Dehydrated citrus pulp reduces plasma cholesterol of weaned piglets, and an exogenous enzyme complex improves plasma calcium and performance

Dehydrated citrus pulp (DHCP) is a by-product from the orange industry available for use in diets for pigs in tropical countries; however, the high fiber content may limit its use for piglets, a fact that can be mitigated through the use of exogenous enzymes. The objective of this work was to evaluate the inclusion of DHCP with or without an exogenous enzyme complex in the diet of weaned piglets from 7 to 11 kg on performance, economic viability, and biochemical, hematological, and fecal parameters. Sixty-four crossbred piglets were used (32 barrows and 32 gilts) with an average initial weight of 6.52 ± 0.22 kg, weaned at 21 days of age and housed in pairs (one barrow and one gilt). Animals were distributed in a randomized block design, in a 2 × 2 factorial scheme. The treatments evaluated were the addition or absence of DHCP (30 g/kg) X the addition or absence of the exogenous enzyme complex to the diets, with eight replicates per treatment and two animals per experimental unit. The exogenous enzyme complex was a thermo-stable powder containing 2,700 U/g xylanase, 1,520 U/g β-glucanase, 1,650 U/g alpha-galactosidase, and 1,800 U/g cellulase (sourced by Aspergillus niger and expressed in Trichoderma reesei), plus 5,000 U/g phytase (sourced by Buttiauxella spp. and expressed in Trichoderma reesei). It was added to the diets according to the manufacturer's recommendation (130 g/ton of feed). There was no interaction (P > 0.05) between DHCP and exogenous enzymees for any variable. Even so, the use of DHCP reduced (P = 0.018) the total cholesterol concentration, from 96.67 to 88.29 mg/dL. There was an effect (P = 0.018) of exogenous enzymes on the final weight, with average values being 11.084 and 11.439 kg for animals fed diets without or with the addition of exogenous enzyme complex, respectively. The addition of exogenous enzymes increased the concentration of circulating calcium (P = 0.033), with average results of 7.03 and 8.49 mg/dL for animals fed without or with exogenous enzymes in the feed, respectively. The inclusion of 30 g/kg of DHCP in a piglet's diet (7 to 11 kg) reduces cholesterol concentration in its plasma, and the inclusion of exogenous enzymes provides greater final weight, economic return, and calcium concentration in plasma.