Dietary chromium picolinate of varying particle size improves carcass characteristics and insulin sensitivity in finishing pigs fed low-and high-fat diets

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of the different-sized particles of chromium (Cr) picolinate (CrPic) and dietary fat on growth performance, carcass traits and insulin sensitivity of finishing pigs. Ninety-six Large White × Landrace gilts were stratified on bodyweight, housed in pens of three pigs and then, on a pen basis, randomly allocated to eight treatment groups in a 2 × 4 factorial design for 6 weeks. The respective factors were dietary fat (2.2% or 5.7%) and dietary CrPic (0 mg/kg, 400 mg/kgnormal-size CrPic, 400 mg/kg 1-m CrPic (CrPic), or 400 mg/kg 100-nm CrPic (nCrPic)). Over the first 21 days, average daily gain (ADG) was increased by dietary CrPic (0.94 vs ..