Supplementary α‐tocopherol acetate in full‐fat rapeseed‐based diets for pigs: effect on performance, plasma enzymes and meat drip loss

Twenty‐four Large White × Landrace pigs were individually fed, from 50 to 90 kg live weight, either a control (CONT) diet containing palm oil or one of three diets based on full‐fat rapeseed (250 g kg −1 ) (diets RD). The RD diets were supplemented with 0, 200 or 500 mg DL ‐α‐tocopherol acetate (ATA) kg −1 diet (diets RD0, RD200 and RD500 respectively). Diets were formulated to be isonitrogenous and isocaloric. Daily live weight gain was significantly increased ( p  < 0.01) in pigs fed diet RD500. Plasma AT concentration was significantly increased by dietary supplementation with 200 mg ATA kg −1 but showed no further significant increase by supplementation with 500 mg ATA kg −1 . At slaughter, after 45 days, carcass weights were increased for the RD500 group but dressing percentage was unaffected. ATA supplementation significantly reduced drip loss on days 4 and 5–7 in fresh muscle and on days 1 and 4 in frozen muscle. The concentrations of calcium, sodium and potassium in drip loss fluid collected on days 1 and 4 from fresh muscle were not significantly affected by treatment or by time of collection and did not suggest any change in the relative contribution of intra‐ and extracellular fluid to total drip loss. Plasma enzyme activities related to tissue damage (creatine kinase, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase and lactate dehydrogenase) were not influenced by dietary treatments. © 2000 Society of Chemical Industry