Digestibility, intake, and growth performance of egg protein replaced with vegetable protein in weaning food

Egg protein (EP) may help to decrease the risk of protein energy malnutrition (PEM) in infants. A 28 d research trial was conducted to examine the effect of different levels of EP on water intake, feed intake, nutrient digestibility, efficiency parameters, and anthropometric parameters in Wistar albino weaned pups. Weaning food was prepared by adding various EP in the diet (non-isonitrogenous and isocaloric) of 72 male and female rats to determine the best level for growth/development. Pups were randomly allotted to various concentrations of diet such as WF0 (soybean protein), WF1 (14% of EP), WF2 (16% of EP), and WF3 (18% of EP). Dry matter intake (DMI) was significant in pups fed with WF2 (22.66 ± 0.27 g/kg on 0 d and 27.43 ± 0.32 g/kg on 28 d) and WF3 (23.46 ± 0.28 g/kg on 0 d and 28.88 ± 0.33 g/kg on 28 d) diets as compared to the WF0 (19.30 ± 0.24 g/kg on 0 d and 26.76 ± 0.31 g/kg on 28 d) and WF1 (21.90 ± 0.26 g/kg on 0 d and 27.08 ± 0.32 g/kg on 28 day) diets. The crude fiber (CF) intake was significantly (P ≤ 0.05) reduced by increasing the level of EP in the diets of pups, while crude protein (CP) intake was increased with an increase in the EP levels. A similar trend was observed in ether extract (EE) intake. The DMI, CP, and EE digestibility were highest in pups fed the WF3 diet. Likewise, a trend was noticed in the protein efficiency ratio, while the highest feed consumption ratio and consumption index were observed in pups fed a control diet. The weight gain and body length were significantly (P ≤ 0.05) increased in the pups fed with the different concentrations of EP. The WF3 diet showed better growth after the best digestibility of the nutrients in pups and could therefore be recommended as an infant weaning food.