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Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2022; 12(13); 1628; doi: 10.3390/ani12131628

Evaluation of Two Equations for Prediction of Digestible Energy in Mixed Feeds and Diets for Horses.

Abstract: Several authors have developed equations for estimating digestible energy in horse feeds as an alternative to the inconveniences of in vivo digestibility assays. We aimed to evaluate two of such equations. A dataset was constructed from the literature with 32 mixed feeds and diets of known proximate composition, whose digestibility was measured in in vivo assays. Then, the digestible energy of the mixed feeds and diets was predicted with both equations from their proximate components. Precision, accuracy, reproducibility, bias, and decomposition of total error of predictions were determined. Both equations performed almost equally well (R2 = 0.89 vs. 0.87, root mean square error of prediction = 183 vs. 217 kcal/kg dry matter, concordance correlation coefficient = 0.91 vs. 0.86, and linear error = 24.6 vs. 33.6% of total error). Linear bias (p < 0.01 in both equations) resulted in overvaluation of low digestible energy feeds and, to a lesser extent, undervaluation of high digestible energy feeds and was significantly (p < 0.05) related to crude fiber. The obtained results indicate that the accuracy of both equations could be improved by reassessing the effects of crude fiber on the digestibility of the other proximate components.
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Publication Date: 2022-06-24 PubMed ID: 35804525PubMed Central: PMC9265017DOI: 10.3390/ani12131628Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

This study evaluates the accuracy of two equations formulated to predict the digestible energy in horse feeds using their proximate components. The researchers found that these equations are largely accurate, but could be improved by reassessing the effect of crude fiber on the digestibility of other components.

Abstract Overview

The study aimed to evaluate two equations used to estimate the amount of digestible energy in horse feeds and diets. This method provides an alternative to using in vivo digestibility assays, which are time-consuming and inconvenient. The study compared the predicted digestible energies of various horse feeds and diets with their previously measured in vivo digestibility values.

  • To conduct this experiment, the researchers collected data about 32 mixed feeds and diets with known proximate compositions from existing literature.
  • Then they used the two equations to predict the digestible energy from the proximate components of these feeds and diets.
  • Several factors were considered to determine the performance of the equations, such as their precision, accuracy, reproducibility, bias, and total error of predictions.

Results and Implications

Both equations performed quite similarly, indicating they could accurately predict the digestible energy of mixed feeds and diets for horses.

  • The R2 values (a statistical measure that represents the proportions of the variance for a dependent variable that’s explained by an independent variable) of both equations were close (0.89 vs. 0.87). This shows that these models could explain a significant portion of the variability of the data.
  • The root mean square error of prediction (which measures the average magnitude of the error) was also similarly close (183 vs. 217 kcal/kg dry matter).
  • The concordance correlation coefficient (which measures accuracy and precision between the observed and predicted values) of the two equations was 0.91 vs. 0.86.
  • The linear error (the difference between a predicted and observed value) represented 24.6% vs. 33.6% of the total error for both equations, indicating a moderate level of bias.

Despite these results, the study identifies a significant linear bias in both equations. This bias resulted in an overestimation of the digestible energy in feeds with low digestible energy and, to a lesser extent, an underestimation in feeds with high digestible energy. It was found that this bias was significantly related to the crude fiber component of the diets and feeds.

This finding suggests a potential area of improvement for these predictive equations. The researchers conclude by suggesting a reassessment of the effects of crude fiber on the digestibility of the other proximate components of horse feeds, which could improve the accuracy of these equations.

Cite This Article

APA
Martínez Marín AL, Valle E, Bergero D, Requena F, Forte C, Schiavone A. (2022). Evaluation of Two Equations for Prediction of Digestible Energy in Mixed Feeds and Diets for Horses. Animals (Basel), 12(13), 1628. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12131628

Publication

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 12
Issue: 13
PII: 1628

Researcher Affiliations

Martínez Marín, Andrés Luis
  • Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie, University of Torino, Largo Paolo Braccini 2, 10095 Grugliasco, Italy.
Valle, Emanuela
  • Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie, University of Torino, Largo Paolo Braccini 2, 10095 Grugliasco, Italy.
Bergero, Domenico
  • Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie, University of Torino, Largo Paolo Braccini 2, 10095 Grugliasco, Italy.
Requena, Francisco
  • Departamento de Biología Celular, Fisiología e Inmunología, Universidad de Córdoba, Ctra. Madrid-Cádiz km 396, 14071 Córdoba, Spain.
Forte, Claudio
  • Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie, University of Torino, Largo Paolo Braccini 2, 10095 Grugliasco, Italy.
Schiavone, Achille
  • Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie, University of Torino, Largo Paolo Braccini 2, 10095 Grugliasco, Italy.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Citations

This article has been cited 1 times.
  1. Zicarelli F, Tudisco R, Lotito D, Musco N, Iommelli P, Ferrara M, Calabrò S, Infascelli F, Lombardi P. Forage:Concentrate Ratio Effects on In Vivo Digestibility and In Vitro Degradability of Horse's Diet. Animals (Basel) 2023 Aug 11;13(16).
    doi: 10.3390/ani13162589pubmed: 37627380google scholar: lookup
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