Effects of NSP enzymes and prebiotic on growth performance and digestive physiology of broilers

Abstract

A 5-wk feeding experiment with 800 one-day–old Ross 308 of broiler chickens was conducted to study the efficacy of NSP enzymes and prebiotics mannanoligosaccharides (MOS) on digestive processes. The birds were fed by the same diet from 1 to 35 day ad libitum with a crumbled wheat–soybean meal based diet (C group) supplemented with 15% triticale (T group); 15% triticale and NSP enzymes (E group, NSP enzymes dosage 0.05 g/kg); 15% triticale and NSP enzymes and prebiotics (EP group, NSP enzymes dosage 0.05 g/kg plus MOS dosage 2 g/kg). At the end of each period (1-7, 8-21 and 22-35 days), body weight (BW), and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were measured. At the end of experiment (day 35), five bird from each group was sacrificed for histomorphometry duodenum and ileum villus lengths and crypt depth which were examined using an “Olympus BX63” microscope, “Olympus DP72”video camera and system (Olympus) of a computer program“Image Pro Plus”. The concentration of short- chain fatty acids (SCFA) in the remaining Cecum content were determined by HPLC system (Varian Inc., USA). During the total feeding periods there were no significant differences on BW and FRC between treatments. Supplementation with NSP enzymes and MOS increased the lenght of ileum villi by 119.62 μm, the depth of crypts- 19.99 μm (P<0.05). In the T group the depth of duodenum and ileum crypts decreased by 29.17 μm and 19.61 μm respectively (P<0.05). Also there were determined, that in the same group the propionic concentration was by 0.34 μmol/g lower in comparison to the C group. The diet supplementation with enzymes and MOS lowered the quantity of butyric acid by 9.73 μmol/g (P<0.05). In conclusion, NSP enzymes and prebiotic can improved gut health, feed digestion and absorption through the positivelychanged histomorphometry of duodenum and ileum.