Feeding broiler chicks with Schizosaccharomyces pombe-expressed phytase-containing diet improves growth performance, phosphorus digestibility, toe ash, and footpad lesions

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation of Schizosaccharomyces pombe (S. pombe) -expressed phytase on growth performance, apparent ileal digestibility, organ indexes, meat quality, toe ash, and footpad lesions score in broiler chicks.Methods: A total of 390 one-day-old broiler chicks were randomly assigned to 5 groups based on the initial body weight (42.15±0.17 g), there were 6 replicate cages per treatment and 13 birds (mixed sex) per cage. The experimental period was 45 days, including 4 periods (starter, days 1 to 10; grower, days 11 to 24; finisher 1, days 25 to 38; finisher 2, days 39 to 45). Dietary treatments were based on a corn-soybean meal-basal diet and supplemented with 500, 750, 1,000, and 1,500 FTU/kg S. pombe-expressed phytase. One phytase unit (FTU) was defined as the amount of enzyme that catalyzes the release of one micromole phosphate from phytate per minute at 37°C and pH 5.5.Results: The inclusion of increasing levels of phytase in the diet linearly increased the body weight gain during days 1 to 10 (p = 0.001), 25 to 38 (p = 0.016), 39 to 45 (p = 0.018), and 1 to 45 (p = 0.004), feed intake during days 25 to 38 (p = 0.032), feed conversion ratio during days 1 to 10 (p = 0.001), 39 to 45 (p = 0.038), and 1 to 45 (p = 0.012), carcass weight (p = 0.035), toe ash (p<0.001), and apparent ileal phosphorus digestibility (p = 0.049). However, the footpad lesions score (p = 0.040) decreased linearly with the increase in phytase levels in the diet.Conclusion: Dietary supplementation of S. pombe-expressed phytase was beneficial to the growth performance, toe ash, apparent ileal phosphorus digestibility, and footpad lesions of broiler chicks in a dose-dependent manner.

Exogenous Phytase Improves Growth Performance, Nutrient Retention, Tibia Mineralization, and Breast Meat Quality in Ross-308 Broilers

“…Even pathological, poor husbandry practice, and diet may affect footpad infection in broilers. In the current study, there was no sign of diarrhea (Figure 1) which in turn causes footpad dermatitis (Figure 2), and we supposed that the healthy foot pad condition of the broilers could be due to the effect of dietary phytase, which enhanced nutrient utilization by breaking down phytic acid, leading to improved digestion that resulted with reduced wet litters [35] or due to proper sanitary conditions. et al [31] reported that the changes in poultry foot pads are related to the housing sys-tem, particularly hyperplasia occurs due to mechanical stimulation when perches and hens are used in the litter and is also observed as an alteration with cage-reared hens' toe and claw regions.…”

Characteristics of the Fecal Microbiome of Piglets with Diarrhea Identified Using Shotgun Metagenomics Sequencing

“…However, information on the health effects of S. pombe in pigs is limited. In turn, supplementation with S. pombe has been shown to improve nutrient uptake and growth performance in broiler chickens [54].…”