Effect of ascorbic acid on the mortality of Leghorn-type chickens due to overheating

Leghorn-type chickens in a relatively low-stress environment were fed diets containing 0 to 1100 mg of ascorbic acid (AA)/kg for 1 day before they were subjected to overheating. As the dose of AA increased from 0 to 330 mg/kg, there was decreasing mortality from 40% to 0%. As the dose of AA was increased further, there was an increase in mortality.     

Effect of ascorbic acid on antibody response of stressed and unstressed chickens

Chickens were given feed containing a series of doses of ascorbic acid between 0 and 880 mg/kg starting 1 day before and continuing for 5 days after sheep erythrocytes were administered intravenously. Antibody titers were reduced when doses were greater than 220 mg/kg. Cold stress resulted in a reduction of titers, which was partly alleviated by doses between 220 and 440 mg/kg. Results were similar when 25 mg of corticosterone was added to the feed to simulate stress. Titers of treated stressed chickens were never greater than those of the untreated unstressed controls.     

Effect of environmental stress on the responses of ascorbic-acid-treated chickens to Escherichia coli challenge infection

As the stressfulness of the environment increased (measured as increasing heterophil/lymphocyte [H/L] ratios), resistance of chickens to Escherichia coli challenge infection increased. At a relatively low level of environmental stress (H/L ratio = 0.33), the incidence of severe lesions was 22% in chickens fed diets containing 330 mg of ascorbic acid (AA)/kg and 80% in undosed controls. As the level of environmental stress increased, the dose of AA required for maximum reduction of the incidence of severe lesions increased, and the difference in lesion incidence between AA-dosed and undosed chickens decreased. When environmental stress resulted in H/L ratios of 0.53 or more, AA did not ameliorate the severity of infection. At levels of stress characterized by H/L ratios between 0.39 and 0.44, increasing doses of AA resulted in increased susceptibility to E. coli until a dose associated with maximum susceptibility was reached. Further increases in the dose of AA resulted in decreased susceptibility until a dose associated with maximum resistance was reached. In chickens fed feed containing 15 mg corticosterone/kg, increasing doses of AA resulted in increasing susceptibility to E. coli.     

Effect of dietary ascorbic acid supplementation level on productivity,mortality, and carcass characteristics of Venda chickens

Two experiments were carried out to determine the effect of dietary ascorbic acid supplementation levels on productivity, carcass characteristics, and mortality of indigenous Venda chickens. The first experiment determined the effect of dietary ascorbic acid supplementation levels on productivity and mortality rate of 175 unsexed Venda chickens between 1 and 6 weeks old. The second experiment determined the effect of dietary ascorbic acid supplementation levels on productivity, carcass characteristics, and mortality rate of 140 female Venda chickens between 8 and 13 weeks old. A completely randomized design was used in both experiments. Supplementation of grower diets with ascorbic acid ranged from 0 to 2,000 mg per kg DM feed in both experiments. Levels of ascorbic acid supplementation for optimum feed intake, feed conversion ratio, growth rate, live weight, and breast meat yield were determined using a quadratic equation. The optimal dietary ascorbic acid supplementation levels for feed conversion ratio, growth rate, and live weight of Venda chickens during the starter phase were 1,050, 1,301, and 1,500 mg/kg DM feed, while, at the grower phase, the optimal supplementation levels for feed conversion ratio, growth rate, live weight, and breast meat yield were 1,000, 1,250, 1,482, and 769 mg/kg DM feed, respectively. Results indicate that different levels of ascorbic acid supplementation optimized feed conversion ratio, growth rate, and live weight of Venda chickens at each growth phase. However, levels of ascorbic acid supplementation for optimum feed conversion ratio, growth rate, and live weight were higher than that for breast meat yield. These findings have implications on ration formulation for Venda chickens.     

