PSVI-12 Effects of sodium gluconate supplementation on growth performances of nursery piglets and growing pigs

Two studies were conducted to demonstrate the effects of sodium gluconate (SG, trade name: SUMIFLORA) supplementation on growth performances of nursery piglets and growing pigs. In the first trial, 375 LWD crossbred piglets (200 barrows and 175 gilts) at 35 ± 5 d of age were used. After 1 wk of the acclimation period, the piglets were allotted into 5 treatments: the basal diet (control), the basal diet supplemented with either 0.1%, 0.25%, 0.5% or 1.0% of SG. The piglets were reared for 6 wk. The trial consisted of a randomized block design with 5 replicates per treatment and 15 piglets per replicate. Throughout the 6 wks of the feeding period, the piglets fed 0.25% or 0.5% SG showed 12% greater body weight gain than controls (P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in feed intake between the treatments. Feed conversion ratio (FCR) was improved by 6% in the piglets fed 0.1% SG (P < 0.05) and by 10%, 11% and 9% in the piglets fed 0.25%, 0.5% and 1.0% SG, respectively (P < 0.01), compared with controls. In the second trial, 200 LWD crossbred pigs (100 barrows and 100 gilts) at around 60 d of age were used to evaluate 8 treatments: the basal diet (control), the basal diet supplemented with 0.05%, 0.1%, 0.25%, 0.5%, 1.0%, 2.0% or 5.0% of SG. The trial was divided into two blocks. The first block had control, 0.05% 0.1%, 0.25% and 0.5% of SG, and the second block consisted of control, 0.5%, 1.0%, 2.0%, and 5.0% of SG, respectively. The trial was performed in a randomized block design with 5 replicates per treatment and 4 pigs per replicate. After 1 wk of the acclimation period, the pigs were reared for 8 wk. Throughout the feeding period, the average body weight gain was improved by 6%, 7% and 5% in the pigs fed 0.1%, 0.25% and 0.5% SG, respectively (P < 0.05), whereas there were no significant differences in the pigs supplemented with 0.05%, 1.0%, 2.0% or 5.0% SG compared with control. There were no significant differences in feed intake between the treatments. The least FCR was observed in the pigs fed 0.25% SG with an improvement by 6% compared with control (P < 0.05). Those results indicated that 0.25% or 0.5% of SG supplementation may improve the growth performances of nursery piglets and growing pigs.