EFEITO DIETÉTICO DAS ALGAS MARINHAS CALCÍTICAS SOBRE OS PARÂMETROS ÓSSEOS DE LEITÕES NA FASE DE CRECHE

The objective of this study was to evaluate the dietary additional effect of calcitic seaweed (CS) on the bone characteristics of piglets during the nursery phase. A total of 128 piglets entire males, crossbreed of commercial lineage were used, with initial body weight of 5.50 ± 0.49 kg and final body weight of 24.39 ± 3.32 kg, distributed in a randomized complete block design with four treatments, eight replicates and four pigs per experimental unit. The treatments consisted of: feed formulated to meet the requirement of calcium from calcitic limestone (CL); meet the calcium requirement from CL + CS; with a 30% reduction in the requirement for calcium from CS and to meet the requirement for calcium from CS. The variables analyzed were area (AREA), bone mineral composition (BMC), bone mineral density (BMD), Seedor index (SI) and bone resistance (BR). The results indicated a treatment effect (P<0.05) on the variables AREA, BMC, SI and BR, in which the piglets fed CS presented reduction of AREA and increase of BR. It is concluded that CS are a source of alternative calcium in diets for piglets in the nursery phase and that it increases BR.