Effects of different sources of dietary non-starch polysaccharides on the growth performance, development of digestive tract and activities of pancreatic enzymes in goslings.

1. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of different sources of dietary non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) on growth performance, development of gastrointestinal tract, and activities of pancreatic enzymes in goslings from 0 to 21 d of age. 2. A total of 100 one-day-old White Roman female goslings were selected and randomly divided into 5 dietary treatment groups. Each group had 4 replicate cages (100 x 60 x 58 cm) of 5 goslings. Goslings in each group were given one of 5 isoenergetic and isonitrogenous semi-purified diets. Experimental diets were designed to contain 90 g/kg of different sources of dietary NSP from maize (control), barley hull, rice bran, wheat bran, or pectin, respectively, and 97.4 g/kg NSP were supplied by soybean meal. 3. The goslings receiving the pectin diet had significantly higher viscosity in intestinal digesta than the other treatment diets. However, the daily feed intake, daily weight gain, and feed conversion ratio of goslings in the pectin group were significantly lower than those given the other diets. 4. The relative weights of proventriculus, gizzard, liver and pancreas, as well as the relative weights and lengths of various intestinal segments in the goslings that received the pectin diet, were significantly higher than those receiving the other diets. The specific activities (SA) of amylase, lipase, trypsin, and chymotrypsin in the pancreatic tissue of goslings in the pectin group were significantly lower than those in the other groups. 5. Goslings given a soluble NSP source (pectin) diet tended to exhibit inhibited growth and decreased activity of pancreatic enzymes. However, compared with maize, the inclusion of insoluble NSP sources from barley hull, rice bran, and wheat bran did not negatively affect growth and also were not significantly different among the treatment diets.