Influence of tetrabasic zinc chloride and copper sulphate on growth performance and some physiological parameters in the digestive tract of weanling piglets

Abstract

One hundred and sixty weanling piglets with an initial average body weight (BW) of 7.3 kg were used in a 2×2 factorial experiment to investigate interactions between tetrabasic zinc chloride (TBZC) and copper sulphate (CuS04 ) on growth performance. in five piglets per treatment activity of enzymes in pancreas and digesta and short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) concentration in digesta were determined. The piglets were offered the following diets for 28 days: 1. no supplementation of TBZC and CuSO4 ; 2. supplementation of 250 mg/kg Cu from CuSO4 ; 3. supplementation of 1500 mg/kg Zn from TBZC; 4. supplementation of 1500 mg/kg Zn from TBZC and 250 mg/kg Cu from CuSO4. Each treatment had five replications (pens) of eight piglets (half castrated males and half females). The results showed that average daily gain (ADG) was improved (P<0.05) by the addition of TBZC and (or) CuSO4. The addition of TBZC increased (P0.05) the activity of chymotrypsin in the duodenum contents (3.145 vs 2.095, respectively). TBZC and CuSO4 synergistically reduced (P0.05) pH of the jejunum contents. The addition of TBZC or CuSO4 increased (P<0.05) total SCFA concentrations, and the proportion of acetic acid and propionic acid in the colon. TBZC reduced (P<0.05) the proportions of isobutyric acid (1.470 vs 1.830, respectively) and isovaleric acid (0.171 vs 0.203, respectively), but CuSO4 increased (P<0.01) the proportions of isobutyric acid (1.904 vs 1.396, respectively) in the colon. There was a significant interaction between TBZC and CuSO4 for ADG (P<0.01), for trypsin activities in both pancreatic tissue homogenates (P<0.01) and duodenal contents (P<0.05) and for chymotrypsin activities in both pancreatic tissue homogenate (P