16 www.pigchamp.com Spring 2025 Traditional Choline Supplementation External choline supplementation has traditionally been in the form of dry or liquid choline chloride. The amount of active choline in these products typically runs about 60% for dry, carrier-based choline chloride and 70-75% for liquid choline chloride. Many operators and nutritionists opt for the liquid form due to the hygroscopic and hyper-reactive/destructive properties of dry choline chloride. Because of its hygroscopicity, dry choline chloride can have flowability and clumping issues that can lead to feed blending problems. Additionally, choline chloride should not be put into a premix due to the likelihood of degrading vitamins and minerals. Choline chloride also has the potential to shorten the life of feed plant equipment. For as yet unresearched reasons, only about onethird of dry choline chloride can be absorbed and utilized by the pig. Tri-methyl amine (TMA) is also used in the synthesis of dry choline chloride and has been known to cause off-flavored and poorer quality meat, with pork having a high concentration of TMA being described as having an off-putting, fishy-smelling odor (Hamid et al., 2014). Although feed-grade choline chloride is considered an inexpensive way to boost dietary choline levels, this method of choline supplementation can lead to potential concerns within feed application and equipment. Metabolic Derivatives of Choline As mentioned earlier, choline can be metabolized by three different metabolic pathways depending on the physiological needs of the pig. The oxidation pathway yields betaine, which has several useful physiological roles in the pig, especially related to methyl group metabolism. Betaine itself is also a common feed ingredient that is sometimes included in swine diets. The application of direct supplementation of betaine in swine diets has been shown to have positive effects on carcass and meat quality due to its positive effects on the fat metabolism. Betaine can assist in the metabolic synthesis of carnitine and phosphatidylcholine, both of which are involved in fat transport and fat oxidation. Betaine can also convert homocysteine to methionine by donating one of its three methyl groups and therefore increases methionine concentration in the body. Another unique property of betaine is its cellular protective capabilities as an osmolyte. Betaine is commonly included in diets as a heat stress aid. However, because betaine cannot conversely be converted to choline, betaine can only reduce (spare) the choline requirement and is not a choline source as such. As in plants, the phosphorylation pathway of choline creates phosphatidylcholine, which is the most abundant form of choline found in the body. Phosphatidylcholine is involved in many functions in the body, being a large component of many cell structures and highly involved in metabolizing and mobilizing lipids from intestinal absorption. Phosphatidylcholine is essentially a fat-soluble form of choline and is indirectly involved in all pathways for choline in the body. Crude phosphatidylcholine—extracted from oilseeds or other plant materials—is commonly referred to as lecithin. Historically, lecithin has been valued more for its physical fat-emulsifying properties than for its choline contribution, as such. Interestingly, a new plant-based product from Barentz Animal Nutrition, Kolin Plus, is based on highly available phosphatidylcholine and four different bioactive phytogenic materials (plant-derived substances used in animal nutrition). This material has been shown in research to be a natural alternative to synthetic feed-grade choline chloride but at a lower use rate. The Kolin Plus product is non-hygroscopic and chemically non-reactive, which therefore means it is more suitable for premixes and other blending applications for swine. Conclusion Choline is an essential but often overlooked nutrient in swine diets. Gestating, lactating, and nursery pig diets are the common phases in which choline is added. However, little contemporary research work has been done to discover the true bioavailability of natural choline sources in feed ingredients. This is why an extra focus on external choline supplementation is warranted and needed. Synthetic feed-grade choline chloride can be a very difficult material to use in feed applications, but effective alternatives are currently being introduced into the market. A new product from Barentz Animal Nutrition supplies choline in the form of natural phosphatidylcholine, plus high levels of natural phytogenic materials. This product not only has the potential to help assure cost-effective animal performance, but it will also eliminate some of the problematic handling issues of synthetic feed-grade choline chloride. Jordyn Studer Jordyn Studer is a Poultry Technical Service Specialist at Barentz North America. She has a bachelor’s degree in animal sciences from Purdue University and a Master’s in poultry nutrition from Virginia Tech. She is a 2020 graduate of the Midwest Poultry Consortium’s Center of Excellence program and a 2018 American FFA degree recipient.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTc0MDI3