Feng GY, Li R, Jiang XJ, Yang G, Tian MZ, Xiang Q, Liu XJ, Ouyang Q, Long CM, Huang RL, Yin YL
Two experiments were conducted to determine digestible energy (DE), metabolizable energy (ME), as well as the standardized ileal digestibility (SID) of crude protein (CP) and amino acids (AA) in 10 sorghum samples fed to pigs. In Exp. 1, twenty-two crossbred barrows (Duroc × Yorkshire × Landrace, Initial BW: 70.0±1.8 kg) were selected and allotted to a replicated 11×3 incomplete Latin square design, and 3 consecutive periods. Each period had 7 d adaptation and 5 d total feces and urine collection. The DE and ME were determined by the total collection and the difference method. In Exp. 2, twenty-two crossbred barrows (Duroc × Yorkshire × Landrace, Initial BW: 41.3±1.2 kg) that had a T-cannula installed in the distal ileum were assigned to a replicated 11×3 incomplete Latin square design, including an N-free diet and 10 sorghum diets. Each period had 5 d adaptation and 2 d ileal digesta collection. The basal endogenous N losses was measured by the N-free diet method. All diets in Exp. 2 were added 0.30 % titanium dioxide as an indigestible marker for calculating the ileal CP and AA digestibility. On an as-fed basis, the DE and ME contents in sorghum were 3,410 kcal/kg (2,826~3,794 kcal/kg) and 3,379 kcal/kg (2,785~3,709 kcal/kg), respectively. The best-fit prediction equation for DE and ME were DE = 6,267.945 - (1,271.154 × % tannin) - (1,109.720 × % ash) (R 2 = 0.803) and ME = 51.263 + (0.976 × DE) (R 2 = 0.994), respectively. The SID of CP, Lys, Met, Thr, and Trp (SIDCP, SIDLys, SIDMet, SIDThr and SIDTrp) in 10 sorghum samples were 78.48% (69.56~84.23%), 74.27% (61.11~90.60%), 92.07% (85.16~95.40%), 75.46% (66.39~80.80%) and 87.99% (84.21~92.37%), respectively. The best prediction equations for SID of CP and the first four limiting AAs were as following, SIDCP = 93.404 - (21.026 × % tannin) (R 2=0.593), SIDCP = 42.922 - (4.011 × % EE) + (151.774 × % Met) (R 2 = 0.696), SIDLys = 129.947 - (670.760 × % Trp) (R 2 = 0.821), SIDMet = 111.347 - (232.298 × % Trp) (R 2 = 0.647), SIDThr = 55.187 + (3.851 × % ADF) (R 2 = 0.609) and SIDTrp = 95.676 - (10.824 × % tannin) (R 2 = 0.523), respectively. Overall, tannin and ash are the first and second predictors of DE and ME values of sorghum, respectively, and the tannin, EE, Trp, ash, CF and ADF can be used as the key predictors for SID of CP and first four limiting AAs.