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. 2024 Dec 11;14(24):3575.
doi: 10.3390/ani14243575.

Nutritional Value of Nannochloropsis oceanica for Weaner Piglets

Andreia A M Chaves  1 , David M Ribeiro  1 , Cátia F Martins  1   2 , Tatiane Fernandes  3 , Margarida R G Maia  1   2   4 , António J M Fonseca  4 , Ana R J Cabrita  4 , Susana P Alves  3   5 , Mário Pinho  4   5 , Rui J B Bessa  3   5 , André M de Almeida  1   2 , João P B Freire  1   2
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Nutritional Value of Nannochloropsis oceanica for Weaner Piglets

Andreia A M Chaves et al. Animals (Basel). .

Abstract

This study evaluates the nutritional value of spray-dried Nannochloropsis oceanica biomass to infer its applicability for weaner piglet feeding. Twenty-four piglets were randomly allocated to four dietary treatments (n = 6) with increasing N. oceanica inclusion (0, 5, 10, and 15%) levels. After a 4-day adaptation period, the digestibility experiment lasted two weeks, with daily excreta collection. Total tract apparent digestibility (TTAD), N balance, intestinal pH, histomorphology, and volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentrations were measured. No significant differences were observed in feed intake, growth, or intestinal morphology (p > 0.05). N intake increased linearly (p = 0.005) with N. oceanica inclusion, while N retention efficiency remained unchanged (p = 0.058). VFA concentrations decreased linearly (p < 0.001). The TTAD of dry matter (DM), organic matter, ether extract, and gross energy decreased (p < 0.05) with higher N. oceanica levels, while the ash TTAD increased (p < 0.001). The estimated TTAD values for N. oceanica biomass were 72.5% for DM, 82.9% for N, and 64.4% for gross energy. The digestible energy, metabolisable energy, and digestible crude protein values estimated for N. oceanica were 12.74 MJ/kg DM, 12.40 MJ/kg DM, and 20.4% DM, respectively. This information enabled the first nutritional characterisation of N. oceanica for weaner piglets, ultimately leveraging its use in piglet diet formulation.

Keywords: apparent total tract digestibility; digestible energy; feed evaluation; microalgae; post-weaning piglets.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest concerning to the data published in this paper.

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