Effects of dietary supplementation with vitamin C or vitamin E on cardiac lipid peroxidation and growth performance in broilers at risk of developing ascites syndrome

OBJECTIVE: To assess effects of high dietary amounts of vitamin C or vitamin E and oxidative stress on the heart and growth performance of broilers maintained at an altitude of 2,200 m above sea level. ANIMALS: 360 chicks (1-day-old broilers). PROCEDURE: Birds were randomly assigned to 3 groups (120 chicks/group). Each group of birds was fed a specific diet (control group, basal diet containing 12 mg of vitamin E (DL-alpha-tocopherol acetate)/kg of feed without additional ascorbic acid; vitamin E group, basal diet supplemented with 75 mg of vitamin E/kg of feed; and vitamin C group, basal diet supplemented with 400 mg of ascorbic acid/kg of feed) throughout the entire 7 weeks of the study. Feed consumption and body weight of chicks were recorded on a weekly basis. Nine randomly selected birds from each group were euthanatized each week. Remaining birds were euthanatized at the end of the study. Samples of cardiac tissues were obtained to measure thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), an indicator of oxidative stress. RESULTS: Vitamin E-supplemented diets resulted in better growth performance, lower rates of feed conversion, and lower TBARS content. Vitamin C-supplemented diets resulted in lower feed consumption and lower rates of feed conversion. When used separately, neither of the vitamins had any effect on mortality attributable to ascites syndrome. CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: It is recommended that diets supplemented with vitamin C, vitamin E, or both be fed to broilers maintained at an altitude of 2,200 m above sea level to improve growth performance.     

Influence of Dietary Ascorbic Acid on the Immune Responses of Juvenile Korean Rockfish Sebastes schlegelii

Juvenile Korean Rockfish Sebastes schlegelii (length, 13.6 ± 1.4 cm [mean ± SD]; weight, 53.6 ± 4.2 g) were fed twice daily with diets containing varying levels of ascorbic acid (0, 50, 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg) for 4 weeks. Significant increases in daily weight and length occurred in fish fed more than 50 mg/kg ascorbic acid. The lysozyme activity of fish fed diets containing ascorbic acid was considerably increased in rockfish plasma at 400 mg/kg ascorbic acid and in kidney at over 50 mg/kg ascorbic acid. Total plasma immunoglobulin M (IgM) levels were markedly elevated in fish fed 400 mg/kg ascorbic acid. The results suggest that dietary ascorbic acid supplementation in juvenile rockfish can induce a significant increase in growth and in immunological features such as lysozyme activity and plasma IgM levels.

Received October 1, 2014; accepted May 2, 2015     

Influence of dietary rapeseed oil, vitamin E, and copper on the performance and the antioxidative and oxidative status of pigs.

We investigated the effects of dietary copper and vitamin E in diets containing 6% rapeseed oil on the performance and the antioxidative and oxidative status of growing pigs. The 10 dietary treatments consisted of a basal diet (9 mg of vitamin E/kg feed, 15 mg of Cu/kg feed), the basal diet + 6% rapeseed oil (Diet 1; 18 mg of vitamin E/kg feed, 15 mg of Cu/kg feed), and Diet 1 plus supplements of vitamin E (0, 100, and 200 mg of dl-alpha-tocopheryl acetate/kg feed) and copper (0, 35, and 175 mg of Cu/ kg feed) in a 3 x 3 factorial arrangement of treatments. Eight or nine pigs were given ad libitum access to each diet from 25 to 100 kg of live weight. The inclusion of rapeseed oil tended (P < .10) to improve ADG and feed utilization. Compared with the addition of 35 mg of Cu/kg, the addition of 175 mg/kg improved growth rate and increased feed intake early in the experiment, but, over the total experiment, neither 35 nor 175 mg of Cu/kg affected performance. Compared with the addition of 100 mg of vitamin E/kg or no addition, the addition of 200 mg/kg reduced ADG over the total experiment (P = .05). The antioxidative and oxidative status of the pigs was evaluated in terms of blood and liver concentrations of antioxidants (alpha-tocopherol, ascorbic acid, vitamin A, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase), prooxidants (Cu), concentrations of lipids (triglycerides and cholesterol), fatty acid composition, thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS), and clinical chemical (creatine kinase and glutamate-oxaloacetate-transaminase) and hematological variables that indicate the level of oxidative stress. There were no vitamin E deficiency signs or increased oxidative stress in pigs fed low dietary vitamin E levels, and no prooxidative effect of Cu was found. Increasing dietary levels of vitamin E increased the concentration of alpha-tocopherol in plasma and liver. Supplementation with Cu increased liver concentrations of Cu and alphatocopherol. The progression in liver TBARS was reduced by the addition of vitamin E and Cu. The addition of rapeseed oil changed the fatty acid composition of liver, increased alpha-tocopherol concentration in plasma and Cu concentration in liver, and reduced the rate of lipid oxidation in liver. In conclusion, even though the effects were minor, vitamin E, Cu, and rapeseed oil improved the antioxidative status of the live pigs.     

