The use of waste-derived feed ingredients to support sustainable poultry production has gained increasing attention. The potential of incorporating potato peels, an agro-industrial by-product, into broiler feed remains unexplored. Study 1 (preliminary study) evaluated the effects of dietary inclusion (0% vs. 10%) of potato peel meal (PP) with or without a multi-carbohydrase (E1) supplementation on growth performance of Cobb 500 broilers from d 14 to 33 of age in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement (n=6). Incorporating 10% PP into diets suppressed growth and increased gizzard weight (P ≤ 0.05) compared to those fed 0% PP. Building on these findings, Study 2 was conducted to investigate whether the negative effects on growth could be mitigated by reducing PP inclusion level, supplementing a modified multi-carbohydrase (E2) and providing nutrients during transportation. A total of 624 newly-hatched Ross 308 chicks were assigned to a 2 × 4 factorial design (n=3) with two in-transit feeding practices (AFW: access to feed and water during transportation vs. NFW: no access to feed and water) and four dietary treatments including: 0% PP (control), 5% PP, 5% PP+E2, and 10% PP+E2, which were provided ad libitum from d 1 to 33. AFW improved chick quality (P ≤ 0.05) with an increased body weight gain, higher cloaca temperature, and lower plasma corticosterone level post-transportation. In addition, AFW increased body weight and reduced mortality by d 8 of age (P ≤ 0.05). Regardless of in-transit feeding, broilers fed 10% PP+E2 or 5% PP exhibited comparable body weight, body weight gain, feed intake and FCR to those fed control diet. Among AFW birds, 5% PP+E2 improved FCR (P ≤ 0.05) compared with 5% PP and 10% PP+E2 during d 26-33 of age. These findings suggest that PP can be included up to 10% when supplemented with E2 without compromising growth performance. Furthermore, the in-transit feeding practice alleviates transportation stress, supports early growth and enhances FCR in birds fed moderate levels of PP with enzyme supplementation.

The objective of this study was to assess how sow and litter performance and nutrient utilization were affected by dietary probiotic supplementation in gestation and lactation diets that contained high levels of canola meal. Seventy-five sows were allotted to one of three treatment diets, starting on d 80 of gestation. The experimental diets included a control diet (CTRL) composed of corn and soybean meal, or a modified CTRL diet where soybean meal was substituted with 300 g/kg of canola meal, provided either with (CCM-P) or without (CCM) Saccharomyces cerevisiae product supplementation. On d 80 and d 111 of pregnancy, as well as on d 1 and d 21 following farrowing, the sow body weight (BW) and backfat thickness were recorded. Piglet weights were measured on d 1 and d 19 after birth. Milk and blood samples from sows were collected on d 1 and d 19 post-farrowing to measure nutrient composition. Additionally, fecal samples were gathered on d 110 of gestation and d 19 of lactation to analyze apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) with titanium dioxide as an indicator. Data were analyzed through the PROC MIXED procedure in SAS 9.4, following a randomized complete block design. Results indicated that the inclusion of CCM in sow diets had no significant effect on sow or litter growth performance, as well as plasma urea N levels. However, in contrast to gestating sows fed the CTRL diet, those fed the CCM diet had lower (P < 0.05) ATTD of gross energy, dry matter, and crude protein. In contrast, the CCM-P diet led to increased (P < 0.05) ATTD of phosphorus and tended to increase (P = 0.08) ATTD of calcium relative to the CCM group. Furthermore, lactating sows fed CCM diets demonstrated higher (P < 0.05) ATTD of neutral detergent fiber (NDF) compared to the CTRL group. Milk fat content was significantly greater (P < 0.05) in sows consuming CCM diets than those fed the CTRL diet. In conclusion, incorporating 300 g/kg canola meal into sow diets during late gestation and lactation maintained similar reproductive and litter performance compared to the control diet but negatively impacted nutrient digestibility in late gestating sows. Supplementing the canola meal diet with S. cerevisiae product improved phosphorus digestibility and milk fat content, suggesting that probiotics may mitigate some negative effects of canola meal in sow nutrition.

A closed-loop water retting system is developed and fabricated in this study to process discarded canola stalks into fibers. The effects of retting parameters are studied using Latin Hypercube statistical design, modeled using Altair HyperStudyTM, and subjected to a multi-objective optimization. The retting time is reduced from a range of approximate to 168-1080 h for the conventional water retting system to 60 h for the developed closed-loop system. The fiber yield increased from approximate to 0.84% to 11.26%, the crystallinity index (CI) increased from approximate to 55.6% to 67.3%, and linear density decreased from approximate to 73.6 to 51.7 Tex with the increase in retting time, temperature, and water flow rate. However, the overall trends are complicated due to the heterogeneity in the structures and properties of the starting plant materials. The optimal retting parameters are 60 h-time, 60 degrees C-temperature, and 150 mL min(-1)-water flow rate. Under these conditions, canola fibers exhibited approximate to 11.26% yield, approximate to 67.32% crystallinity index, and approximate to 56.24 Tex linear density. Canola fibers exhibited a multifiber structure surface (mean fiber diameter approximate to 957.8 mu m) and non-cellulosic component dominant cross-section due to their higher pectic polysaccharides content (approximate to 32.5-41.8%). The canola fiber production accounts for approximate to 169.42 kg CO(2)e/tonne, which is significantly lower than the emissions associated with equivalent flax fiber production (approximate to 403.15 kg).

