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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Ames, Iowa » National Animal Disease Center » Ruminant Diseases and Immunology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #159834
Title: UTILIZING SOLANUM GLAUCOPHYLLUM ALONE OR WITH PHYTASE TO IMPROVE PHOSPHORUS UTILIZATION IN BROILERS

Author
item CHENG, Y - IOWA STATE UNIV, AMES
item Goff, Jesse
item SELL, J - IOWA STATE UNIV, AMES
item DALLORSO, M - CAE, ARGENTINA, S.A.
item GILL, S - CAE, ARGENTINA, S.A.
item PAWLAK, S - CAE, ARGENTINA, S.A.
item Horst, Ronald

Submitted to: Poultry Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/13/2003
Publication Date: 3/20/2004
Citation: Cheng, Y.H., Goff, J.P., Sell, J.L., Dallorso, M.E., Gill, S., Pawlak, S.E., Horst, R.L. 2004. Utilizing Solanum glaucophyllum alone or with phytase to improve phosphorus utilization in broilers. Poultry Science. 83(3):406-413.

Interpretive Summary: Phosphorus runoff is a major environmental concern and phosphorus losses from farming are a major contributor to the runoff problem. Phytate phosphorus is a form of phosphorus that occurs naturally in feedstuffs. This form is generally unavailable to monogastrics because they do not have the proper enzymes (phytase) to make it available for absorption. Therefore, modern poultry farms have begun to include sources of phytase in their feed to enhance phosphorus availability. Another method to enhance phosphorus availability is with use of the active form of vitamin D, namely, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D. This form of vitamin D results in increased absorption of phosphorus in the intestine. In these experiments we utilized a natural form of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D from a plant which grows wild in South America. The plant's name is Solanum glaucophyllum. We added a small amount of this plant to poultry diets and found that it enhanced the utilization of dietary phosphorus. Enhancing the utilization of dietary phosphorus in chickens will result in less phosphorus being supplemented in these diets and less phosphorus being excreted in the feces. The experiments also suggest that Solanum glaucophyllum offers an alternative to chemically synthesized forms of active vitamin D for supplementation in poultry diets. The results of these studies will be of great benefit to U.S. stakeholders and producers.

Technical Abstract: Experiments were conducted to determine if Solanum glaucophyllum (SG), a plant containing a glycoside of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D, could be used as a feed additive to improve P utilization of broilers. SG leaves (1, 2.5 or 5 g/kg), 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (15 ug/kg), or Ca and P (1% Ca/0.7% P diet), were added to a 0.6% Ca/0.5% P basal diet fed to broilers from 7 to 28 d of age. Feeding basal ration alone reduced weight gain and bone density and mineral content when compared to birds fed the 1% Ca/0.7% P diet. Adding 5 g SG leaves or 15 ug 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D/kg basal diet increased weight gain, plasma Ca and P, bone ash and bone density above basal diet levels. Plasma P and weight gain of birds fed 5 g SG or 15 ug 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D/kg basal diet were equivalent to those observed in birds fed the 1% Ca: 0.7% P diet. In experiment 2, the effect of higher doses of SG, as well as the additive effect of SG with 1200 FTU phytase, were examined in chicks fed a 0.6% Ca and 0.45% P basal diet. Two levels of SG leaves (7.5 g and 10 g), phytase, or both SG (7.5 g) and phytase were added/kg basal diet. Adding SG or phytase to the basal diet increased weight gain, plasma Ca, plasma P, and bone mineral content over that observed in birds fed basal diet alone. Combining SG with phytase provided no significant gains in growth or bone parameters over treatment with phytase alone.