DETERMINATION OF URINE PH AND AMMONIA EMISSION AFTER ADDITION OF BENZOIC ACID AND DRIED BEET PULP IN GROWING PIGS

Abstract

Twelve crossbred gilts (initial BW 29.9 ± 1.7 kg) were used for evalution of the effect of benzoic acid and the ï¬ber in diets on the urinary pH, ammonia of the slurry and redistribution of nitrogen between faeces and urinary. For the pigs there were randomly allotted three dietary treatments according to a replicated 3 x 3 Latin square design. The dietary treatments included: Diet control (C) was supplemented with isoleucine, lysine, methionine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine to fulfill the requirements of ideal amino acid profile; diet (BA) was similar to diet (C) with 10g.kg-1 benzoic acid; diet (BABP) was similar to diet (C) with 10g.kg-1 benzoic acid and 150 g.kg-1 dried beet pulp, all of them with equal ME content (13.3 MJ/kg) and supplemented with rapeseed oil. The pigs were housed in metabolic cages and fed with two equal doses at 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. at a daily rate of 90 g. kg0.75. Water was offered ad libitum. Each experimental period consisted of a 6-d adaptation phase and was followed by a 4-d collection phase. During collection phase the feces and the urine (using bladder catheters) were collected. The experimental data were subjected to ANOVA and when significant value for treatment effect (P<0.05) was observed, the differences between means were assessed with using Fisher's LSD procedure. Nitrogen and dry matter intake was not significantly affected by any of the feed additives. Nitrogen and dry matter intake was not significantly affected by any of supplemented additives. Fecal N excretion was increased (P <0.02) in pigs fed with added fiber (BABP), in the same group there was detected the reduction of urinary N excretion (P< 0.04). There was significant decrease of urine pH, concretely by three quarters of pH point in the both experimental groups fed with bonzoic acid diets, regardless of the fiber content in the diet. The coefficients of excretion determination between hippuric acid and urine pH were R2 = 0.298. The same decrease of ammonia nitrogen was observed in both experimental groups, but significant difference (P< 0.03) was only in the group with beet.