The utilization of exogenous fiber-degrading enzymes in commercial swine diets is a strategy to increase the nutrient and energy density of poorly digestible ingredients. In a prior set of studies, dietary multienzyme blend (MEblend) supplementation increased the apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of nutrients, non-starch polysaccharides, and energy in complete high-fibrous gestation diets by 6% when fed to gestating sows. The current study aimed to determine the effects of MEblend (containing xylanase, β-glucanase, cellulase, amylase, protease, pectinase, and invertase activities) supplementation on ATTD of energy and nutrients of individual feedstuffs commonly used in gestating sow diets across major pork-producing regions worldwide, which differ in their fibrous components. Twenty-seven gilts (initial body weight 176 ± 6.6 kg), in a crossover design with 4 periods (periods 1, 2, 3, and 4 from days 41 to 55, 56 to 70, 71 to 85, and 86 to 100 of gestation, respectively), were allocated to one of 7 diets (with or without MEblend supplementation at 0.1% inclusion; 7 to 8 observations per treatment) to determine the ATTD of energy and neutral detergent fiber. Three diets contained corn, wheat, and sorghum as the sole source of energy. In the other diets, soybean meal (SBM), field peas (FP), canola meal (CM), and sugar beet pulp (SBP) each replaced 25% of the corn in the corn diet to determine the energy value of individual feedstuffs. Data were analyzed using a Student's t-test to evaluate the effect of enzyme supplementation on these feedstuffs. The MEblend increased the metabolizable and net energy of corn (P = 0.10) and wheat (P < 0.01) by 2% and 3%, respectively. The energy content of sorghum was not impacted by MEblend. Furthermore, a 6%, 4%, and 25% increase was observed in metabolizable and net energy of SBM, FP, and CM, respectively (P ≤ 0.05). The energy value in SBP was not affected by MEblend supplementation. In conclusion, supplementing diets with a multienzyme blend increased the energy content of corn, wheat, soybean meal, FP, and CM fed to gestating sows by approximately 2% to 25%, depending on the feedstuffs. The energy value of sorghum and SBP was not affected by the multienzyme blend. This should be considered when formulating fibrous diets for gestating sows to increase nutrient utilization of feedstuffs.

It was hypothesized that the efficiency of canola meal (CM; also known as 00 rapeseed meal) utilization in pelleted starter mixtures for calves can be increased with the use of feed additives and additional processing. Additionally, it was hypothesized that CM would yield greater feed intake, growth, and improved fecal scores compared to wheat bran and DDGS when included as a high-protein by-product in a pelleted starter mixture. In order to verify the hypotheses, four studies were conducted to determine whether lysine (Lys) inclusion, feed enzyme inclusion, and CM extrusion improve the efficiency of CM utilization in pelleted calf starter mixtures, and to compare effects of CM to that when other high-protein by-products are fed. In study 1, 45 female Holstein calves (44.7 +/- 4.2 kg, 24.2 +/- 2.8 days of age) were allocated to one of three treatments and fed a pelleted starter mixture containing: 1) soybean meal (SBM) as the main source of protein (TSBM); 2) CM as the main source of protein (TCM); or 3) CM as the main source of protein with supplemental rumen-unprotected Lys (TCML). Final body weight (BW), average daily gain (ADG), starter intake, and fecal score did not differ among treatments (P >= 0.20) but the gain to feed ratio was greater for TSBM than for TCM and TCML (P < 0.01). No differences between TCM and TCML were found. In study 2, 100 female Holstein calves (44.3 +/- 4.8 kg, 17.7 +/- 2.1 days of age) were assigned to one of four treatments and fed pelleted starter mixtures with: 1) low CM inclusion (10%; LOW); 2) low CM inclusion supplemented with feed enzymes (xylanase, glucanase, invertase, protease, cellulase, amylase, and mannanase; LOW+); 3) high CM inclusion (32%; HIGH); and 4) high CM inclusion supplemented with the same feed enzymes (HIGH+) as for LOW+. In treatments that included feed enzymes, final BW, ADG, and starter intake were greater while the number of days with diarrhea was lower (P <= 0.05). The number of days with diarrhea was also lower for high CM treatments (P < 0.01). In study 3, 120 female Holstein calves (42.6 +/- 4.4 kg, 17.2 +/- 2.1 days of age) were allocated to one of four treatments and fed a pelleted starter mixture: 1) containing SBM as a main source of protein (CTRL), or diets where: 2) SBM was partially replaced by wheat bran and corn DDGS (TRBP); 3) SBM was partially replaced by CM (TRCM); and 4) SBM was partially replaced by CM with feed enzymes (the same used in study 2; TRCM+). Feed intake and the gain to feed ratio did not differ among treatments. Final BW tended (P = 0.10) to be heavier for CTRL than for TRBP and TRCM, but the CTRL group had a higher fecal score, a greater number of days with diarrhea, and more episodes of diarrhea compared to TRBP and TRCM (P <= 0.05). No differences between TRCM and TRCM+ were detected. In study 4, 120 female Holstein calves (44.1 +/- 4.9 kg, 18.3 +/- 1.9 days of age) were allocated to one of four treatments and fed a pelleted starter mixture with: 1) moderate CM inclusion (24%; MC); 2) high CM inclusion (34%; HC); 3) moderate inclusion of extruded CM (MEC); and 4) high inclusion of extruded CM (HEC). Fecal score tended to be (P = 0.10) and the number of days with diarrhea was (P < 0.01) reduced when extruded CM was used in the starter mixture but BW, ADG, and the gain to feed ratio were not different among treatments. In conclusion, rumen-unprotected lysine supplementation in a pelleted starter mixture containing CM as the main source of protein does not improve the performance of calves although inclusion of enzymes may improve feed intake and ADG of calves. Extrusion of CM improves fecal score of calves but does not affect feed intake or growth. Canola meal should be considered at least as valuable source of protein as wheat bran and DDGS.