Effects of ascorbic acid on stress and disease in chickens.

White leghorn chickens were given feed containing 100 mg of ascorbic acid (AA)/kg. One day later, treated chickens and a similar group of unmedicated control chickens were chilled for 1 hour at 6 C, exposed to an unusual sound, fasted, or subjected to rough handling. Heterophil:lymphocyte (H:L) ratios were determined one day later. The AA-treated birds had significantly lower H:L ratios than untreated controls. Chickens that received a diet containing AA had lower H:L ratios than controls (0.86 vs. 1.65) following administration of adrenocorticotropic hormone. Chickens fed a diet containing AA showed increased resistance to a combined Newcastle disease virus-Mycoplasma gallisepticum infection and to a secondary Escherichia coli infection, as well as to a primary E. coli challenge infection. The effects of AA and an antibacterial drug (furaltadone) were additive. In all experiments, the optimum dose of AA was 100 mg/kg of feed. There was a negative correlation between AA level in the diet and feed efficiency.     

日粮维生素E,抗坏血酸水平对肉仔鸡生长及免疫功能的影响

试验用ＡｒｂｏｒＡｃｒｅ肉仔鸡６７２只，随机分成７个处理，每处理９６只，雌雄各半。２×３因子设计，其中维生素Ｅ２个水平分别为２０、８０ｍｇ／ｋｇ；抗坏血酸３个水平依次为２００、４００和８００ｍｇ／ｋｇ。另外设一个不添加维生素Ｅ和抗坏血酸的对照组。试验期分为０～２周龄和３～４周龄两个阶段。试验结果表明，提高日粮维生素Ｅ水平（８０ｍｇ／ｋｇ）对肉仔鸡体内抗坏血酸的合成有促进作用，抗坏血酸对维生素Ｅ的作用不明显。随着日龄的增加，肉仔鸡血清维生素Ｅ的含量呈下降趋势，日粮尽早添加维生素Ｅ可以减缓血清维生素Ｅ的下降；肉仔鸡体内可以合成一定量的抗坏血酸，合成能力随日龄的增加而增强。日粮高水平的维生素Ｅ（８０ｍｇ／ｋｇ）可提高２８日龄肉仔鸡血液淋巴细胞转化率和血清新城疫抗体滴度，抗坏血酸对肉仔鸡细胞及体液免疫功能影响不显著。     

铜的来源和水平对生长猪生长性能和粪铜排出量的影响

选用平均体重29.6kg的三元杂(杜×大×长)生长猪144头,按随机区组设计分为6个处理。饲粮中分别添加0、100、200mg/kg硫酸铜、200mg/kg碱式氯化铜、100mg/kg小肽铜、100mg/kg复合氨基酸螯合铜(以铜含量计)。结果表明:100mg/kg小肽铜和100mg/kg复合氨基酸螯合铜均能有效提高生长猪日增重和日采食量,其促生长效果与200mg/kg硫酸铜无显著(P>0.05)差异,而粪中铜含量分别下降了36.8%和48.4%(P<0.05)。     

Effects of dietary supplemental L-carnitine and ascorbic acid on performance, carcass composition and plasma L-carnitine concentration of broiler chicks reared under different temperature.

The present study was initiated to determine whether dietary supplemental L-carnitine and ascorbic acid affect growth performance, carcass yield and composition, abdominal fat and plasma L-carnitine concentration of broiler chicks reared under normal and high temperature. During the experiment, two temperature regimes were employed in two experimental rooms, which were identical but different in environmental temperature. The regimes were thermoneutral (20-22 degrees C for 24 h) or recycling hot (34-36 degrees C for 8 h and 20-22 degrees C for 16 h). One-day-old broiler chicks (ROSS) were used in the experiment. A 2 x 2 x 2 factorial arrangement was employed with two levels (0 and 50 mg/kg) of supplemental L-carnitine and two levels (0 or 500 mg/kg) of supplemental ascorbic acid in drinking water under thermoneutral or high temperature regimes. Body weight gain was affected by high temperature. However, body weight gain was significantly improved in animals receiving supplemental L-carnitine, ascorbic acid or L-carnitine + ascorbic acid compared to animals receiving unsupplemented diet under high temperature. On the other hand, supplemental L-carnitine or L-carnitine + ascorbic acid reduced body weight gain under thermoneutral condition. Supplemental ascorbic acid significantly improved feed conversion efficiency, the improvement was relatively greater under high temperature. The L-carnitine content in the plasma was higher in the groups receiving supplemental L-carnitine and ascorbic acid under high temperature, while broilers fed supplemental L-carnitine and ascorbic acid had a decreased level of plasma L-carnitine concentration under normal temperature. It is concluded that dietary supplemental L-carnitine or L-carnitine + ascorbic acid may have positive effects on body weight gain, carcass weight under high temperature conditions.     

