The addition of xylanase to piglet diets is known to improve performance and nutrient digestibility. The present study aimed to assess the impact of new xylanase on the growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and gut function of weaned piglets. A total of 144 pigs, weaned at 28 days (7.48 kg initial body weight, IBW), were assigned to 36 pens and 9 pens per treatment. Dietary treatments were a basal complex control diet, and the basal diet supplemented with 45,000, 90,000 and 135,000 U/kg xylanase. Performance was measured at days 0, 14 and 35. At day 35, samples were collected for assessment of intestinal histology, and volatile fatty acid and ammonia concentrations. After two weeks post-weaning, additional 12 piglets (11.34 kg IBW) were placed in metabolic crates for assessment of apparent total tract nutrient digestibility using a dietary marker. The addition of xylanase at 90,000 and 135,000 U/kg significantly improved average daily gain (333.6 g/day control, 364.86 g/day, 90,000 U/kg, 405.89 g/day, 135,000 U/kg, p < 0.05), G:F (0.557 control, 0.612 90,000 U/kg, 0.692 135,000 U/kg, p < 0.05), and reduced diarrhoea. This was driven improved nutrient digestibility and villus height in the jejunum (372.87 µm control, 432.53 µm 45,000 U/kg, 465.80 µm 90,000 U/kg, 491.28 µm 135,000 U/kg, p < 0.05). Xylanase supplementation also linearly increased faecal butyrate levels and had a quadratic relationship with propionate concentrations. 135,000 U/kg xylanase also reduced ammonia emissions. In conclusion, dietary supplementation with xylanase improved growth performance and feed efficiency in weaning piglets, likely driven by improvements to gut structure and function.

Exogenous carbohydrases are commonly added to monogastric animal feed to degrade non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) to improve zootechnical performance and nutrient digestion. In the current study, the effects of dietary supplementation of a new, intrinsically thermostable, monocomponent xylanase on intestinal parameters, zootechnical performance and carcass traits of broilers were evaluated. A total of 720 1-day-old broilers were randomly allotted to four wheat-based diets with different levels of xylanase (T1: control; T2: 30,000 U/g; T3: 45,000 U/g; T4: 90,000 U/g) and fed from 1 to 35 days of age. The data showed that xylanase supplementation reduced the intestinal viscosity significantly, especially in the ileum. Duodenum and cecum pH was not influenced by xylanase supplementation, while T3 treatment showed the lowest pH value in jejunum and ileum. Xylanase supplementation reduced significantly feed conversion ratio (FCR) without affecting feed intake (FI). T2 treatment exhibited a higher body weight gain (BWG) compared the other treatments. Live weight, carcass weight, legs, and liver weight were significantly higher in T3 and T4 treatments compared to T1. No significant differences on foot pad lesions were observed among the four treatments. In conclusion, dietary supplementation of this new xylanase significantly improves intestinal tract viscosity and affects beneficially broilers’ performance and carcass traits.

Low crude protein (CP) diets can reduce nitrogen (N) excretion and costs by increasing N utilization efficiency. Exogenous proteases may further improve protein digestibility in low CP diets. This study first evaluated in vitro the efficacy of a multiprotease on amino acid (AA) release from feedstuffs and broiler feed. Later, a broiler study evaluated the effect of feeding corn-soybean meal diets containing 3 CP levels (17, 19, and 21% CP) with supplementation on top of 0 or 2,400 U/kg multiprotease on chicken growth performance, total tract CP, and ileal AA digestibilities, and energy utilization. Ross 708 male chickens were placed in 42 cages and assigned to 6 treatments resulting from a 3 × 2 factorial arrangement. Three isocaloric basal diets were formulated to reduce CP, but all diets maintained digestible Lys:CP in 5.47% and the same ideal protein profile. Data were analyzed in a completely randomized design. On average, the multiprotease increased (P < 0.05) in vitro free AA release by 27.81% in most feedstuffs evaluated compared to the control. For broiler feed, 1,200 U/g multiprotease addition improved (P < 0.001) in vitro free AA release by 18.90%. This multiprotease showed interaction effects (P < 0.05) on chicken FCR, energy, and CP digestibility. As expected, BW at 24 d, BW gain, and FCR (8-24 d) worsened (P < 0.001) as dietary CP reduced from 21 to 17%, and multiprotease addition did not improve (P > 0.05) these parameters. BW gain decreased by 12.9% when N intake was reduced from 49.32 to 38.49 g/bird. Multiprotease supplementation improved (P < 0.01) AMEn by 71 kcal/kg, CP digestibility from 59.45 to 63.51%, ileal AA digestibility, and DM digestibility from 67.08 to 73.49%, but only in the 21% CP diet. No differences in ileal AA digestibility due to CP level (P > 0.05) were detected, except for Cys digestibility (P < 0.01). In conclusion, low CP diets reduced growth performance and improved N utilization but negatively affected energy utilization efficiency. Exogenous multiprotease supplementation improved AME, AMEn, protein, ileal AA, and DM digestibility in the 21% CP diet without significantly affecting growth performance.

