Determination of Phytin Phosphorus in Feed, Pre-Caeca Digesta and Faecal Droppings in Broiler Chickens Fed Diets Supplemented With or Without Phytase
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51791/njap.vi.5378Keywords:
Phytase, pre-caeca digesta, faecaldroppings, Broiler chickenAbstract
The experiment was conducted to determine phytin-phosphorus in feed, pre-caeca digest and faecal droppings of broiler
finisher birds fed with or without phytase supplementation. Two hundred and forty day-old Anak-2000 chicks were used for the
experiment. The birds were randomly divided into 5 treatments of 4 replicates each of 12 birds per replicate making a total
number of 48 birds per treatments in a completely randomised design experiment (CRD). The diets were formulated as follows.
Diet 1 was the reference diet with no phytase supplementation with protein sources of both plant and animal origins. Diets 2 and 3 were duplicate diets with enzyme supplementation only in diet 3. Diets 4 and 5 were also duplicate diets with enzyme
supplementation only in diet 5. Diets 2 and 3 had groundnut cake as the major plant protein ingredients while diets 4and 5 had
soybean as the major plant protein ingredient. Samples were collected from the five experimental diets, pre-caeca digest and
fecal droppings of the experimental birds for determination of phytin-phosphorus in the diets, pre-caeca digesta and faecal
droppings. The phytin phosphorus level in experimental diets ranged from 0.5810.01mg in diet 3 to 0.68+0.01mg/g in reference
diet. The phytin Phosphorus concentration in the pre-caeca digesta of the ileo-caeco-colonic junction ranged from
0.24#0.01mg/g in diet 5 to 0.34+0.01mg/g in reference diet. Diet 3 had the lowest phytin phosphorus concentration in faecal
droppings followed by diets 54, reference diet and diet 2 at 0.07+0.01mg/g, 0.0840.02mg/g ,0.11+0.02mg/g, 0.14t0.01mg/g
and 0.1910.02 mg/g, respectively. It was concluded that less phytin-phosphorus was noticeable in the pre-caeca digesta and
fecal droppings from experimental birds on phytase supplemented diets which implied that breakdown of phytin complex and
absorption of nutrients had taken place in the digestive system.
