Ileal nutrient and energy digestibility of steam-exploded canola meal in cannulated grower pigs and total tract nutrient digestibility and growth performance of diets containing steam-exploded canola meal in weaned pigs

Canola meal is a relatively highly fibrous protein meal that could benefit from further processing to disrupt its fibre matrix, reduce anti-nutritional factors and increase nutrient availability. Two studies were conducted to determine effects of steam-explosion on digestibility of gross energy (GE), crude protein (CP) and amino acids (AA) in solvent-extracted Brassica napus canola meal in grower pigs and diet nutrient digestibility and growth performance in weaned pigs. Canola meal was steam-exploded at either 0.7 MPa (CM7) or 1.1 MPa (CM11) for 5 min. In study 1, 8 ilealcannulated barrows (29 kg mean initial body weight) were fed 3 corn starch-based diets including 400 g non-steam-exploded canola meal (CM0), CM7 or CM11/kg and a N-free diet in a replicated 4 x 3 Youden square. The canola meal sample contained 361 g CP/kg and 17.2 g chemically available lysine/kg that was reduced to 14.1 g/kg in CM7 and 14.6 g/kg in CM11. Steam-explosion of canola meal at 0.7 MPa decreased (P < 0.05) the coefficient of apparent ileal digestibility (CAID) of dry matter (DM) and GE. Steam-explosion decreased (P < 0.05) the coefficient of standardised ileal digestibility (CSID) of CP and AA in canola meal except for tryptophan, proline and tyrosine. In study 2, four wheat-based diets were formulated to include 200 g/kg soybean meal (SBM), CM0, CM7 or CM11 and to provide 9.6 MJ net energy/kg and 12 g standardised ileal digestible lysine/kg. In total, 256 weaned pigs (10 kg mean initial body weight) were fed the diets for 4 weeks starting 2 weeks post-weaning. The CM0, CM7, and CM11 diets had lower (P < 0.05) coefficient of apparent total tract digestibility (CATTD) of DM, CP and GE than the SBM diet. Steam-explosion of canola meal reduced (P < 0.05) dietary CATTD of CP. For the 28-day nursery trial, average daily feed intake (ADFI) of pigs fed the CM0 diet was lower (P < 0.05) than of pigs fed the SBM diet. Steam-explosion of canola meal increased (P < 0.05) ADFI.

Automated summary

Steam-explosion processing of canola meal can improve its nutrient availability by disrupting its fibre matrix and reducing anti-nutritional factors. However, it also decreases the digestibility of dry matter, crude protein, and amino acids in the meal, as well as the overall digestibility and growth performance of pigs. On the other hand, it can increase the pigs' feed intake.