The effect of supplementing glycine and serine to a low crude protein diet on growth and skin collagen abundance of nursery pigs1.

A total of 96 newly weaned barrows (initial body weight [BW]: 6.3 ± 0.5 kg) were used to determine the effect of a low crude protein (CP) diet supplemented with Gly and Ser on growth and skin collagen abundance. Barrows were assigned to one of three experimental diets in a three-phase feeding program fed for 35 days (n = 8; pen was the experimental unit): 1) corn-soybean meal diet (CON; 20.3% to 23.1% CP; as-fed, analyzed contents); 2) low CP diet (14.8% to 21.4% CP) supplemented with Gly and Ser (G + S) to the same concentrations as CON; 3) low CP diet supplemented with Glu to maintain the same CP concentration as the G + S diet (GLU; 15.0% to 22.1% CP). On days 21 and 35, eight pigs per treatment were euthanized for the determination of physical and chemical body composition and skin collagen abundance. Pigs fed the CON diet had greater overall ADG and final BW compared to pigs fed GLU and G + S (P < 0.01). Over the entire 35-day experimental period, ADFI was not influenced by dietary treatment but G:F tended to be greater for pigs fed CON than G + S (P = 0.084), while intermediate values were observed for GLU. Carcass weights on days 21 and 35 were greater for pigs fed CON than G + S or GLU (P < 0.01). Viscera weights on day 21 were greater for CON than G + S and GLU (P < 0.05) and on day 35 were greater for CON than G + S (P < 0.05) with intermediate values observed for GLU. The N intake (g/d) between days 0 and 35 was greater for CON than G + S or GLU (P < 0.05) and N retention in combined carcass and viscera was greater for CON than G + S (P < 0.01) with intermediate values observed for GLU. No treatment effects were observed for efficiency of N utilization. Between days 0 and 21 however, the efficiency of using dietary N for N retention in carcass and viscera tended to be less for pigs fed CON vs. GLU (73.8% vs. 91.6%), while intermediate values were observed for G + S (84.3%; P = 0.095). Pigs fed CON and G + S diets had greater skin collagen abundance than pigs fed GLU on days 21 and 35 (P < 0.01). Supplementing low CP diets with Glu or with Gly and Ser at the levels used in the current study did not maintain ADG or combined carcass and viscera N retention and only the G + S diet supported skin collagen abundance not different from pigs fed CON. The importance of meeting essential AA requirements for growth are well accepted, but supplementing specific NEAA may be needed when feeding reduced CP diets to newly weaned pigs to support secondary indicators of AA status, such as skin collagen abundance.