Strategies for Efficient Utilization of Corn Distillers Dried Grains with Solubles in Diets of Pigs: A Review

Abstract

With the increasing demand for ethanol fuel, corn distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) production is increasing annually. Current global ethanol output is approximately 120-130 billion liters annually, of which bioethanol constitutes 90-95% of total production. Corn DDGS is widely used as a feed ingredient for pigs due to its low cost and crude protein content ranging from 19% to 34%. However, corn DDGS is not effectively utilized because of factors such as raw material sources and inadequate drying processes, and a large portion of it is wasted and lost. It has become a difficult challenge to use DDGS in pig diets because of its weaknesses, including being rich in fiber and polyunsaturated fatty acids, which can lead to decreases in growth performance, feed conversion, and the pork shelf life of pigs. In recent years, researchers focusing on ways to improve the effective utility of corn DDGS in pig diets have made some progress. In this study, we review the nutritional characteristics of corn DDGS; the limiting factors in pig production, such as the higher concentration of non-starch polysaccharides, linoleic acid, and zein in corn DDGS; and the current improvement measures being taken to provide a reference for the improved utilization of corn DDGS resources in the diets of pigs.

Keywords: distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS); efficient utilization; nutritional characteristics; pigs; strategies.

Figure 1

Indispensable and dispensable amino acid content in corn distillers dried grain with solubles (DDGS). AA, amino acid; CP, crude protein; Cromwell et al. [39]; Spiehs et al. [43]; Fries-Craft and Bobeck [46]; Adebiyi et al. [47]; Wu et al. [45]; Kim et al. [48]; Ramchandran et al. [49], Mjoun et al. [51], Wu et al. [45], and Han and Liu [50].