Effect of dietary fibre on protein and fat digestibility and its consequences on diet formulation for growing and fattening pigs:: A review

According to recent knowledge, dietary fibre contains more constituents, which due to their physico-chemical properties (solubility, viscosity) modulate the nutrient digestion by different mechanisms. The aim of this review is to present recent knowledge of dietary fibre, particularly its effect on digestibility of protein and fat and its consequences for diet formulation for growing and fattening pigs. The authors reviewed the relevant literature from the last 15 years and concluded that each 1 g NDF/kg diet increment results in a mean reduction of between 0.03 and 0.08% of ileal apparent protein digestibility and 1 g NDF/kg dry matter reduces the digestibility coefficient of energy by approximately 0.1%. The effect of different types of fibre on nutrient digestibility has not been quantified; however, soluble fibre reduces the apparent and true ileal digestibility of protein and amino acids as well as the fat and the energy more than insoluble fibre. Therefore, it is necessary to develop regression equations that compute the reduction in ileal digestibility of nutrients as a function of different types of fibre.