欧亚鲈幼鱼饲料中维生素C适宜含量的研究

选用初始体质量为(7.46±0.29)g的欧亚鲈幼鱼为试验对象,投喂6种不同水平的维生素C(0、50、100、200、400和800 mg/kg)的试验饲料,饲养8周,探讨欧亚鲈幼鱼饲料维生素C的适宜含量。结果表明,饲料中维生素C添加量从0.0升高到100 mg/kg时,鱼体增重率呈上升趋势,添加量为100 mg/kg显著高于对照组(P<0.05),但添加量继续增大,对鱼体增重率无显著变化(P>0.05);经折线模型分析表明,欧亚鲈鱼种达到最大生长时,饲料中的维生素C的最低添加量为93.58 mg/kg。欧亚鲈肝脏中维生素C含量随着饲料中维生素C(0～200 mg/kg)的增加而显著升高(P<0.05),但添加量继续升高,则肝脏中维生素C达到饱和状态,经折线分析表明,肝脏中维生素C达到饱和时,饲料中的维生素C的最低添加量为149.27 mg/kg。急性胁迫前,各组血糖之间无显著差异(P>0.05),急性胁迫后,血糖升高峰值最低和恢复最快的是饲料中维生素C为400～800 mg/kg。在本试验条件下,欧亚鲈幼鱼达到最大生长、肝脏维生素C饱和及抗拥挤胁迫的维生素C适宜添加量分别为93.58、149.27 mg/kg和400 mg/kg。     

Effects of essential oils from fennel (Foeniculi aetheroleum) and caraway (Carvi aetheroleum) in pigs

The ban of antibiotics as a feed additive requires alternatives to stabilize the health and performance particularly of the young animals. Essential oils obtained from fennel seed (Foeniculi aetheroleum) and caraway seed (Carvi aetheroleum) were tested in diets for weaned piglets in comparison with either a diet without feed additive or with a combination of formic acid and copper (positive control). Four groups of sixteen piglets (live weight 7 kg, age 26 days) received diets without (1) or with supplements of 7.5 g formic acid + 160 mg Cu/kg (2), 100 mg fennel oil/kg (3) or 100 mg caraway oil/kg (4) during 3 weeks after weaning. In the subsequent 4 weeks, all piglets were fed a diet without these additions. Fennel oil contained almost 2/3 anethol, approximately 1/5 fenchon and the remaining part consisting of alpha + beta-pinen, limonen (p-mentha-1,8-dien) and estragol. In the caraway oil, half of the contents was represented by limonen and the other half by carvon. There were no piglet losses and only few cases of diarrhoea. The combination of formic acid and copper increased feed consumption by 27% and daily weight gain by 25%. There were no differences in the performance between the group fed fennel oil and the control without additives. Piglets fed caraway oil tended to consume less feed and to gain approximately 10% less. In feed choice experiments, pigs consumed the same two diets from two troughs with 50% of total feed amount, as expected. The diets containing fennel or caraway oils were consumed at less than 50%. If the diet contained 100 mg fennel oil/kg, the decrease of percentual feed intake was significant. The results of the feeding experiment and of the feed choice experiment question the classification of fennel and caraway oils as flavour additives or as 'appetite promoters' in diets for weaned piglets.     

对氨基苯胂酸对猪消化道及日粮营养物质消化率的影响

本试验以9头25kg左右的二元杂交阉公猪为试验动物,采用消化试验(全收粪法)以及屠宰后检测小肠肠壁组织的方法,通过对生长猪消化道肠壁组织以及猪对日粮营养物质消化作用的研究,探讨了日粮中添加60mg/kg对氨基苯胂酸对生长猪消化机能的某些影响。研究结果表明:与对照组或土霉素碱组日粮相比较。日粮中添加60mg/kg浓度的对氨基苯胂酸能够更好的促进生长猪的消化能力;并使干物质、有机物质和粗蛋白质的消化率分别较对照组日粮提高3.42％、2.35％和4.33％,使能量利用率提高2.51％,且各种氨基酸的利用率也得到相应的改善;同时,添加对氨基苯胂酸对猪消化道(十二指肠、空肠和回肠)肠壁组织(粘膜高度、腺体高度、腺体数、粘膜下层、肌层以及浆膜等)能更好的吸收营养物质也产生了较好的促进作用。     

