Abstract
A 4-week study on fattening pigs evaluated the effect of the dietary chrome picolinate (CrPic) on the growth performance and feeding quality of the pig leg. The experiment was conducted under the same conditions on 18 castrated Landrace x Large White males with an initial bodyweight of 73.55 kg, assigned to three batches (C, E1 and E2). The basal diet consisted of corn and soybean meal for all batches. The diets for the experimental batches were supplemented with 200 ppm CrPic (E1) and 400 ppm CrPic (E2). Blood samples were collected in the end of the experiment, following which all animals have been slaughtered and samples of pig leg were collected. The feeding quality of the collected samples was evaluated from the results on the crude fat, crude protein, cholesterol level and antioxidant capacity. The weight gain (kg/day) was lower in the experimental batches than in the control batche. The classification according to carcass fat was the following: E2 (14.33 mm), E1 (16.50 mm), C (17.17 mm). The fat to protein ratio was lower in group E2 (47.46% fat; 42.51% protein), than in group C (49.11% fat; 39.37 % protein). The cholesterol concentration determined in the meat samples from the pig legs was lower in batches E1 and E2 than in group C (0.073% - E1, 0.075% - E2 and 0.087% - M), but the difference was not significant.
