Abstract

GRAGEOLA, F. et al. Digestibility indices in pigs fattened ad libitum with diets based on cereals and fresh paste of discarded entire avocados. Cuban J. Agric. Sci. [online]. 2019, vol.53, n.4, pp.387-393.  Epub Dec 05, 2019. ISSN 0864-0408.

Rectal digestibility of nutrients was determined in 16 crossbred pigs, castrated males and females in equal proportion, and averaging 115 kg live weight. The animals were allotted at random into two groups with an initial live weight of 67 kg and were fed, on an ad libitum basis, either 0 or 21% fresh paste of discarded entire avocados (Persea americana Mills) of Hass variety from Nayarit, Mexico, consisting of seeds, peels and pulp of discarded ripe fruits which were mixed and ground with the other ingredients of the diet. The fresh paste of discarded entire avocados contained 14.3% crude fibre, 49.1% crude fat and 9.0% crude protein (Nx6.25) on a dry basis. The diet containing 21% of avocados determined a significant (P<0.05) decrease of rectal digestibility of DM, organic matter and crude fibre (81.4, 83.9 and 27.4%, respectively) with respect to the control diet (84.3, 86.9 and 36.4 %, respectively) but it was not true neither for rectal N digestibility (78.2 and 83.2%; P>0.10) nor for acidified ether extract digestibility (65.3 and 83.0%; P=0.001). There was a significant (P=0.049) trend toward an increase in fecal output of materials (614 and 740 g fresh material/kg DM intake). The majority of digestive indices were significantly (P<0.05) correlated among them. A suggestion is made to study procedures allowing the increase in indices of rectal digestibility in pigs fed on fresh paste of discarded entire avocados.

Keywords : pigs; rectal digestibility; fecal output; tropical fruit; Persea americana Mills.

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