A study was conducted to determine the effects of protease supplementation of field pea (in comparison with soybean meal; SBM) for broilers on apparent metabolizable energy (AMEn) and standardized ileal digestibility (SID) of amino acids (AA). One hundred and forty broiler chicks were divided into 35 groups of 4 birds/group and fed 5 diets in a completely randomized design (7 groups/diet) from 14 to 21 d of age. The diets were cornstarch-based containing SBM or field pea as the sole protein source without or with protease (ProSparity 250TM; CBS Bio Platforms, Calgary, AB, Canada) in 2 × 2 factorial arrangement, and N-free diet. Protease was added to diets to supply 6,250 U/kg. Digestibility of AA and N retention for feedstuffs were determined by the direct method, whereas digestibility and retention of energy for feedstuffs were determined by the difference from the N-free diet. On as fed basis, SBM and field pea contained 90.0 and 88.9 dry matter, 46.6 and 20.2 % crude protein, 2.88 and 1.47 % Lys, and 14.3 and 14.7 % non-starch polysaccharides, respectively. On as fed basis, the AMEn value for field pea was lower (P < 0.05) than that of SBM (2,006 vs. 2,414 kcal/kg). Also, the SID values of most indispensable AA in field pea were lower (P < 0.05) than those in SBM. Feedstuff (field pea vs. SBM) and protease did not interact on AMEn and SID of AA values. The supplemental protease increased (P < 0.05) AMEn values of the SBM and field by an average of 187 kcal/kg but decreased (P < 0.05) the SID values of all indispensable AA (except His) for the SBM and field, by an average of 2.7 percentage points. Results indicate that the protease product used in the current study marginally reduced the SID of AA for both SBM and field pea. However, the protease product can be beneficially included in diets based on SBM or field pea for broilers to enhance their AMEn values. The response to the protease on the AMEn was consistent regardless of the protein source in the diet, implying that the protease used in this study has similar positive impact on energy availability in both field pea and SBM.

Cold-pressed canola expellers (CPCE) are a byproduct of canola oil production obtained using the pressing method without thermal and chemical treatment. While CPCE is a valuable source of dietary energy and protein in swine nutrition, the discrepancy in processing conditions leads to variability in the nutritional quality of CPCE from different sources. This study aimed to determine the chemical composition, and digestible energy (DE) and metabolizable energy (ME) values of CPCE when fed to growing pigs. Samples of CPCE were collected from five processing facilities across Western Canada. The physical appearance of the CPCE samples hinted at a potential quality variation. Samples were subjected to a complete chemical characterization. Variations (P < 0.05) were observed in the chemical composition, with the exception of non-phytate phosphorus, xylose, mannose, and galactose. On a g/kg dry matter (DM) basis, CPCE samples ranged as follows: ether extract from 85 to 177; crude protein (CP) from 351 to 419; neutral detergent fiber 231 to 300; total dietary fiber from 326 to 373; glycoproteins from 30 to 76; non-starch polysaccharides from 188 to 204, non-phytate phosphorus from 5.5 to 6.4, and gross energy (GE) in kcal/kg 5,027 to 5,635. The total glucosinolates (GLS) ranged from 5.0 to 9.7 mol/g DM. Thirty-six (36) growing barrows, with an average initial body weight of 19.2 +/- 1.0 kg, were individually housed in metabolism crates and assigned to one of the six experimental diets in a completely randomized design, with six pigs per diet. The diets included a corn-soybean meal (SBM)-based basal diet (100%) and five (5) experimental diets in which 18% of the basal diet was substituted with CPCE from different producers. Pigs were fed the experimental diets for 10 d, with 5-d adaptation period, followed by a 5-d period for the total, but separate, collection of feces and urine. Significant differences (P < 0.05) among processing plants were observed in the DE and ME contents of CPCE, which averaged 3,531 and 3,172 kcal/kg DM, respectively. Differences (P < 0.05) were noted in the apparent total tract digestibility of GE, nitrogen (N), as well as in the retention of DM, GE, and N in CPCE samples. In conclusion, while the chemical composition and values of DE and ME in CPCE vary among processors, the byproduct obtained through cold pressing process can be a valuable source of energy and protein for pig nutrition.

