QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Evock-Clover, C. M. Articles by Steele, N. C. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Evock-Clover, C. M. Articles by Steele, N. C.

Dietary Chromium Supplementation with or without Somatotropin Treatment Alters Serum Hormones and Metabolites in Growing Pigs without Affecting Growth Performance^1,2,

Nonruminant Animal Nutrition Laboratory ^* Vitamin and Mineral Nutrition Laboratory, USDA-Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville, MD 20705

Twenty-four castrated male pigs were used in a 2 x 2 treatment array to determine the main effects of and interactions between dietary chromium supplementation and pituitary porcine somatotropin (ppST) administration on growth performance and serum hormone and metabolite concentrations. The treatments were 1) control (basal diet); 2) chromium (basal diet + 300 µg/kg diet added trivalent chromium as chromium picolinate); 3) ppST (100 µg/(kg body wt·d); and 4) chromium + ppST. Treatments were administered when pigs weighed between 30 and 60 kg. Blood was collected when pigs weighed 45 and 60 kg. All pigs treated with ppST exhibited improvements in growth performance (P < 0.05). Pigs given chromium showed no improvements in growth rate, feed efficiency or composition of gain. Measurements at 60 kg body weight revealed that ppST increased the cholesterol:HDL cholesterol ratio (P < 0.05). Chromium lowered serum insulin and glucose concentrations relative to controls (P < 0.05) and normalized the increase in glucose and insulin resulting from ppST treatment. No ppST x chromium interactions were noted, suggesting these changes in glucose and insulin metabolism are exerted through different mechanisms. These results indicate that chromium does not affect growth performance of young growing pigs. Chromium does normalize altered hormone and metabolite concentrations resulting from ppST treatment.

KEY WORDS: • pigs • chromium • somatotropin • growth

¹ Mention of a trade name, proprietary product or vendor does not constitute a guarantee or warranty of the product by USDA or imply its approval to the exclusion of other products or vendors that also may be suitable.

² The costs of publication of this article were defrayed in part by the payment of page charges. This article must therefore be hereby marked "advertisement" in accordance with 18 USC section 1734 solely to indicate this fact.

³ To whom correspondence should be addressed: USDA-ARS, NANL, Bldg. 200, Room 201, BARC-East, 10300 Baltimore Blvd., Beltsville, MD 20705.

Manuscript received 12 January 1993. Revision accepted 26 April 1993.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				J. C. Woodworth, M. D. Tokach, J. L. Nelssen, R. D. Goodband, S. S. Dritz, S. I. Koo, J. E. Minton, and K. Q. Owen Influence of dietary L-carnitine and chromium picolinate on blood hormones and metabolites of gestating sows fed one meal per day J Anim Sci, October 1, 2007; 85(10): 2524 - 2537. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. O. Matthews, A. C. Guzik, F. M. LeMieux, L. L. Southern, and T. D. Bidner Effects of chromium propionate on growth, carcass traits, and pork quality of growing-finishing pigs J Anim Sci, April 1, 2005; 83(4): 858 - 862. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. P. A. Van de Ligt, M. D. Lindemann, and G. L. Cromwell Assessment of chromium tripicolinate supplementation and dietary protein level on growth, carcass, and blood criteria in growing pigs J Anim Sci, September 1, 2002; 80(9): 2412 - 2419. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]