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S. K. Kvidera, E. A. Horst, E. J. Mayorga, J. T. Seibert, M. A. Al-Qaisi, J. W. Ross, R. P. Rhoads, L. H. Baumgard, 0995 Effect of supplemental citrulline on thermal and production parameters during heat stress in growing pigs, Journal of Animal Science, Volume 94, Issue suppl_5, October 2016, Page 477, https://doi.org/10.2527/jam2016-0995
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Abstract
Heat stress (HS) compromises intestinal barrier function, and citrulline improves gut health in rodent models. Therefore, objectives were to characterize effects of citrulline supplement (CIT) on physiological and production responses during HS. Supplements were fed twice daily at 0600 and 1800 h and consisted of 20 g of cookie dough without citrulline (CON) or with 0.13 g/kg BW L-citrulline (CIT; 99.3% purity; MP Biomedicals, Santa Ana, CA). Forty crossbred gilts (30 ± 2 kg) were assigned to 1 of 5 supplemental-environmental treatments: 1) thermoneutral (TN; 23.6 ± 0.1°C) ad libitum fed (AL) with CON (TN-AL; n = 8), 2) TN pair-fed (PF) with CON (PF-CON; n = 8), 3) TN PF with CIT (PF-CIT; n = 8), 4) HS AL with CON (HS-CON; n = 8), and 5) HS AL with CIT (HS-CIT; n = 8). Acclimation lasted 4d while all pigs received the CON supplement. During period 1 (P1; 7d), pigs were kept in TN and fed AL their respective diets. During period 2 (P2; 60 h), HS-CON and HS-CIT animals were fed AL and exposed to cyclical HS (33.6 to 38.3°C) while TN-AL, PF-CON, and PF-CIT remained in TN and were fed either AL or PF to their HS counterparts to negate the effect of dissimilar nutrient intake. Feed intake was measured daily and BW was obtained 1 d before P1, d7 of P1, and at P2 conclusion. Rectal temperature (Tr), skin temperature (Ts), and respiration rate (RR) were obtained once daily at 1800 h during P1 and thrice daily at 0600, 1200, and 1800 h during P2. Pigs exposed to HS had increased Tr (0.8°C), Ts (4.7°C), and RR (47 bpm) relative to TN pigs (P < 0.01). HS-CIT pigs had decreased RR (7 bpm, P = 0.04) and a tendency for decreased Tr (0.1°C, P = 0.07). Feed intake decreased ∼15% in HS relative to TN-AL pigs (P < 0.01) and did not differ between HS and PF pigs (P > 0.10). P2 ADG decreased 18 and 62% in HS and PF pigs, respectively, relative to TN-AL pigs. PF-CIT pigs tended to have increased (0.12 kg/d; P = 0.09) ADG compared to PF-CON pigs. Gain:feed was similar between TN-AL and HS pigs but decreased 30% in PF relative to TN-AL pigs (P < 0.01). No effects of CIT on production variables during HS were detected. In summary, CIT modestly affected the thermal response but had no effect on production parameters during HS, but tended to increase ADG during limit-feeding.