Electrostatic spraying of antioxidants on the oxidative quality of ground beef

To prevent oxidative quality changes, a few selected antioxidants, ascorbic acid, or an ascorbic acid plus α-tocopherol combination were electrostatically sprayed on the surface of ground beef patties. Color, metmyoglobin, oxidation-reduction potential, lipid oxidation, and volatiles of the samples were determined during the 8 d of aerobic storage. Spraying of ascorbic acid at 500 mg/kg was the most effective in controlling discoloration of ground beef. Spraying of ascorbic acid at 500 mg/kg was also effective in reducing 2-thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances and volatile aldehydes such as hexanal and heptanal related to lipid oxidation. Spraying of phenolic antioxidants such as tocopherol, sesamol, or rosemary oleoresin showed significant (P < 0.05) antioxidant effects, but had no effects (P < 0.05) in stabilizing the color of ground beef. Sesamol at 100 mg/kg showed the most potent antioxidant activities among the antioxidants, and its antioxidant effect was as strong as that of 500 mg/kg of ascorbic acid. It was concluded that electrostatic spray of ascorbic acid on the surface of ground beef at 500 mg/kg was an efficient and economical way to prevent both lipid oxidation and color changes in ground beef.     

Influences of wet feeding and supplementation with ascorbic acid on performance and carcass composition of broiler chicks exposed to a high ambient temperature.

In two experiments was investigated whether feeding with an air-dry feed mixed with different amounts of water and/or supplemental ascorbic acid affect performance and carcass compositions of broilers exposed to a high ambient temperature (35 to 37 degrees C for 8 h/d and thermoneutral for 16 h/d). In the first trial, 64 one-week-old male broiler chicks were fed ad libitum in four dietary treatment groups for a 6-week period. Experimental mash diets were prepared by mixing a maize-soybean based standard broiler starter or finisher with tap water in the ratios of 0.0:1.0, 0.5:1.0, 1.0:1.0 and 1.5:1.0 (water:air-dry feed, w/w). More water in the diet increased BWG, DMI, abdominal fat and carcass weight, carcass CP, crude fat, but it deteriorated DM conversion efficiency. In the second experiment, 64 one-week-old male broiler chicks were given air-dry or wet (water:feed, 1.5:1) starter or finisher diets without or with ascorbic acid supplementation (0 and 250 mg/kg air-dry feed, resp.) ad libitum for a 6-week period. Ascorbic acid supplementation increased BWG, carcass weight and carcass CP significantly, while reducing carcass crude fat content. However, feeding broilers with a diet mixed with water in a ratio of 1.5:1.0 increased BWG, DMI, carcass weight and carcass lipid markedly, but deteriorated DM conversion efficiency. There was also a significant interaction between ascorbic acid and wet feeding, whereby ascorbic acid supplementation induced a significant reduction in carcass lipid contents of broilers fed on air-dry diets but not on wet diets. It is concluded that wet feeding, especially an addition of 150% water to produce a porridge like consistency, improved growth performance by increasing fat, ash and protein deposition in the body, while reducing DM conversion efficiency. It is also concluded that under heat stress supplemental ascorbic acid in air-dry diets stimulates broiler performance but not in wet diets.     

In vivo effect of ascorbic acid on neutrophil function in healthy and dexamethasone-treated cattle

Ascorbic acid (20 mg/kg of body weight) administered subcutaneously to otherwise nontreated cattle resulted in enhancement of neutrophil oxidative metabolism and capability of neutrophils to mediate antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC). Random migration, bacterial ingestion, and iodination by neutrophils was unaffected. Three dosage levels of ascorbic acid (10 mg/kg, 20 mg/kg, and 40 mg/kg) were examined for their effects on neutrophil function in cattle treated with dexamethasone (0.04 mg/kg). Dexamethasone administration caused an enhancement of neutrophil random migration and a suppression of neutrophil oxidative metabolism, iodination, and ADCC. None of the dosage levels of ascorbic acid had an effect on the alterations in the WBC count induced by dexamethasone. The ascorbic acid did tend to reverse the effects of dexamethasone on neutrophil random migration, oxidative metabolism, and ADCC in a dose-dependent manner, with the lowest dose having no discernible effect. Ascorbic acid administration also tended to enhance Staphylococcus aureus ingestion by bovine neutrophils. These results indicate that ascorbic acid should be further investigated for its potential to reduce the susceptibility of stressed or glucocorticoid-treated cattle to infective processes.     

