Effects of Choline Chloride Copper Sulfate and Zinc Oxide on Long-Term Stabilization of Microencapsulated Vitamins in Premixes for Weanling Piglets

摘要

Vitamins are essential to animal health and need to be obtained from the diet. As a result of the rapid development of the vitamin industry, microencapsulated vitamins are now available as vitamin sources for premix plants, but vitamins are labile nutrients that are sensitive to the chemical and physical factors that decrease their stability. The current literature on the stability of vitamins in vitamin premixes and vitamin/trace mineral premixes is limited. The most recent recommendations for fortification to overcome losses are provided by a technical bulletin from the company BASF (Badische Anilin-und-Soda-Fabrik). This work has served as the foundation for their recommendations for nearly 20 years; however, the matrix of modern premixes has changed, and conclusions derived from previous studies may no longer hold true, because of changes in vitamin production processing (e.g., microencapsulation) and nutritional content [e.g., choline chloride and high concentrations of copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) for weanling piglets]. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to determine the rate of vitamin retention in vitamin or vitamin/trace mineral (VTM) premixes, characterize the effects of choline chloride and high concentrations of Cu and Zn on the stability of vitamins and evaluate vitamin stability in vitamin and vitamin/trace mineral premixes during storage.