Pectinase Plays an Important Role in Stimulating Digestibility of a Corn-Soybean Meal Diet in Broilers

Abstract

In our previous experiment, neither cellulase (Cell) nor hemicellulase (Hem) was effective in improving digestibility of corn-soybean meal diet in broiler chickens. As pectin is an important component in the cell wall matrix together with cellulose and hemicellulose, the effect of pectinase (Pec) and its combination with other carbohydrases were tested in the present study. The enzymes were mixed with the basal diet (CP 21%, ME 3000kcal/kg) and fed to male broiler chickens (Cobb) for 12 days from 15-d of age. Feed and water were offered ad libitum. Chicks were raised in a 25°C environment in wire bottom cages during the entire experimental period. Pectinase had no significant effect on any of the parameters measured. However, the combination of Pec with Cell or Hem led to significant improvement in the ileal digestibilities of crude protein and organic matter and increased apparent metabolizable energy content of the corn-soybean meal diet. Carcass yield was improved by all the enzyme combinations. Breast muscle weight was significantly increased by Pec+Hem and Pec+Cell+Hem and tended to be increased by Pec+Cell. All of the enzyme combinations had no significant effects on body weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion ratio and abdominal fat content. The results show the importance of Pec as a feed enzyme to improve the digestibility of a corn-soybean meal broiler diet.