超高效液相色谱测定猪配合饲料中苯乙醇胺A的研究

研究建立了超高效液相色谱(ultra performance liquid chromatography,UPLC)—二极管阵列检测器(PDA)测定配合饲料中苯乙醇胺A的方法。通过应用0.1%甲酸甲醇溶液提取、混合阳离子固相萃取净化及样品基质校正外标定量方法进行测量。在优化条件下,苯乙醇胺A在0.1~20.0 mg/kg浓度范围内线性关系良好,线性相关系数(R²)达到0.9945;在1.0、5.0、10.0 mg/kg等不同添加浓度下,方法回收率高于90.36%,变异系数低于5.98%;方法检测限为0.06 mg/kg,定量限为0.10 mg/kg。结果表明,该方法灵敏度高、精密度好、准确可靠且操作简单,能够满足配合饲料中苯乙醇胺A的测定需要。     

Prevention of aflatoxicosis by addition of hydrated sodium calcium aluminosilicate to the diets of growing barrows

Hydrated sodium calcium aluminosilicate (HSCAS), an anticaking agent for mixed feed, was added to the diets of growing barrows and was evaluated for its potential to ameliorate the clinical signs of aflatoxicosis. The experimental design consisted of 6 treatments of 5 barrows each at concentrations of 0 g of HSCAS and 0 g of aflatoxin (AF)/kg of feed (control), 5 g of HSCAS/kg of feed (0.5%), 20 g of HSCAS/kg of feed (2.0%), 3 mg of AF/kg of feed, 5 g of HSCAS (0.5%) plus 3 mg of AF/kg of feed, or 20 g of HSCAS (2.0%) plus 3 mg of AF/kg of feed. Barrows were maintained in indoor concrete-floored pens, with feed and water available ad libitum for 28 days (from the age of 7 to 11 weeks). Barrows were observed twice daily and were weighed weekly, and blood samples were obtained weekly for hematologic and serum biochemical measurements. At the termination of the study, barrows were euthanatized and necropsied. Body weight gains were diminished significantly (P less than 0.05) by consumption of 3 mg of AF/kg of feed, whereas body weight gain in barrows consuming diets containing HSCAS or HSCAS plus AF did not differ from that in control barrows. Serum enzymatic activities of alkaline phosphatase and gamma-glutamyl transferase and prothrombin time were increased in barrows consuming 3 mg of AF/kg of feed, but not in those consuming HSCAS or HSCAS plus AF.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Effects of dried whey and copper sulfate on the growth responses to organic acid in diets for weanling pigs

Five 21-d to 28-d experiments involving 484 pigs weaned at 28 +/- 2 d of age were conducted to evaluate the effects of addition of organic acid to a fortified, corn-soybean meal diet (CS) or to a similar diet containing 15% dried whey (CSW) on performance of pigs. The effects of an antibiotic-sulfonamide combination (110 mg chlortetracycline, 110 mg sulfamethazine, 55 mg penicillin/kg) and the interactive effects of Cu sulfate (250 ppm Cu) and acid also were evaluated. The acid was a commercial product consisting of 96% organic acid (citric acid and Na citrate, 2:1). Treatments in Exp. 1 and 2 were factorial arrangements of the CS or CSW basal diets supplemented with 0 or 1% (Exp. 1) and 0, .5 or 1% (Exp. 2) of the acid product. Pigs fed diets containing whey consumed more feed (P less than .01) and gained weight faster (P less than .05), but they had feed/gain responses similar to those of pigs fed the CS diet. Addition of 1% acid improved (P less than .01) growth rate of pigs fed the CS diet but did not improve (P greater than .25) growth rate of pigs fed the CSW diet. Feed/gain was improved (P less than .01) by acid addition to both the CS and the CSW diets. Improvements in gain and feed/gain were similar for the two levels of acid. In Exp. 3 and 4, factorial combinations of 0 and 1% acid and 0 and 250 ppm Cu were evaluated in diets containing an antibiotic-sulfonamide combination. In addition, a negative control diet (no antibiotics, acid or Cu) was included. Pigs fed diets containing antibiotics gained faster and more efficiently (P less than .01) than those fed the control diet.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)