Abstract In our research, canola meal (CM) was incubated with a specific multi-carbohydrase cocktail and protease to enhance the bioactivity of its fiber components. This process resulted in the enzymatically modified canola meal solubles (ECMS) product, which was obtained following spray-drying of water-soluble fraction of the incubated CM. The ECMS was hypothesized to exhibit prebiotic effects in monogastric animals due to its composition, which includes components resulting from the hydrolysis of non-starch polysaccharides (NSP), such as low-molecular-weight polysaccharides and oligosaccharides. Compared with CM, ECMS contained more crude protein, ash, and phosphorus, and less intact NSP, neutral detergent fiber (NDF), phytate phosphorus, sucrose, and raffinose and stachyose. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of ECMS supplementation on the growth performance, nutrient digestibility, gut function and health of broiler chickens and weaned piglets. Ross 308 broiler chickens were assigned to three dietary treatments with 6 birds per cage and 8 replicates per treatment. The birds were raised under a controlled environment for 14 d. The experimental diets consisted of a corn/soybean meal Control diet, a Low ECMS diet containing 1g/kg of ECMS, and a High ECMS diet containing 20 g/kg of ECMS. The results indicated that the High ECMS diet led to a significant increase in feed intake (FI) and body weight (BW) gain compared with both the Low ECMS and the Control diets. No significant differences were observed in feed conversion ratio, pH of ileal and cecal digesta, sialic acids secretion, or apparent total tract digestibility of NDF and nitrogen between birds fed the different diets. Lactobacillus spp. and Enterococcus spp. were significantly more abundant in both the ileal and cecal digesta of birds fed the High ECMS diet compared with the Control diet. Total short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) in the ileal digesta of birds fed ECMS diets significantly increased compared with birds fed the Control diet. Weaned piglets (TN 70 × TN Tempo) were randomly assigned to two dietary treatments with 8 replicate pens in a randomized complete block design. Pigs were fed a corn/soybean meal Control diet containing 50 g/kg of CM and an experimental diet containing ECMS, replacing 20 g/kg of CM, for 3 wk (1 to 21 d post-weaning). The results showed that experimental diets had no significant impact on growth performance. However, the ECMS diet decreased the pH value of the colon contents and increased the population of Bifidobacterium in the cecum and colon (P < 0.05). In conclusion, ECMS significantly modulated gut microbiota, increased SCFA production in the ileum, and improved the growth performance of broilers. In weaned piglets, ECMS demonstrated the ability to decrease intestinal pH and stimulate the proliferation of beneficial gut microbiota. Therefore, ECMS could be considered a promising prebiotic in monogastric animal nutrition.

Abstract This study evaluated the effects of inclusion of raw, hydrobarothermally treated and fermented rapeseed cake (RRC, HRC and FRC, respectively) in diets fed to laying hens. Hydrobarothermal treatment decreased the hydroxyglucobrassicin and neoglucobrassicin content of rapeseed cake (RC), whereas fermentation significantly reduced the content of all glucosinolates (GLS) and phytate phosphorus (PP) concentration. Both HRC and FRC increased the serum concentrations of total protein (TP) and globulin (GLB), compared with group C. Group HRC hens had desirably lowest blood triacylglycerol (TAG) levels and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activity. Group FRC hens were characterized by the lowest alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, and the highest concentrations of phosphorus (P) and triiodothyronine (T3). Regardless of its form, RC improved ether extract (EE) digestibility, and decreased dry matter (DM) digestibility and calcium (Ca) retention. In comparison with group C, RRC, HRC and FRC decreased cecal digesta weight and enhanced the activity of bacterial α-galactosidase and ß-galactosidase; HRC also increased ammonia concentration in the ceca and reduced β-xylosidase activity. The activity of α-glucosidase and α-arabinopiranosidase was highest, and the activity of bacterial β-glucuronidase was lowest in the ceca of group FRC hens. The cecal concentrations of acetic acid, propionic acid, and total short-chain fatty acids (SCFA s) were highest in birds fed a diet containing RRC and lowest in group HRC. In conclusion, RC fermentation considerably reduces the concentrations of GLS and PP. A diet containing 20% FRC is more recommended than diets containing RRC and HRC because it exerted a beneficial effect on metabolic parameters and intestinal function in laying hens.

