Effects of pretreating wheat middlings and sunflower meal with fiber degrading enzymes on components solubilization and utilization in broiler chickens

Pretreating fibrous feedstuffs with exogenous enzymes may improve their utilization in broiler chickens. Pretreatment of wheat middlings (WM) and sunflower meal (SM) with fiber degrading enzymes (FDE) was investigated for 1) in vitro solubilization of crude protein (CP) and fiber-degrading (experiment 1), and 2) apparent retention (AR) of CP, neutral detergent fiber (NDF), nitrogen corrected apparent metabolizable energy (AMEn), as well as the concentration of ceca digesta metabolites in broiler chickens (experiment 2). In experiment 1, WM was pretreated with FDE and SM with FDE ± protease and incubated in a shaker for 24 or 48 h at 40°C and 200 rpm. Samples were centrifuged, and the supernatant used for assay of sugars and organic acids and pellet processed for determination of apparent disappearance (AD) of dry matter (DM), fiber, and CP solubilization. In experiment 2, WM and SM were pretreated with FDE for 24 h, oven-dried, and incorporated in iso-caloric and iso-nitrogenous experimental diets. Diets were: 1) a corn-soybean meal positive control (PC); 2) PC plus untreated WM and SM (negative control, NC), and diets 3, 4, 5, and 6 test diets, in which the untreated WM and SM in NC were replaced with pretreated WM and SM at 25% (N25), 50% (N50), 75% (N75), and 100% (N100), respectively. Diets were prepared in mash form in two phases (starter, days 0 to 21 and finisher, days 22 to 42) and had TiO₂ (0.3%) as an indigestible marker. A total of 288 Ross708 d-old male broiler chicks were placed in cages based on body weights (6 birds/cage) and allocated diets (n = 8). Birds had free access to feed and water. Samples of excreta for AR and AMEn, and of ceca digesta for the concentration of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) were collected at the end of each phase. Pretreatment with FDE increased (P < 0.001) solubilization of CP, AD of NDF, and release of sugars and organic acids in the supernatant. The mixture of FDE and protease further increased (P < 0.001) CP solubilization in SM. Feeding pretreated WM and SM had a linear response (P ≤ 0.038) on AMEn, and gross energy (GE) (day 21) and a quadratic response (P < 0.05) on AR of components and AMEn (day 42) and concentration of total SCFA on day 42. On day 42, N25 and N50 had higher AR of DM, CP, NDF, and GE than N75 and N100. In conclusion, pretreatment of WM and SM with enzymes increased CP and fiber degradation. Incorporating moderate amounts (N25 and N50) of pretreated WM and SM in a corn-soybean meal diet fed to broiler chickens improved nutrient and energy utilization.