The passion fruit seed is a byproduct of the extraction of the passion fruit pulp and can be used for feeding to pigs. Two experiments were conducted (digestibility and performance) to evaluate the use of the passion fruit seed meal in feed for growing and finishing pigs. A digestibility trial was conducted with growing and finishing pigs, in which the passion fruit seed meal (PSM) replaced the reference diet (0% PSM) in levels of 4, 8, 12 and 16%. Thirty barrows were used with average weight of 36.85±4.19. The PSF showed DE and ME of 3.244 and 3.223 Mcal/kg, respectively. In the performance trial, were used 150 pigs, which 75 in the growing phase and 75 pigs in the finishing, with initial body weight of 30.63±1.49 and final of 60.38±4.75 kg and 60.40±1.50 and 90.02±4.84 kg, respectively. Five diets were used, with four inclusion levels of PSM (4, 8, 12 e 16%) and one control diet (0% of PSM). The PSM levels did not influence (P>0.05) the performance variables. In the growing pigs, serum levels of cholesterol increased linearly with (P<0.05) inclusion levels of PSM. Quantitative of carcass traits and meat quality were not affected (P>0.05) by increasing levels of PSM in the diets. We conclude that the PSM can be used up to 16% in growing and finishing pigs diets.
Co-product; digestibility; nutritional value; carcass
