Lignin in Fibrous Feed as an Internal Digestibility and Transit Marker in Pigs

Romy J. Veersma; Corentin Lannuzel; Walter J.J. Gerrits; Sonja de Vries; Gijs van Erven; Mirjam A. Kabel

doi:10.1021/acsagscitech.4c00752

Lignin in Fibrous Feed as an Internal Digestibility and Transit Marker in Pigs

Romy J. Veersma, Corentin Lannuzel, Walter J.J. Gerrits, Sonja de Vries, Gijs van Erven, Mirjam A. Kabel^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

To assess the nutritional value of fibrous diets, external metal oxide-based markers are commonly used. Given the increasing restrictions on the use of these conventional markers, we investigated the inertness of lignin in pigs and correspondingly its potential as an internal marker. Hereto, feces and digesta were collected from pigs fed a diet containing wheat straw as sole lignin source, and lignin was quantified by ¹³C-IS py-GC-MS. Combined with detailed HSQC NMR and size-exclusion chromatography structural analysis, we revealed that lignin was recovered unmodified in feces. Comparison of lignin with TiO₂ showed similar (P > 0.15) digestibility values for nitrogen (82.6 vs 80.2%) and fat (93.3 vs 92.5%), and a limited difference for dry matter (77.7 vs 74.1%, P = 0.01). Comparison of lignin with chromium-mordanted straw furthermore showed highly similar (P = 0.8) mean retention times of fibrous particles in the stomach. We thus confirm the potential of intrinsic lignin as a multifunctional marker for feed digestibility and digesta transit in pigs.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1025-1033
Journal	ACS Agricultural Science and Technology
Volume	5
Issue number	6
Early online date	24 Apr 2025
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1021/acsagscitech.4c00752
Publication status	Published - 2025

Keywords

internal marker
lignin
mean retention time
nutrient digestibility
pigs
pyrolysis-GC-MS

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https://edepot.wur.nl/693429Licence: CC BY

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title = "Lignin in Fibrous Feed as an Internal Digestibility and Transit Marker in Pigs",

abstract = "To assess the nutritional value of fibrous diets, external metal oxide-based markers are commonly used. Given the increasing restrictions on the use of these conventional markers, we investigated the inertness of lignin in pigs and correspondingly its potential as an internal marker. Hereto, feces and digesta were collected from pigs fed a diet containing wheat straw as sole lignin source, and lignin was quantified by 13C-IS py-GC-MS. Combined with detailed HSQC NMR and size-exclusion chromatography structural analysis, we revealed that lignin was recovered unmodified in feces. Comparison of lignin with TiO2 showed similar (P > 0.15) digestibility values for nitrogen (82.6 vs 80.2%) and fat (93.3 vs 92.5%), and a limited difference for dry matter (77.7 vs 74.1%, P = 0.01). Comparison of lignin with chromium-mordanted straw furthermore showed highly similar (P = 0.8) mean retention times of fibrous particles in the stomach. We thus confirm the potential of intrinsic lignin as a multifunctional marker for feed digestibility and digesta transit in pigs.",

keywords = "internal marker, lignin, mean retention time, nutrient digestibility, pigs, pyrolysis-GC-MS",

author = "Veersma, {Romy J.} and Corentin Lannuzel and Gerrits, {Walter J.J.} and {de Vries}, Sonja and {van Erven}, Gijs and Kabel, {Mirjam A.}",

year = "2025",

doi = "10.1021/acsagscitech.4c00752",

language = "English",

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T1 - Lignin in Fibrous Feed as an Internal Digestibility and Transit Marker in Pigs

AU - Veersma, Romy J.

AU - Lannuzel, Corentin

AU - Gerrits, Walter J.J.

AU - de Vries, Sonja

AU - van Erven, Gijs

AU - Kabel, Mirjam A.

PY - 2025

Y1 - 2025

N2 - To assess the nutritional value of fibrous diets, external metal oxide-based markers are commonly used. Given the increasing restrictions on the use of these conventional markers, we investigated the inertness of lignin in pigs and correspondingly its potential as an internal marker. Hereto, feces and digesta were collected from pigs fed a diet containing wheat straw as sole lignin source, and lignin was quantified by 13C-IS py-GC-MS. Combined with detailed HSQC NMR and size-exclusion chromatography structural analysis, we revealed that lignin was recovered unmodified in feces. Comparison of lignin with TiO2 showed similar (P > 0.15) digestibility values for nitrogen (82.6 vs 80.2%) and fat (93.3 vs 92.5%), and a limited difference for dry matter (77.7 vs 74.1%, P = 0.01). Comparison of lignin with chromium-mordanted straw furthermore showed highly similar (P = 0.8) mean retention times of fibrous particles in the stomach. We thus confirm the potential of intrinsic lignin as a multifunctional marker for feed digestibility and digesta transit in pigs.

AB - To assess the nutritional value of fibrous diets, external metal oxide-based markers are commonly used. Given the increasing restrictions on the use of these conventional markers, we investigated the inertness of lignin in pigs and correspondingly its potential as an internal marker. Hereto, feces and digesta were collected from pigs fed a diet containing wheat straw as sole lignin source, and lignin was quantified by 13C-IS py-GC-MS. Combined with detailed HSQC NMR and size-exclusion chromatography structural analysis, we revealed that lignin was recovered unmodified in feces. Comparison of lignin with TiO2 showed similar (P > 0.15) digestibility values for nitrogen (82.6 vs 80.2%) and fat (93.3 vs 92.5%), and a limited difference for dry matter (77.7 vs 74.1%, P = 0.01). Comparison of lignin with chromium-mordanted straw furthermore showed highly similar (P = 0.8) mean retention times of fibrous particles in the stomach. We thus confirm the potential of intrinsic lignin as a multifunctional marker for feed digestibility and digesta transit in pigs.

KW - internal marker

KW - lignin

KW - mean retention time

KW - nutrient digestibility

KW - pigs

KW - pyrolysis-GC-MS

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DO - 10.1021/acsagscitech.4c00752

M3 - Article

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SN - 2692-1952

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EP - 1033

JO - ACS Agricultural Science and Technology

JF - ACS Agricultural Science and Technology

IS - 6

ER -

Lignin in Fibrous Feed as an Internal Digestibility and Transit Marker in Pigs

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Keywords

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