Influenza A viruses (IAVs) belonging to the goose/Guangdong (Gs/GD)-lineage H5Nx remain a major concern for the global poultry industry, wildlife, and humans. The hemagglutinin (HA) protein is the dominant antigenic epitope carrier within IAV, which in turn triggers substantial immunogenic responses in the infected host. The current study describes the development and validation of a highly sensitive competitive H5 ELISA (cELISA) based on a novel monoclonal antibody developed in mice immunized with inactivated virus H5N1 (A/Turkey/ON/6213/1966). The cELISA is capable of detecting the H5 antibody response to a wider range of H5-subtype viruses belonging to both North American and Eurasia lineages, including the Gs/GD H5Nx from clade 2.3.4.4b that is currently causing the highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreaks in Eurasia, Africa, and Latin and North America. The developed H5 cELISA provides a specific, sensitive, and species-independent serological assay for the rapid detection of H5 antibodies. The assay is more robust and more sensitive than the hemagglutination inhibition assay, which is the “Gold standard”. The assay can be used in serological diagnosis, serosurveillance, and vaccine monitoring of serum samples collected from different species of animals.

The objective was to investigate the effect of a multienzyme blend (MEblend) and inclusion level on apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of energy and nutrients, as well as ileal digestibility of crude protein (CP) and amino acids (AA) in gestation diets with low (LF) or high-dietary fiber (HF) fed to gestation sows. For comparison, growing pigs were fed the same HF diets to directly compare ATTD values with the gestating sows. In experiment 1, 45 gestating sows (parity 0 to 5; 187 +/- 28 kg bodyweight; BW) were blocked by parity in a 2 x 3 factorial arrangement and fed 2.2 kg/d of the HF (17.5% neutral detergent fiber; NDF) or LF (13% NDF) diet and one of three levels of MEblend (0.0%, 0.08%, and 0.1%) to determine impacts of MEblend on ATTD. Twenty-seven growing pigs (initial 35.7 +/- 3.32 kg BW) were fed the same HF diet (5% of BW) and one of three MEblend inclusions. The MEblend at both 0.08% and 0.1% increased ATTD of energy, NDF, and acid detergent fiber (ADF) (P < 0.05) in gestating sows but ATTD of total non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) and its residues were not affected. Sows fed HF, regardless of MEblend, had greater ATTD of NDF, xylose, and total NSP (P < 0.05) in comparison to grower pigs. In experiment 2, ileal cannulas were placed in 12 gestating sows (parity 0 to 2; BW 159 +/- 12 kg) to determine apparent and standardized ileal digestibility (AID and SID) of AA and NSP. In a crossover design, sows were fed the same six diets, as in experiment 1, and a nitrogen-free diet during five periods of seven days each to achieve eight replicates per diet. There was no interaction between diet fiber level and MEblend inclusion. Supplementation of MEblend to gestating sow diets did not impact SID of CP and AA regardless of dietary fiber level. The SID of His, Ile, Lys, Phe, Thr, Trp, and Val were 3% to 6% lower (P < 0.09) in HF than LF independent of MEblend. Supplementation of MEblend did not impact AID of NSP components, but sows fed HF had higher AID of arabinose (LF: 26.5% vs. HF: 40.6%), xylose (LF: 3.5% vs. HF: 40.9%), and total NSP (LF: 25.9% vs. HF: 40.0%) compared to sows fed LF (P < 0.05). Dietary supplementation of MEblend increased ATTD of nutrients, NSP, and energy in diets fed to gestating sows regardless of inclusion level, with MEblend having a greater incremental increase in diets with lower NDF levels. Inclusion of MEblend impacted neither SID of AA nor AID of NSP in low- or high-fiber gestation diets, but high-fiber diet, negatively affected SID of AA.

Enzymatic modification of canola meal (CM) is a potential method to enhance its nutritional value as it can depolymerize nonstarch polysaccharides (NSP) and mitigate its potential antinutritive properties. Based on the previous studies, pectinase A (PA), pectinase B (PB), xylanase B (XB), and invertase (Inv) were used for the enzymatic modifications. The highest NSP depolymerization ratio was obtained when 4 g/kg of each PA, PB, and XB, and 0.2 g/kg of Inv were used during 48 h incubation at 40 °C. In the current study, changes in pH, simple sugars, sucrose, oligosaccharides, and NSP contents during the enzymatic modification (CM+E) of CM were measured and compared to Control (CM) without enzymes addition or with the addition of bacteriostat sodium azide (CM+E+NaN3). The results showed that spontaneous fermentation occurred during incubation. After incubation, the pH of the slurry decreased, lactic acid was produced, phytate disappeared, and the concentration of simple sugars decreased substantially. The NSP of the slurry was progressively depolymerized by the enzyme blend. The chemical composition and nutritive value of enzymatically-modified CM (ECM) were evaluated. Ross 308 broilers were randomly assigned to 18 cages of six birds each for the standardized ileal amino acid digestibility (SIAAD) and nitrogen-corrected apparent metabolizable energy (AMEn) assay. A corn/soybean meal-based basal diet formulated to meet Ross 308 breeder recommendations and two test diets contained 70% of the basal diet and 30% of CM or ECM, respectively, were fed to Ross 308 from 13 to 17 d of age. No difference was observed between SIAAD of CM and ECM. The AMEn value of ECM was 2118.0 kcal/kg on a dry matter basis which was 30.9% greater (P < 0.05) than the CM.

