Growth performance, intestinal morphometry, and blood serum parameters of broiler chickens fed diets containing increasing levels of wheat bran with or without exogenous multi-enzyme supplementation

Authors: IDAN, FRANK - Kwame Nkrumah University Of Science And Technology; PAULK, CHAD - Kansas State University; Pokoo-Aikins, Anthony; STARK, CHARLES - Kansas State University

Submitted to: Livestock Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/16/2023
Publication Date: 7/17/2023
Citation: Idan, F., Paulk, C.B., Pokoo-Aikins, A., Stark, C. 2023. Growth performance, intestinal morphometry, and blood serum parameters of broiler chickens fed diets containing increasing levels of wheat bran with or without exogenous multi-enzyme supplementation. Livestock Science. 275 (2023) 105296. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.livsci.2023.105296.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.livsci.2023.105296

Interpretive Summary: Wheat bran (WB) is commonly used in poultry diets in developing countries, but the content of dietary fiber may need the addition of enzymes to help breakdown WB. The objective of the study was to investigate the effects of enzymes (XGP) on the growth, gut morphometry, and blood parameters of broilers fed diets containing levels of WB. Seven hundred and twenty Cobb 500 seven-day-old straight run chicks were used. Each bird was assigned to one of eight diets with six replicates each. Two levels of XGP (0 or 360 g/ton) and four levels of WB (0, 4, 8, or 12%) were used. Body weight (BW), average daily gain (ADG), average daily feed intake (ADFI), and feed conversion ratio (FCR) data were obtained at 14, 28, and 42 days. Birds were euthanized on day 42 for blood and gut measurements. There was interaction between WB and XGP for BW (P = 0.032) and ADG (P = 0.040) but not for ADFI or FCR at 42 d of age. The interaction between WB and XGP was driven mainly by the WB level. The main effects of WB or XGP inclusion did not influence ADFI of broilers. However, the overall FCR improved with XGP inclusion. Increasing WB linearly increased the overall FCR (P = 0.003). Interaction between XGP and WB (P = 0.036) was observed for three blood parameters but not for other blood parameters. These interactions were attributed to both the WB level and XGP addition to the diets. The addition of XGP decreased fat in the blood, red blood cells, white blood cells, hemoglobin, and hematocrit. Thus, WB level did not have any adverse effect on feed intake, and WB level linearly increased the overall BW, ADG, and FCR of broilers. The addition of enzyme improved overall FCR. The addition of enzyme increased three broiler blood parameters while decreasing fat in the blood.

Technical Abstract: Wheat bran (WB) is commonly used in poultry diets in developing countries, but it contains non-starch polysaccharides. Using exogenous-enzymes improves the digestibility of such feed ingredient. The objective of the study was to investigate the effects of multi-enzyme (XGP) on the growth performance, intestinal morphometry, and blood-serum parameters of broilers fed diets containing increasing levels of WB. A total of 720 Cobb 500 seven-day-old straight run chicks were assigned to one of eight dietary treatments with six replicates each. A 2 × 4 factorial design, with two levels of XGP (0 or 360 g/ton) and four levels of WB (0, 4, 8, or 12%) was used. BW, ADG, ADFI, and FCR were determined at 14, 28, and 42 days. Birds were euthanized on day 42 for hematological and morphological measurements. There was a WB × XGP interaction for BW (P=0.032) and ADG (P=0.040) but not for ADFI or FCR at 42 d of age driven mainly by the inclusion level of WB. In addition, the main effects of WB or XGP inclusion did not influence ADFI of broilers. However, the overall FCR improved with XGP inclusion while increasing WB level linearly (P=0.003) increased it. XGP × WB (P=0.036) was observed for villi height (VH), villi height to crypt depth ratio (VH:CD) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDCL) but not for other blood parameters. These interactions were attributed to both the level of WB and XGP addition to the diets. Besides, the addition of XGP decreased blood serum cholesterol, red blood cells, white blood cells, haemoglobin, and hematocrit. Thus, WB level did not have any adverse effect on feed intake but linearly increased the overall BW, ADG, and FCR of broilers. However, enzyme addition improved overall FCR and increased broiler VH, VH:CD, and HDCL while decreasing blood serum cholesterol.