An evaluation of phytase for Channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) fed all plant-protein diet: Growth performance, nutrient utilization and P equivalency value

This study evaluated the effect and phosphorus equivalency value of dietary microbial phytase based on growth performance and nutrient utilization of Channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus). An all plant‐protein basal diet containing 7.9 g/kg total Phosphorus (P) (Phytate P of 4.5 g/kg) was supplemented with graded levels 0, 300, 500, 1,000, 1,500 and 2,000 U phytase/kg of diet or with 3, 5, 8, 12 g/kg of Ca(H₂PO₄)₂, namely with 0.7, 1.2, 2.0, 3.09 g/kg P as Ca(H₂PO₄)₂. Triplicate groups of Channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) juveniles (initial weight, 1.70 ± 0.04 g) were fed the experiment diets for 90 days. The results indicated that dietary phytase supplementation significantly improved growth performance, apparent digestibility coefficient of P and P retention, and decreased feed conversion ratio (FCR), faecal P content and P excretion per gain. Line relation was found between the effects of P and phytase supplementation levels, and the linear response equations of the effects of P and phytase levels were generated and used to calculate the P equivalency values. The average function of P equivalency values (Y, g/kg) of microbial phytase (X, U/kg of diet) was developed: Y = 0.1695 + 0.0021X; R² = 0.996. The results showed that about 0.38 g of P/kg diet was released by per 100 U of phytase over the range of 300–2,000 U of phytase/kg diet for Channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) fed all plant‐protein diet.