Enzymatically-modified canola meal (ECM) is a product obtained from the incubation of canola meal (CM) with a blend of specific carbohydrase enzymes. Incubation of CM with multi-carbohydrase enzymes resulted in a significant decrease in non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) content, production of potentially bioactive NSP hydrolysis products, and the spontaneous lactic acid bacteria fermentation. The latter resulted in the production of lactic acid, phytate hydrolysis, and the reduction in the product pH from 5.9 to 4.0. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of ECM on growth performance, nutrient utilization, and gut health and function of broiler chickens. Four-day-old as hatched Ross 308 broilers were assigned to 5 dietary treatments, each consisting of 8 cages of 8 birds. Birds were fed the starter (4-14d of age, 100 g/kg CM) and grower (14-21d of age, 200 g/kg of CM) Control diet, and Control diets supplemented with ECM (Low and High) or enzymes (E1 and E2). In the ECM-containing diets, ECM replaced either 50 g/kg (Low ECM diet) or entire CM (High ECM diet) of the Control diets. In the E1 and E2 diets, the enzyme blend was supplemented at 1.25 g/kg and 12.5 g/kg of the starter Control diet and 2.5 g/kg and 25 g/kg of the grower Control diet, respectively. Replacing CM with ECM did not affect growth performance, but significantly increased the apparent total tract NSP digestibility and nitrogen-corrected apparent metabolizable energy content. The ECM-containing diets decreased sialic acids secretion on day 21 and increased the abundance of Lactobacillus (P < 0.01) in ileum and ceca compared to Control, E1, and E2 during the whole trail. The abundance of Escherichia coli was significantly lower in ceca of birds fed the High ECM grower diets compared to the Control. Total short chain fatty acids in cecal digesta of birds fed High ECM starter diet significantly increased compared with the Control. Replacing CM with ECM improved nutrient digestibility and increased the presence of probiotic organisms which was not observed in the enzyme supplemented diets. Therefore, ECM can improve gut health and could be used as a valuable feed ingredient or additive.

The effect of a multi-carbohydrase (E) and its combination with an enzymatically modified yeast cell wall (Y) on the ileal and cecal microbiota and on gut function of turkeys was studied. The experimental diets, including the control (C), C + E, and C + E + Y, were fed to seven replicate pens of four birds from 22 to 56 days of age. The addition of E + Y resulted in a significant decrease in the relative abundance of Firmicutes and a significant increase of Actinobacteria in ileal digesta. A significant decrease in the abundance of Firmicutes was not followed by the abundance of Ruminococcaceae, one of the butyrate-producing bacteria. This coincided with a significantly increased concentration of butyrate in the ileal digesta and the proportion of butyrate within the total short-chain fatty acids (SCFA). As opposed to the ileum, the addition of E or E + Y did not affect the relative abundance of Firmicutes in ceca. The higher content of SCFA in the cecal digesta than in the ileum would reflect differences in microbial activities in both compartments, and possible increased SCFA absorption from the ileum. Overall, the positive effects of enzyme and yeast bioactive supplements on bacterial communities appeared to be more pronounced in the small intestine.

With a long history of inclusion within livestock feeding programs, yeast and their respective derivatives are well-understood from a nutritional perspective. Originally used as sources of highly digestible protein in young animal rations in order to offset the use of conventional protein sources such as soybean and fish meal, application strategies have expanded in recent years into non-nutritional uses for all animal categories. For the case of yeast derivatives, product streams coming from the downstream processing of nutritional yeast, the expansion in use cases across species groups has been driven by a greater understanding of the composition of each derivative along with deeper knowledge of mechanistic action of key functional components. From improving feed efficiency, to serving as alternatives to antibiotic growth promoters and supporting intestinal health and immunity while mitigating pathogen shedding, new use cases are driven by a recognition that yeast derivatives contain specific bioactive compounds that possess functional properties. This review will attempt to highlight key bioactive categories within industrially applicable yeast derivatives and provide context regarding identification and characterization and mechanisms of action related to efficacy within a range of experimental models.

