Larch wood waste: a functional fiber for late gestating and lactating sows

In the first part of the study, the bioactive compounds and antioxidant potential of larch fiber waste from five Italian woodworking companies (n=3 each) were evaluated to verify possible differences in their composition. Setting up a cascade extraction process, the consecutive hexane, methanol and water extracts were analysed by UPLC-PDA, to quantify the presence of target flavonoids (taxifolin, TXF; dihydrokaempferol, DHK), and terpenoids (larixol, LX; larixyl acetate, LXA). The antioxidant activity (expressed as EC50) was determined by the ABTS assay. In the hexane extract, LX and LXA were quantified up to 15.7 % and 14.50 % w/w dry extract respectively, while in the methanol extract, TXF and DHK were present up to 23.20 % and 24.00 % w/w dry extract, respectively. The methanol and water extract had particularly rewarding EC50 of 0.002 and 0.012 mg/mL, respectively. In the second part of the study, a preliminary evaluation of larch fiber supplementation in sows during late gestation and lactation was considered.