The Effects of Ligustrum lucidum Extract on Growth Performance and Meat Quality in Growing-Finishing Pigs

摘要

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation with different levels (0, 0.05, 0.1 and 0.2%) of Ligustrum lucidum Extract (LLE) on growth performance and meat quality in pigs. A total of 96 healthy crossbred (Duroc x Landrace x Yorkshire) pigs with an initial body weight of 20±2 kg were randomly assigned to four treatment groups in four replicates of 6 pigs each. The test ended after 7 weeks (101 days), when the average weight of the pigs was 90±2 kg. The results showed that LLE tended to increase the ADG and ADFI and decrease the F/G. The drip loss values in the three treatment groups were reduced by 17.46, 16.51 and 19.38% compared to the control and cooking loss values were reduced by 6.15, 5.01 and 7.16% (p>0.05). The shear force of the 0.2% LLE group was reduced by 15.42% compared with the control group (p<0.05), finishing while those of the 0.1 and 0.05% LLE groups were decreased by 9.16 and 7.77%, respectively (p>0.05). The groups receiving dietary supplementation with LLE exhibited 30.77, 30.77 and 32.39% lower MDA levels (p<0.05) and 4.43, 41.91 and 43.46% higher levels of intramuscular fat. Overall, 0.2% LLE had the most beneficial effects of all doses evaluated.