A study was conducted to assess the effectiveness of yeast-derived products in the recovery of Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) in White Leghorns. A total of 32 hens at 38 wk of age were challenged both orally (OR) and intracloacally (IC) with nalidixic acid resistant SE (SENAR). Hens were individually housed in conventional wire laying cages and randomly allocated to 4 treatments (T) with 8 hens per replicate: 1) No SENAR challenge (T1; basal diet), 2) SENAR challenge (T2; basal diet), 3) SENAR challenge: basal diet with a blend of Saccharomyces-Tor-ula yeasts and yeast cell walls (T3; intact yeast), and 4) SENAR challenge: basal diet with enzy-matically-modified yeast products blend (T4; enzyme-modified yeast). The excreta samples were 100% positive for SENAR at 3 d postinfection (dpi) in T2, T3, and T4. By 6 dpi, excreta samples were 87, 62 and 37% positive for T2, T3, and T4, respectively. Hens were euthanized at 7 dpi to harvest liver with gall bladder (L/GB), spleen, ovaries, and ceca. The recovery of SENAR in L/GB was 75, 25, and 37% in T2, T3, and T4 (P < 0.05), whereas that of the spleen was 62, 25 and 37% in T2, T3 and T4 (P < 0.05), respectively. Treatments 3 and 4 reduced SENAR counts (cfu/g) in the ceca from 4.3 log10 to 2.7 and 1.95 log10, respectively, compared to T2 (P < 0.05). The cecal count of SENAR was 1.6 log10 lower in T3 and 2.3 log10 lower in T4 compared to T2. Both yeast derived products reduced Salmonella in internal organs and the ceca of laying hens. Enzymatically-modified yeast (T4) was better than its intact counter-part (T3) in reducing Salmonella counts in the ceca.

Although canola meal (CM) contains a significant amount of dietary fiber, including high con-centrations of non-starch polysaccharides (NSP), it is still a valuable source of protein for poultry diets. Supplementation of CM-containing poultry diets with multi-carbohydrase enzymes is an effective approach to improve the nutrition value of CM. The enzymatic degradation of NSP will contribute to the production of NSP hydrolysis products, which may improve gut health and growth performance. A series of in vitro incubation studies was carried out to determine if various carbohydrase preparations can target NSP of CM. The most effective enzyme combination was studied further in a growth performance and NSP utilization trial (1-20 d of age) with Ross 308 broiler chickens. Broilers were assigned to 3 dietary treatments each consisting of 8 cages of 5 birds and were fed a control corn/CM-based starter and grower diets (Control) or diets supple-mented with an enzyme blend at two levels: 0.3 and 1.5 g/kg. Starter (1-10d) and grower (11-20d) diets contained 270 and 290 g/kg of CM, respectively. In the in vitro studies, the highest NSP depolymerization was observed for a combination of two pectinase-like enzymes fortified with xylanase. No further improvement with other enzyme preparations was observed. In com-parison to the Control diets, birds fed the diet supplemented with 1.5 g/kg of multi-carbohydrase cocktail showed higher (P < 0.05) body weight gain during the grower phase and the entire trial. The carbohydrase enzyme combination significantly increased the coefficient of apparent total tract NSP digestibility. Our research suggests that the administration of a carbohydrase cocktail in diets with high inclusion of CM can improve growth performance and NSP utilization in broiler chickens.

Context Reducing the environmental impact of animal production is becoming a really hot topic, especially with raised concerns over excessive flows of nitrogen and phosphorus (P) to the environment. Aims The present study was conducted to determine the effects of phytase supplementation on growth, plasma biochemistry, bone mineralisation and P utilisation of pre-lay pullets fed varying levels of non-phytate P. Methods A total of 240 Lohmann pullet chicks were randomly allocated to one of six dietary treatments with eight replicate cages (5 birds per cage) per treatment. Six treatments included three phytase-free diets and three diets supplemented with 1000 U/kg phytase; the non-phytate P levels were 2.75–2.50–2.25, 3.75–3.50–3.25 and 4.75–4.50–4.25 g/kg in the former, and 1.75–1.50–1.25, 2.75–2.50–2.25 and 3.75–3.50–3.25 g/kg in the latter, for the age of 0–4, 4–8 and 8–16 weeks respectively. Key results No significant differences were found for growth performance, plasma biochemistry (calcium, P, alkaline phosphatase and albumin) and bone mineralisation among dietary treatments, but P retention (%) was different (P < 0.001). Analysis of planned contrasts showed that phytase supplementation increased phytate P retention (P < 0.001), and improving the utilisation of phytate P tended most efficiently under low P conditions. Total P retention rate was reduced slightly by phytase supplementation (P < 0.05). Conclusions The results indicated that dietary non-phytate P level could possibly be reduced to 1.75, 1.50 and 1.25 g/kg for 0–4, 4–8 and 8–16 weeks of age respectively after phytase supplementation, without compromising pullet growth and performance during the pre-laying period. Implications The results of this study will contribute to decreasing P excretion by poultry and reducing the potential environmental impact with land application of manure.

