Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide To assess the nutritional value of fibrous diets, external metal oxide-based markers are commonly used. Given the increasing restrictions on the use of these conventional markers, we investigated the inertness of lignin in pigs and correspondingly its potential as an internal marker. Hereto, feces and digesta were collected from pigs fed a diet containing wheat straw as sole lignin source, and lignin was quantified by 13 C-IS py-GC-MS. Combined with detailed HSQC NMR and size-exclusion chromatography structural analysis, we revealed that lignin was recovered unmodified in feces. Comparison of lignin with TiO 2 showed similar ( P > 0.15) digestibility values for nitrogen (82.6 vs 80.2%) and fat (93.3 vs 92.5%), and a limited difference for dry matter (77.7 vs 74.1%, P = 0.01). Comparison of lignin with chromium-mordanted straw furthermore showed highly similar ( P = 0.8) mean retention times of fibrous particles in the stomach. We thus confirm the potential of intrinsic lignin as a multifunctional marker for feed digestibility and digesta transit in pigs.
Institution: Wageningen University & Research
Language: English
Subfield: Animal Science and Zoology
Domain: Life Sciences
SDG: Zero hunger
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,500
Award: G750937884
OpenAlex ID: W4409764299