Effects of ketogenic diet on growth performance and backfat thickness of finishing pigs

Abstract

A ketogenic diet is low carbohydrates and high-fat content in the feed. The aim of this study was to use palm kernel oil (PKO) to obtain a high energy density in the feed. For this purpose, the finishing pig could almost completely utilize the energy of the oil with the least amount of accumulated fat. The first experiment of this study for the ketogenic diet used 6%PKO in the feed. In the first study,96 finishing pigs were divided into three groups: the first two treatment groups were four weeks(KT4(6)) and six weeks(KT6(6)) fed ketogenic diets before selling pigs and the third group fed control diet using 3.5%palm oil (CON1&2) at age 13-16 and 17-20 weeks. In the second experiment, 64 finishing pigs were separated into 12 pens, with eight pigs per pen as a replication. They were divided into two groups; four pens per group contained eight pigs per pen as a replication. The experimental group using 8%PKO in the feed (KT4(8)) compared to the control group using 4% palm oil (CON3) in the feed. The experimental design in both experiments was a completely randomized design with ad libitum feeding. The production efficiency and backfat thickness of finishing pigs fed experimental diets were evaluated. It found that the use of 6% PKO resulted in the increased weight and growth rate of KT6(4) group higher than con1&2(P<0.05), but not different from KT6(6) (P>0.05). The backfat thickness at the front leg muscles tended to be the lowest(P=0.071). In the second experiment, the feed conversion ratio, average daily feed intake and backfat gain at P2 of the KT4(8) group was lower than CON3(P<0.05). Therefore, it concluded that 6-8%PKO in the feed fed for finishing pigs for four weeks before the slaughter's delivery could reduce the backfat thickness and increase the pigs' production efficiency.