Excessive fecal excretion of phosphorus (P) has increasingly become an environmental issue due to oversupply of P in layer rations, and thus it is imperative to minimize safety margins for P to ensure the sustainability of the egg industry. In this study, a 12-week feeding trial (22 to 34 weeks of age) was conducted to evaluate the effects of phytase supplementation on production performance, plasma biochemistry, egg and bone quality and P excretion of laying hens fed various levels of non-phytate P (NPP). Forty-eight Lohmann white laying hens were randomly allocated to one of six corn-soybean meal-oat-based diets: diets containing 2.0, 2.5 or 3.0 g/kg NPP without phytase, and diets containing 1.0, 1.5 or 2.0 g/kg NPP with phytase (1 000 U/kg diet) where phytase inclusion was expected to provide 1.0 g/kg NPP to laying hens, thus making the phytase-unsupplemented treatment served as a control for the phytase-supplemented treatment accordingly. Productive performance was recorded during the experimental period. Blood and egg samples were collected, and digestibility studies were conducted at weeks 6 and 12 of the experiment. Bone mineralization was evaluated at the end of the experiment. Egg weight and egg production, feed consumption, BW and feed conversion ratio of laying hens fed lower NPP diets supplemented with phytase were comparable to those of hens fed high NPP phytase-unsupplemented controls. Eggshell thickness, specific gravity, Haugh units, tibia bone mineral density, tibia ash percent, plasma P and other biochemical parameters were not significantly different among dietary treatments. Total P intake, excretion and retention were affected by diet (P < 0.001), but its deposition in eggs was not significantly different. Contrast analysis further showed that total P excretion of phytase present vs phytase absent was averagely reduced by 40.4 mg/hen per day (P < 0.01). Moreover, total P excretion was linearly (P < 0.01) reduced with lowering dietary NPP, and this relationship was similar regardless of whether phytase was supplemented or not. The results from this study indicated that NPP levels in laying hen diets could be reduced to 1.0 g/kg (excluding the portion of NPP released by phytase) with the inclusion of phytase, without negative effects on production performance and health of the hens, thereby diminishing P excretion into environment. (C) 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. on behalf of The Animal Consortium.

A study was conducted to determine effects of supplementing multi-enzyme on apparent ileal digestibility (AID) of energy and AA; and apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of energy for pigs fed low-energy and AA diets. Eight ileal-cannulated barrows (initial BW: 38.7 ± 2.75 kg) were fed four diets in a replicated 4 × 4 Latin square design to give 8 replicates per diet. Diets were positive control (PC) diet, negative control (NC) diet without or with multi-enzyme at 0.5 or 1.0 g/kg. The PC diet was formulated to meet or exceed NRC (2012) nutrient recommendations for grower pigs (25 to 50 kg), except for Ca and digestible P, which were lower than NRC (2012) recommendations by 0.13 and 0.17 percentage points, respectively, due to phytase supplementation at 1,000 FTU/kg. The NC diet was formulated to be lower in NE by 75 kcal/kg and standardized ileal digestible AA content by a mean of 3%. These reductions were achieved by partial replacement of corn and soybean meal (SBM) and complete replacement of soybean oil and monocalcium phosphate in PC diet with 25% corn distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) and 3.6% soybean hulls. Multi-enzyme at 1.0 g/kg supplied 1,900 U of xylanase, 300 U of β-glucanase, 1,300 U of cellulase, 11,500 U of amylase, 120 U of mannanase, 850 U of pectinase, 6,000 U of protease, and 700 U of invertase per kilogram of diet. The AID of GE, N, most AA, most component sugars of nonstarch polysaccharides (NSP) and P; ATTD of GE for PC diet was greater (P < 0.05) than those for NC diets. An increase in dietary level of multi-enzyme from 0 to 1.0 g/kg resulted in a linear increase (P < 0.05) in AID of Ile by 4.3%, and tended to linearly increase (P < 0.10) AID of Leu, Met, Phe, and Val by a mean of 3.4%. Increasing dietary multi-enzyme from 0 to 1.0 g/kg linearly increased (P < 0.05) AID of total NSP and P by 53.7% and 19.2%, respectively; ATTD of GE by 8.4% and DE and NE values by 8.8% and 8.2%, respectively; tended to linearly increase (P < 0.10) AID of GE by 8.1%. The NE values for NC diet with multi-enzyme at 1.0 g/kg tended to be greater (P < 0.10) than that for PC diet (2,337 vs. 2,222 kcal/kg of DM). In conclusion, multi-enzyme supplementation improved energy and nutrient digestibilities of a corn-SBM-corn DDGS-based diet, implying that the multi-enzyme fed in the current study can be used to enhance energy and nutrient utilization of low-energy AA diets for grower pigs.