The Apparent Metabolisable Energy Values of Palm Kernel Cake as Influenced by Enzymes and Cocktails

This study was conducted to quantify the effects of enzymes and their cocktails on the apparent metabolisable energy (AME) value of palm kernel cake to maximise enzymes’ advantages. There were eight treatments, each with three replicates in a completely randomised design with T1 as control. The experimental treatments had Xylanase, Multipurpose and phytase enzymes respectively for T2, T3 and T4, and a cocktail of xylanase and multipurpose, a cocktail of xylanase and phytase, cocktail of multipurpose and phytase, and cocktail of xylanase, multipurpose and phytase for T5, T6, T7 and T8. The feeding trial was done using the intubation method. Gross energy values were determined with calorimeter while calculated AME values were subjected to analysis of variance using Statistical Analysis System and treatment means separated by Duncan Multiple Range Test. Results show that individual enzymes, apart from phytase, significantly (p>0.05) improved the AME value of palm kernel cake. Treatment T8 was significantly (p>0.05) better than the other treatments. Each cocktail was significantly better than its respective individual enzymes except cocktail of multipurpose enzyme and phytase that was not significantly different from multipurpose enzyme but significantly (p>0.05) better than phytase. It was concluded that enzymes and cocktail of enzymes could be used to enhance the energy content of nonconventional feedstuffs thereby serving as a replacement to conventional energy feedstuffs.&nbsp

Nutritive values of wheat bran-based broiler diet supplemented with different classes of enzymes

Previous studies have shown that inclusion of exogenous enzymes in broiler diets can improve metabolizable energy intakes, digestibility and performance parameters. However, there is limited information on the comparative effect of different enzymes in wheat bran-based broiler diet. This study investigated the effect of different enzyme classes on metabolizable energy (ME) values of wheat bran as well as the performance parameters and nutrient retention of broilers. A total of 216 mixed-sex one-day-old chicks were fed either the basal diet or test diet (20% basal diet replaced with wheat bran) without or with supplementation of carbohydrase-cocktail (CC), multi-enzyme (MEnz) and single-carbohydrase (SC). The enzymes increased (P<0.001) the ME values of wheat bran but SC had the highest increase for apparent ME, nitrogen-corrected apparent ME and true ME values of wheat bran. Neither performance parameters of feed intake (FI), body weight gain (BWG), feed conversion ratio (FCR) nor economic benefit (EB) was affected by the interaction between diets and enzymes. A significant dietary effect (P<0.05) was observed as higher FI, lower FCR, and better EB on the test diet compared to basal diet. The enzyme inclusions, however, had similar improvements on (P<0.05) on BWG, FCR and EB of broilers. The dietary enzymes increased fat and phosphorus (P) retentions on both test and basal diets (P<0.001), with birds fed CC added to test diet showing the highest phosphorus retention. In conclusion, enzyme inclusions in wheat-bran based diet improved the ME values of wheat bran and the nutrient retention of broilers, although broiler performance was unaffected. The inclusion of CC in 20% wheat bran-based diet can be economically useful in improving P retention of broilers, with potential benefit for reducing P losses to the environment.</p