Non-starch polysaccharide-degrading enzymes improve intestinal health by reducing digesta viscosity and gut permeability in young broilers fed high-fiber diets.
Combining phytase with xylanase-β-glucanase can help improve gut health and growth performance in young broilers fed high-fiber diets.
Where it sits
this study against the rest of the melanotan i (mt-i) corpusSummary and findings
This study evaluated the effects of a combination of xylanase-β-glucanase enzymes and a bacterial phytase variant on gut health and growth performance in young broilers fed high-fiber diets. The study involved 180 Ross 308 male chicks over a 14-day period. The combination treatment improved gut health metrics compared to a negative control diet.
Abstract
Young broilers are sensitive to dietary stressors such as increased level of non-starch polysaccharide (NSP) because their intestinal morphology and function are still developing and not yet fully mature. Viscous grains such as rye and barley with high NSP content can increase digesta viscosity, impair nutrient absorption, increase gut leakage and reduce performance. This study evaluated the effect of a xylanase-β-glucanase enzymes combination (XB) and a consensus bacterial 6-phytase variant (PhyG) on gut health and growth performance in young broilers (0 to 14 d old) fed diets containing rye and barley. A randomized complete block design was used and 180 Ross 308 male chicks was assigned to 5 treatment diets with 6 replications per treatment: 1) corn-wheat-soybean meal-based positive control (PC); 2) the PC reformulated with addition of rye and barley served as negative control (NC); 3) the NC supplemented with 1,000 phytase units (FTU)/kg of phytase (NC+PhyG); 4) the NC supplemented with phytase and XB (at 100g/MT providing 1,220 XU/kg xylanase and 152 U/kg β-glucanase, NC+PhyG+XB100), and; 5) the NC supplemented with the same phytase dose but XB at double dose (NC+PhyG+XB200). All diets were fed ad libitum as a mash. Compared with the PC, the NC increased (<i>P</i> < 0.05) ileal and jejunal digesta viscosity, increased intestinal permeability and reduced overall weight gain, all of which were fully ameliorated (<i>P</i> > 0.05) by the NC+PhyG+XB200 treatment. The results indicate that combining phytase and XB is efficacious for supporting gut health and maintaining growth performance in young broilers from 0-14 d of age fed a NSP-rich diet.
Background
This paper addresses the impact of dietary non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) on the intestinal health of young broilers. Prior research has indicated that high NSP diets can impair nutrient absorption and gut integrity in developing poultry. Understanding how to mitigate these effects is crucial for improving growth performance in young birds.
Methods
The study utilized a randomized complete block design with 180 Ross 308 male chicks assigned to five treatment diets over a 14-day period. The diets included a positive control, a negative control with added rye and barley, and three treatments with varying doses of phytase and xylanase-β-glucanase. Primary outcome measures included digesta viscosity, intestinal permeability, and weight gain.
Results
The primary endpoint showed that the negative control (NC) increased ileal and jejunal digesta viscosity, <i>P</i> < 0.05, and increased intestinal permeability, <i>P</i> < 0.05. Additionally, the NC reduced overall weight gain compared to the positive control (PC), <i>P</i> < 0.05. The NC+PhyG+XB200 treatment fully ameliorated these negative effects, with no significant differences compared to the PC, <i>P</i> > 0.05.
Interpretation
The findings suggest that the combination of phytase and xylanase-β-glucanase can effectively counteract the negative impacts of high NSP diets on young broilers. While the statistical significance is noted, the clinical relevance of these findings may vary depending on the specific dietary conditions and the overall health of the birds. Limitations such as the short duration and specific population may affect the generalizability of the results.
Key findings
- NC increased ileal and jejunal digesta viscosity, <i>P</i> < 0.05.
- NC increased intestinal permeability, <i>P</i> < 0.05.
- NC reduced overall weight gain compared to PC, <i>P</i> < 0.05.
- NC+PhyG+XB200 treatment ameliorated all negative effects, <i>P</i> > 0.05.
Limitations
- small sample size of 180 chicks
- short follow-up period of 14 days
- specific to Ross 308 male chicks
- results may not be generalizable to other breeds or conditions