The β-glucanases and xylanases have been used as feed additives for many years and their ability to improve the performance of poultry has been demonstrated in numerous publications. Starch, proteins, and lipids easily degraded in the bird's digestive systems, whereas the major parts of soluble and insoluble non-starch polysaccharides remain intact because of the lack of suitable enzymes. The positive nutritional effects achieved by the dietary supplementation of exogenous enzymes are proposed to be caused by several mechanisms. First, it has been shown that the antinutritive effects of viscous cereals such as barley, wheat, rye, oats, and triticale are associated with raised intestinal viscosity caused by soluble β-glucans and arabinoxylans present in those cereals. These problems are overcome by dietary supplementation of β-glucanases and xylanases. It is assumed that the ability of β-glucanases and xylanases to degrade plant cell walls leads to release of nutrients from grain endosperm. Another mechanism that has a positive influence on the nutritive value is the prebiotic effect achieved via the oligosaccharides produce and release. They formed during the degradation of cell wall carbohydrates by supplemental enzymes. In the gastro intestinal tract, the oligosaccharides derived from plant cell wall digestion that is resisting to the digestive enzymes, reach to the large intestine and support from proliferation of the beneficial microorganism. In conclusion, due to the complex structure of cereal grains, it has been shown that appropriate combinations of the different enzyme can obtain improved performance.Keywords: Cereal; Exogenous enzyme; Poultry; Viscosity
OverviewEnzymes are produced by living organisms as natural catalysts, which accelerate biochemical reactions in living organisms, including single-celled organisms, plants, insects and animals. So far, over 3000 different enzymes have been discovered. The enzymes are protein-based and form amino acid chains with a peptide bond. Enzymes, by attaching to the substrate, accelerate or facilitate the reactions and reduce the activation energy to start the reaction. As a result, the amount of reactions progresses increased. The activity of the enzymes depended to its three-dimensional form and the position of the amino acids within the molecule, which produces catalytic properties of the enzyme. Conditions that lead to significant changes in the enzymes' structure often lead to reduced activity. As a result, enzymes are very sensitive to the environmental condition in which they function and at optimum temperatures and pH they have the best performance [1].
The Role of Enzymes in Poultry NutritionIn the process of poultry production, the feed will include the highest cost, and the profitability of the unit will depend on the relative cost and nutritional value of food. Often limiting factor in setting diets is the ability of the bird to digest different parts of the food, especially the raw fiber. Despite the current studies, the potential nutritiona...