This study was conducted to assess the effectiveness of phytase on the performance, carcass traits, nutrient digestibility, tibia characteristics, and inositol phosphorus (IP) degradation in broiler chickens. Additionally, the available phosphorus (AP) equivalency of phytase in AP-deficient diets was estimated for 35 days after hatching. A total of 336 one-day-old Ross 308 broiler chicks were allocated to one of seven dietary treatments with six replications with eight birds per cage. The dietary treatments were as follows: (1) positive control containing 0.45% AP of the starter and 0.42% AP of the grower diet (PC), (2) 0.10% AP deficiency from the PC (NC-1), (3) 0.15% AP deficiency from the PC (NC-2), (4) 0.20% AP deficiency from the PC (NC-3), (5) NC-3 +phytase (500 FTU/kg; NC-3-500), (6) NC-3 + phytase (1000 FTU/kg; NC-3-1000), and (7) NC-3 + phytase (1500 FTU/kg; NC-3-1500). On d 35, the NC-3 diet exhibited lower tibia weight compared to the other treatments (p < 0.001). The NC-3-1500 group had higher calcium and phosphorus contents in the tibia than the other treatments on d 35 (p < 0.01). Phytase supplementation led to a reduced IP₆ concentration and increased IP₃ concentrations in different sections of the gastrointestinal tract on d 21 and 35 compared to the control diet (p < 0.05). In conclusion, based on the tibia phosphorus content, this study determined that 500 FTU/kg phytase was equivalent to 0.377% and 0.383% AP in the diet on d 21, and 0.317% and 0.307% AP in the diet on d 35, respectively. Likewise, 1000 FTU/kg was determined to be equivalent to 0.476% and 0.448% AP on d 21, and 0.437% and 0.403% AP on d 35, respectively. Furthermore, 1500 FTU/kg was determined to be equivalent to 0.574% and 0.504% AP on d 21, and 0.557% and 0.500 AP on d 35, respectively.

Two studies were conducted to determine the impact of an absorption enhancer containing a combination of lysophospholipids, monoglycerides and synthetic emulsifiers (LEX) on apparent ileal digestibility, metabolizable energy (ME), and growth performance of growing pigs. In the digestibility study, 12 male crossbred [Duroc x (Large White x Landrace)] pigs with an initial body weight (BW) of 30 kg were randomly allocated to two dietary treatments: (1) a positive control (PC) receiving standard diets formulated to 3100 kcal ME/kg, and (2) a negative control formulated with −100 kcal ME/kg and −2.5% AA content vs. PC and supplemented with LEX at 500 g/t. Apparent ileal digestibility of essential AA was significantly increased for lysine, methionine, threonine, histidine, isoleucine and phenylalanine in the LEX treatment (p < 0.05). Average uplift in AA digestibility as a percent of the PC was +1.88%; with greatest improvement for histidine (+4.22%). LEX supplementation effectively compensated energy deficiency of low-density diet and provided additional ME improvement compared to the PC diet (p < 0.05). A second study was conducted to evaluate LEX dose response on the growth performance of pigs fed a low nutrient density diet. Total 450 cross-bred pigs (240 males (castrated) and 210 females) [Duroc x (Large White x Landrace)] with an average initial BW of 7.19 kg were randomly allocated into 4 dietary treatments: (1) a positive control (PC) formulated with standard specifications, (2) a negative control formulated with −100 kcal ME/kg and −2.5% AA content vs. the PC (NC), (3) NC + LEX at 250 g/t (NC + 250) and (4) NC + LEX at 500 g/t (NC + 500). Results showed significant improvement with LEX supplementation on the final BW, average daily gain (ADG) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) of pigs of >50 kg body weight. Across the study, NC + 500 significantly increased ADG vs. PC and NC, and significantly reduced FCR compared to all other treatments. FCR of negative control diets improved by 9 and 15 points with the supplementation of 250 g/t and 500 g/t of LEX, respectively (p < 0.05). FCR in the NC + 250 diet was statistically similar vs. PC, which was significantly reduced compared to the NC. Taken together, these studies demonstrate that the addition of an absorption enhancer containing a combination of lysophospholipids, monoglycerides and synthetic emulsifiers can improve growth performance in growing pigs, driven by increased nutrient digestibility and retention.

Phytase releases phosphorus from phytate and may confer extra-phosphoric benefits in sows. We tested whether Escherichia coli-derived 6-phytase during late gestation and lactation improves sow and litter outcomes. In a randomized complete block trial, 186 TN70 sows received a phytase-free positive control (adequate Ca and available P) or Ca- and P-reduced diets with 500, 1500, or 2500 FTU/kg. Outcomes included sow body condition, lactation feed intake and feed conversion ratio (FCR), farrowing duration and blood glucose, piglet weaning performance and diarrhea scores, maternal serum Ca and P (farrowing, weaning), and piglet glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and superoxide dismutase (SOD; day 14). Phytase increased lactation intake by 4.4–5.6%; farrowing duration was shorter at all doses (−24.2, −23.8, and −14.8 min; up to −8.1%). Litter weaning weight rose by 6.1–8.2%, and piglet average daily gain increased by 9.1% at 2500 FTU/kg. Maternal Ca and P increased dose-responsively, especially at weaning (Ca +73% at 500–1500 FTU/kg; +140% at 2500; P +55%, +59%, +118%). Diarrhea counts declined at selected doses (e.g., scores 1–2: −17% at 500 FTU/kg), and piglet SOD decreased with dose (−8.6% to −39.3%); GPx showed modest modulation. Sow body weight, backfat, and the weaning-to-estrus interval were unchanged. In Ca- and P-reduced diets, conventional and super-dosed phytase enhanced mineral bioavailability and peripartum efficiency, supporting heavier litters without compromising sow condition.