Effect of Dietary Iron on Gossypol Toxicity and on Residues of Gossypol in Porcine Liver

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Abstract
A 3 × 3 × 2 factorial design was used to study the effect of gossypol levels (80, 244 and 400 mg/kg of diet), supplemental iron-to-gossypol ratios (0:1, 0.5:1, and 1:1), and sources of supplemental lysine (L-lysine and fish meal) in corn-cottonseed meal rations on performance and tissue residues of gossypol. Six pigs were group-fed each ration. One additional group was fed a corn-soybean meal ration as a control for tissue residues. Free gossypol at the level of 80 mg/kg of diet did not appear to affect pig performance adversely. The iron-to-gossypol ratio of 1:1 was adequate to protect growing pigs against toxicity when up to 400 mg of free gossypol/kg of diet were fed. This ratio of added iron to gossypol prevented accumulation of gossypol in the livers in excess of that observed when 80 mg/kg of diet were fed. The 0.5:1 ratio of iron to gossypol was effective in improving performance but was not as effective in reducing toxicity or in reducing deposition of gossypol in the livers as was the higher level.