Insufficient supply, high prices and competition with the human food and biofuel industries means there is a continuous demand for alternative energy sources for poultry. As a result, cassava is becoming an increasingly important ingredient in poultry diets, largely due to its high availability. Efficient use of cassava products has been shown to reduce feed costs of poultry production. The utilisation of cassava is, however, limited by a number of factors, including its high fibre and low energy content and the presence of anti-nutritional factors, primarily hydrocyanic acid (HCN). With correct processing the inclusion level of cassava in poultry diets could be increased. Extensive research has been conducted on cassava products for poultry, but there is still a lack of consistency amongst the measured nutritive values for cassava and its products, hence variation exists in results from poultry studies. This paper reviews the nutrient composition of cassava products and its value as an alternative energy source in poultry diets.
The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of feeding the different levels of the dietary fat on the expression of genes encoding proteins involving energy metabolism, oxidative phosphorylation, and lipid synthesis including peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) of laying hens in the intestine. Birds fed diets with 3 levels of fat, that is, low (LF), medium (MF), and high fat (HF) were reared from 22 to 42 wk of age. Jejunum tissue was collected at week 42 for gene expression analysis. Dietary fat content as ether extract, net energy to AME ratio, and CP content of 3 treatment groups were as follows: LF: 25, 0.735, 187 (g/kg, DM); MF: 61, 0.739, 185 (g/kg, DM); HF: 73, 0.752, 181 (g/kg, DM). The BW, fat pad weight (g), fat pad–to–BW ratio (%) was the same for all the treatments (P > 0·05). Birds fed a diet containing HF increased the AME daily intake per metabolic BW (BW0.75) (P < 0.05). The expression of jejunal PPARγ was increased in the birds fed MF than that fed LF (P < 0.05). Dietary fat level did not affect the expression of other genes: protein kinase AMP-activated noncatalytic subunit gamma 2, NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2, succinate dehydrogenase complex flavoprotein subunit A, ubiquinol-cytochrome c reductase Rieske iron-sulfur polypeptide 1, cytochrome c oxidase subunit III, ATP synthase subunit alpha, avian adenine nucleotide translocator, and acetyl-CoA carboxylase alpha (P > 0·05). The mitochondrial count per cell showed no difference among the 3 groups with different dietary treatments (P > 0·05). The results suggest that PPARγ may be important to the energy expenditure during nutrient absorption, digestion, and metabolism, and respiratory chain complexes, and other genes involving mitochondrial energy metabolism and lipogenesis may be less responsive to dietary treatment.
The objective of the current study was to compare the effects of dietary enzymes and nutrient restriction on performance and bone mineralization in birds fed wheat- or sorghum-based diets. A total of 720 d-old male broiler chicks were randomly allocated to 8 treatments, with 6 replicates per treatment and 15 birds per replicate. Birds were reared in floor pens from 0 to 35 d. The study used a 2 × 4 factorial arrangement with 2 grains (sorghum or wheat) and 4 diets: positive control (no enzyme and ME, digestible Lys, Ca, and P sufficient, negative control (NC; no enzyme and reduced ME [−100 kcal/kg], digestible AA [−2%], Ca [−0.12 percentage points], and available P [−0.18 percentage points in the starter phase and −0.22 percentage points in the grower phase]), NC + nonstarch polysaccharide–degrading enzymes + phytase (500 phytase units [FTU]; NCCP), and NC + phytase (1,000 FTU; NCP). From 0 to 35 d, birds fed wheat-based diets had greater G:F (4.5%), BW gain (9.2%), breast meat yield (6.8%), and tibia ash (2.0%) compared with birds fed sorghum-based diets. Across grain types, the NCCP treatment improved BW gain (P < 0.001), feed intake (P < 0.001), G:F (P < 0.05), and livability (P < 0.001) compared with the NC treatment. Birds fed NCP had greater BW gain (P < 0.001), feed intake (P < 0.001), G:F (P < 0.001), and livability (P < 0.001) compared with birds fed NC. Birds fed the NCP diet had greater BW gain (P < 0.001), toe ash (P < 0.01), and tibia ash (P < 0.001) compared with birds fed the NCCP diet. There was a grain × diet interaction for feed intake (P < 0.01), BW gain (P < 0.001), tibia ash (P < 0.01), and tibia breaking strength (P < 0.05). The influence of enzymes was more pronounced in sorghum-based diets than in wheat-based diets. Birds fed wheat-based diets had greater ileal digestibility of His, Met, Val, Phe, Ile, Leu, Trp, Glu, Pro, Ala, Tyr, and Cys compared with those fed sorghum-based diets (P < 0.05). Across grain types, NCP had greater apparent ileal digestibility of Met, Lys, Ser, Pro, Gly, and Cys than NC (P < 0.05). The results suggest that wheat is superior to sorghum for broilers, as expected, but that enzyme supplementation has the capability to restore the compromised bird performance due to feeding sorghum. In addition, compared with nonstarch polysaccharide–degrading enzymes and phytase (500 FTU/kg feed) added in concert, phytase supplemented at 1,000 FTU/kg resulted in a further improvement of some of the performance and bone mineralization parameters in male broilers fed sorghum-based diets.
An experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of sorghum distillers' dried grains with solubles (sDDGS) and xylanase supplementation in broiler chicken diets. A total of 432 Cobb-500 day-old male broiler chicks were used in a 4 × 2 factorial design (0, 100, 200 or 300 g kg(-1) sDDGS with or without xylanase supplementation). Each treatment was replicated six times with nine birds per replicate in a 35 day study.Feed intake was increased (P < 0.001) throughout the study with the inclusion of dietary sDDGS. Body weight gain (BWG) was unaffected except for the last 2 weeks of study, when birds that received 200 and 300 g kg(-1) sDDGS had higher (P < 0.001) BWG. Feed conversion ratio (FCR) increased (P < 0.05) as sDDGS in the diet rose to 100 g kg(-1) during the starter phase and the whole period of study. Over the starter period, xylanase supplementation improved (P < 0.05) FCR, particularly for the highest inclusion of sDDGS. Protein digestibility deteriorated (P < 0.001) as sDDGS in the diet rose to 300 g kg(-1) . Xylanase reduced (P < 0.001) the concentration of xylose in the ileum of birds. The activities of sucrase and maltase in the jejunal mucosa were reduced when birds were offered 200 and 300 g kg(-1) sDDGS. Incorporation of sDDGS increased (P < 0.01) the total short-chain fatty acid concentration in the caeca.The results showed that diets containing large amounts of sDDGS will benefit from xylanase supplementation, particularly in terms of FCR.
1. Four different commercial enzyme products were added to standard commercial layer diets, based on barley, wheat or triticale. 2. Diets were fed to 4 different strains of commercial laying hen: ISA Brown, Hy-Line CB, Tegel SB2 and Tegel HiSex. 3. Diets were given for 5 weeks prior to measurements of egg and eggshell quality. 4. The inclusion of commercial enzyme products in the diets had no effect on egg weight. 5. Positive effects of the enzymes were: improved eggshell breaking strength, shell weight, percentage shell and shell thickness for the barley-based diet and increased eggshell breaking strength for two of the enzymes with the wheat-based diets. 6. Negative effects of the enzyme products were slightly lighter coloured eggshells and reduced albumen quality for the barley-based diet and for two enzymes with the wheat-based diet. 7. The addition of commercial enzyme preparations had no main effect on egg and eggshell quality for the triticale-based diet, except for effects on yolk colour. 8. Yolk colour was lower than control for enzyme 3 in all diets and for enzyme 4 with the barley- and wheat-based diets. 9. Further investigation is required to elucidate the specific enzyme components that influence egg quality.
Summary A study was conducted to examine the effects of a multi-carbohydrase enzyme complex on the nutritive value of wheat in diets differing in nutrient density. It was hypothesised that response to enzyme inclusion would be greater in diets with lower nutrient density. The study was conducted using 1008 Ross 308 male broiler chicks (four treatments with seven replicate pens of 36 chicks). A 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments was employed. Factors were adequate or low nutrient density with or without enzyme supplementation. The wheat-soybean meal based positive control (PC) diet was formulated to be nutritionally adequate in energy and digestible amino acids according to local industry recommendations. A negative control (NC) was formulated to have 80 kcal/kg less ME and 1.5% less digestible amino acids as compared to the PC. A multi-carbohydrase complex containing 19 carbohydrase activities derived from Penicillium funiculosum was added in both the PC and NC diets (Rovabio ® Excel LC, Adisseo Asia Pacific Pte Ltd., Singapore). Birds fed the NC had 3.7 points (P < 0.05) poorer FCR than the PC. Across the diet type, enzyme supplementation increased body weight by 3.2% (P < 0.05) and improved FCR by 5.2 points (P < 0.01). There was no nutrient density x enzyme interaction (P > 0.05), indicating that performance improvement was independent of nutrient density. Apparent ileal digestibility of crude protein followed a similar trend, showing a 4.9% enhancement (P < 0.01) with the inclusion of the enzyme product in either diet. Enzyme supplementation reduced ileal viscosity by 39.0% (P < 0.05). It was concluded that multi-carbohydrase could overcome the negative effect in broiler performance brought by nutrient reduction, however, there was no indication that nutrient density affected bird response to supplementation of multi-carbohydrase.
Selenium and vitamin E are micronutrients essential for normal health and maintenance in poultry.They are necessary in preventing free radical damage to phospholipid membranes, enzymes and other important molecules.Two experiments were conducted in a semi-commercial environment to examine the effect of Se source and vitamin E level in diet on broiler performance and meat quality.Increasing vitamin E from 50 IU to 100 IU did not affect growth performance of broilers although the 24 h drip-loss was tended to be reduced (p=0.06).There was an interaction between vitamin E and the source of Se in glutathione peroxidase activity (GSH-Px) and Se concentration in excreta.Increasing vitamin E from 50 IU to 100 IU elevated GSH-Px and Se concentration in excreta by 42 IU/g Hb and 0.9 ppm for the organic Se group, respectively, but reduced GSH-Px and Se concentration in excreta by 16 IU/g Hb and 1.3 ppm for inorganic group, respectively.Vitamin E played no role in the feather coverage of the birds when scored on day 37. Organic Se is more effective in improving feather score and 24 h drip-loss, with a markedly higher deposition rate in breast muscle and a lower excretion rate in the excreta (p<0.05)compared to the inorganic Se source.Both vitamin E and the source of Se did not affect (p>0.05) the energy utilisation by birds.(