Abstract

SAVON, Lourdes et al. Effect of Tithonia diversifolia foliage meal on the gastrointestinal morphometry of growing-finishing pigs. Zootecnia Trop. [online]. 2008, vol.26, n.3, pp.387-390. ISSN 0798-7269.

Eighteen crossed commercial Yorkshire x Landrace x Duroc growing- fattening pigs of 32 ± 2 live weight were used in a random block design to study the replacement effect of different levels of total concentrate by Tithonia diversifolia foliage meal on the gastrointestinal morphometrics indexes. Treatments were concentrate (maizesoybean), and replacement of 10 and 20% concentrate respectively by tithonia foliage meal. Animals were allocated in individual pens (6 animals/treatment) during 50 d. Food was restricted according to the feeding scale and water was offered voluntarily with nipples. Animals were slaughtered by bleeding and different sections of gastrointestinal tract were isolated. Gastrointestinal tract and digestive organs (stomach, small intestine, cecum, and large intestine) were weighted full and empty. Accessory organs (liver and pancreas), as well as spleen, right and left kidney were also weighted. Large and small intestines and cecum lengths were measured and absolute, relative, and metabolic weight of different sections and organs were obtained. There were no significant differences between absolute, relative, and metabolic weight of digestive and accessories organs neither spleen. Tithonia inclusion decreased right kidney absolute and relative weights, but the differences disappeared when metabolic weights were analyzed. It is suggested that T. diversifolia can replace up to 20% of concentrate (maizesoya) without any negative influence in the gastrointestinal morphometry of growing-finishing pigs.

Keywords : foliage meal; pigs; morphometry; diversifolia.

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