Comparison of the Efficiency of Absorbed Nitrogen Use from Different Protein Sources in Diets Having Similar Amino Acid Balance

Nine crossbred female pigs fitted with the bladder catheters were used to investigate the effects of dietary protein form on the efficiency of absorbed nitrogen for nitrogen retention in growing pigs. Combinations of the main protein sources were corn-soybean meal (CSM; slow + slow absorption rate form), corn-hydrolyzed casein (CAS; slow + rapid absorption rate form) and corn-porcine plasma (CPL; slow + intermediate absorption rate form). All experimental diets were formulated to be isonitrogenous (CP 11%) and isocaloric (3.5 Mcal/kg) and synthetic amino acids were added to the diet as required to maintain an equivalent amino acid profile among diets. Fecal digestibility of nitrogen was not different among treatments (p > 0.10). Ingested nitrogen was absorbed with an apparent efficiency of 82% to 84%. Mean nitrogen retention in pigs fed the CSM diet was as high as for pigs fed the CPL diet (0.74 g N/kg $BW^{0.75}$ per d), which was higher than the N retention rate in pigs fed CAS diet (0.68 g/kg $BW^{0.75}$ per d; P < 0.05). Apparent biological values (ABV = 100 ${\times}$ N retention/absorbed nitrogen) were 63.3%, 58.0% and 61.6% for CSM, CAS, and CPL groups, respectively (p < 0.05). There was no difference in mean energy digestibility among treatments. The efficiency of absorbed lysine utilization was significantly different among treatments (p < 0.05). Pigs fed the CAS diet were inferior to counterparts on the other diets in utilizing absorbed lysine. The ratios of free (and small peptide-bound) to protein-bound amino acids in CSM diet differed considerably from the CAS diet. This may affect the efficiency of amino acids utilization for nitrogen retention if hydrolyzed and intact amino acid pools reach the blood at different times.