Metabolizable energy and apparent total tract digestibility of energy and nutrients differ among samples of sunflower meal and sunflower expellers fed to growing pigs.

An experiment was conducted to test the hypothesis that there are no differences among samples of sunflower coproducts in apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of gross energy (GE), crude protein (CP), and acid hydrolyzed ether extract (AEE), total dietary fiber (TDF), insoluble dietary fiber (IDF), soluble dietary fiber (SDF), or in metabolizable energy (ME) regardless of where the ingredient was produced. Six samples of sunflower meal (SFM) were obtained from the U.S. (two samples), Ukraine (two samples), Hungary, and Italy. A sample of sunflower expellers (SFE) from the U.S. was also used. A corn-based control diet and 7 diets containing corn and each sample of sunflower co-products were formulated. Sixty-four barrows (initial weight = 31.5 ± 3.2 kg) were allotted to 8 diets using a randomized complete block design with four blocks of pigs from four different weaning groups. Pigs were housed individually in metabolism crates and feed was provided at three times energy requirement for maintenance. Feces and urine were collected for four days after seven days of adaptation to diets. Results indicated that the ATTD of GE and CP in SFE was less (P < 0.05) than in SFM, but ATTD of AEE in SFE was greater (P < 0.05) compared with SFM. No difference in ME between SFM and SFE was observed. The ATTD of GE and TDF in SFM from Ukraine and Hungary was greater (P < 0.05) than in SFM from the U.S. or Italy. The ATTD of AEE did not differ among SFM samples with the exception that ATTD of AEE in the U.S. 2 sample was greater (P < 0.05) than in the other samples. The ATTD of SDF was less (P < 0.05) in the U.S. 1 sample and the sample from Italy than in the other samples The ATTD was greater in the Ukraine 2 sample of SFM (P < 0.05) than in the two U.S. samples. The ME in the SFM samples from Ukraine and in the SFM from Hungary was greater (P < 0.05) than the U.S. 1 sample and the SFM from Italy. In conclusion, ATTD of GE and nutrients differed between SFM and SFE, but the ATTD of TDF and the ME in SFM was not different from value for SFE. Among SFM samples, relatively small variations in ATTD of GE, AEE, and CP were observed, but ME and digestibility of IDF varied.