Digestibility of phosphorus by growing pigs of fermented and conventional soybean meal without and with microbial phytase.

An experiment was conducted to test the hypothesis that the apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) and the standardized total tract digestibility (STTD) of P in fermented soybean meal (FSBM) are greater than in conventional soybean meal (SBM-CV) when fed to growing pigs. Four diets were formulated to contain FSBM or SBM-CV and either 0 or 800 units/kg of microbial phytase. The only sources of P in these diets were FSBM and SBM-CV. A P-free diet to estimate basal endogenous losses of P was also formulated. Thirty barrows (initial BW: 14.0 ± 2.3 kg) were placed in metabolism cages and allotted to 5 diets in a randomized complete block design with 6 pigs per diet. Feces were collected for 5 d after a 5-d adaptation period. All samples of ingredients, diets, and feces were analyzed for P, and values for ATTD and STTD of P were calculated. Results indicated that the basal endogenous P losses were 187 mg/kg of DMI. As phytase was added to the diet, the ATTD and STTD of P increased (P < 0.01) from 60.9 to 67.5% and from 65.5 to 71.9%, respectively, in pigs fed FSMB. Likewise, addition of phytase to SBM-CV increased (P < 0.01) the ATTD and STTD of P from 41.6 to 66.2% and from 46.1 to 71.4%, respectively. The ATTD and STTD of P were greater (P < 0.01) in FSBM than in SBM-CV when no phytase was used, but that was not observed when phytase was added to the diet (soybean meal × phytase interaction, P < 0.01). In conclusion, the ATTD and STTD of P in FSBM was greater than SBM-CV when no microbial phytase was added, but when phytase was added to the diets, no differences between FSBM and SBM-CV were observed in the ATTD and STTD of P.