Qualitative and quantitative profiles of jejunal oligosaccharides and cecal short-chain fatty acids in broiler chickens receiving different dietary levels of fiber, protein and exogenous enzymes.

BACKGROUND: Dietary supplemental carbohydrases are able to degrade non-starch polysaccharides and generate oligosaccharides in the gastrointestinal tract. This study was conducted to investigate the influence of dietary fiber and protein levels on growth performance, nutrient utilization, digesta oligosaccharides profile and cecal short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) profile in broilers receiving diets supplemented with xylanase or protease individually or in combination.
RESULTS: Enzyme supplementation had no effect on growth performance. There was significant (P < 0.05) fiber × protein × xylanase interaction for ileal nitrogen digestibility and significant (P < 0.01) protein × xylanase × protease interaction for nitrogen-corrected apparent metabolizable energy. Birds fed high-fiber diets had higher (P < 0.05) jejunal oligosaccharides and cecal SCFA concentrations. Xylanase and protease combination produced the greatest pentose (Pent) levels in low fiber-adequate protein diets but lowest levels in highfiber-low protein diets. There was significant (P < 0.05) fiber × xylanase × protease interaction explained by the digesta concentrations of (Pent)3 , (Pent)4 and (Pent)5 being greatest (P < 0.5) in protease-only supplemented high-fiber diets but lowest in protease-only supplemented low-fiber diets.
CONCLUSION: These results suggest that, of all the factors investigated, dietary fiber level had the greatest effect on modulating digesta concentration of oligosaccharides and cecal SCFA. Evidence points to the fact that there is considerable capacity for generating pentose oligosaccharides in the digestive tract of broilers receiving diets rich in fibrous feedstuffs, and that this may have a beneficial effect on microbial profile in the digestive tract.