research results described in this report provides nutritionists at universities, feed companies, allied industries, and livestock production facilities information on the caloric value of various feed lipids for use in livestock diets and on the impact of peroxidation status on metabolic oxidation in the animal.

Technical Abstract: In livestock diets, energy is one of the most expensive nutritional components of feed formulation. Because lipids are a concentrated energy source, inclusion of lipids are known to affect growth rate and feed efficiency, but are also known to affect diet palatability, feed dustiness, and pellet quality. In reviewing the literature, the majority of research studies conducted on the subject of lipids have focused mainly on the effects of feeding presumably high quality lipids on growth performance, digestion, and metabolism in young animals. There is, however, the wide array of composition and quality differences among lipid sources available to the animal industry making it essential to understand differences in lipid composition and quality factors affecting their digestion and metabolism more fully. In addition there is often confusion in lipid nomenclature, measuring lipid content and composition, and evaluating quality factors necessary to understand the true feeding value to animals. Lastly, advances in understanding lipid digestion, post-absorption metabolism, and physiological processes (e.g., cell division and differentiation, immune function and inflammation); and in metabolic oxidative stress in the animal and lipid peroxidation, necessitates a more compressive assessment of factors affecting the value of lipid supplementation to livestock diets. The following review provides insight into lipid classification, digestion and absorption, lipid peroxidation indices, lipid quality and nutritional value, and antioxidants in growing pigs