Feeding a reduced protein diet with a near ideal amino acid profile improves amino acid efficiency and nitrogen utilization for milk production in sows1,2.

Fifty-four lactating multiparous Yorkshire sows were used to test the hypothesis that feeding a reduced protein diet with a near ideal AA (NIAA) profile increases the biological utilization efficiency of N and essential AA (EAA) for milk production in part as a result of reduced dietary Leu concentration. Sows were fed 1 of 3 isocaloric diets containing the following concentration of CP (% as-fed, analyzed): 18.74 (Control: CON), 13.78 (Optimal: OPT), and 14.25 (Optimal + Leu: OPTLEU). The OPT and OPTLEU diets contained the same concentration of crystalline AA (CAA) to meet requirements of the limiting AA. Crystalline Leu was added to OPTLEU to contain the same SID Leu concentration as that of CON. Sows were weighed on days 1 and 21 of lactation and piglets on days 1, 4, 8, 14, 18, and 21 of lactation. Nitrogen retention was measured for 48 or 72 h between days 4 and 8 (early) and days 14 and 18 (peak) of lactation. Sow BW change and ADFI did not differ between diets. Litter growth rate (LGR) during early lactation did not differ between diets. At peak lactation, LGR was higher in sows fed OPT compared with CON (P < 0.05) and lower in sows fed OPTLEU compared with OPT (P < 0.05). In early and peak lactation, total N retention, and milk N output efficiency were greater in OPT (P < 0.01) and OPTLEU (P < 0.05) than CON. Compared with CON, overall biological efficiency of N, Arg, His, Ile, Leu, Phe, and Trp were greater (P < 0.05), whereas those of Lys, Met, Thr, and Val did not differ in sows fed OPT and OPTLEU, except for Leu which did not differ between OPTLEU and CON. Compared with OPT, only Leu and Met efficiency were lower (P < 0.01) and tended to be lower (P = 0.10), respectively, in sows fed OPTLEU. Reducing CP with a NIAA profile to attain the minimum Leu requirement maintained overall lactation performance, improved utilization efficiency of N, Arg, His, Ile, Leu, Phe + Tyr, and Trp for milk production, and maximized efficiency of Ile, Leu, Lys, Met + Cys, Phe + Tyr, Thr, Trp, and Val. Addition of Leu did not reduce N and EAA utilization efficiency. This study provides revised and novel maximum biological efficiency value (MBEV) for Ile (65.4), Leu (75.1), Lys (63.2), Met + Cys (78.2), Phe + Tyr (69.5), Thr (71.0), Trp (70.1), and Val (57.0). These MBEV can be used to more accurately predict the requirement for those AA during lactation.