Structured lipids from fish viscera and coconut oils improve weight gain and intestinal morphology of piglets at nursery phase.

Five metabolism assays were performed to determine the metabolizable energy (ME) content of soybean oil, coconut oil, fish viscera oil, physical mixture of coconut oil and fish viscera oil (3:2, in kg: kg) and structured lipid prepared from interesterification of fish viscera oil and coconut oil (3: 2, in kg: kg), and one assay to evaluate the effects of including these lipid sources in piglet diets on performance, digestibility of diets, incidence of diarrhea and intestinal morphometry at nursery phase. Soybean, coconut, fish viscera, physical mixture and structured lipid oils showed ME values of 8239, 8199, 8839, 8268 and 8523 kcal/kg DM respectively. In the performance trial, a total of 90 piglets with 23 days of age were distributed among 5 diets, differing in the lipid source used (soybean oil, coconut oil, fish viscera oil, physical mixture or structured lipid). Piglets fed diet containing structured lipid showed better feed conversion, higher duodenal goblet cell number and jejunal absorption area (P < 0.05), with better digestibility of ether extract and energy of diets. Interesterification of lipid sources such as coconut oil and fish viscera oil improves intestinal morphology, positively influencing the performance of piglets at nursery phase.