Recent research highlights the importance of optimizing protein digestibility in broiler poultry diets to improve growth performance and reduce environmental impacts from waste. Scientists from Hunan Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine have explored the use of exogenous proteases to achieve these objectives.
Low protein digestibility can lead to adverse effects, including intestinal flora imbalances and increased nitrogen pollution associated with wet litter. This study focused on optimizing the zymogram of various proteases, including acid, neutral, and alkaline proteases as well as keratinases, to evaluate their efficiency when incorporated in corn-soy diets.
The researchers employed innovative methods involving simulated gastrointestinal digestion and response surface methodology to identify the optimal combinations of these proteases for different age groups of broilers. The study revealed promising results, indicating significant improvements compared to single protease use.
For broilers aged 1 to 3 weeks, the optimal zymogram was identified as 1.80 U/g of acid protease, 2.30 U/g of neutral protease, 29.30 U/g of alkaline protease, and 2.80 U/g of keratinase. This combination yielded enzymatic hydrolysate gross energy reaching 94.65 Cal/g which equated to an improved dry matter digestibility of 2.54%. Meanwhile, for the older age group of 4 to 6 weeks, the optimal levels were slightly different but similarly effective.
Throughout the experiments, enzyme levels showed significant quadratic relationships with improvements, reinforcing the value of mixed enzyme application. The outcomes were pivotal, demonstrating the potential of combining multiple proteases for optimized nutrition.
"The combined use of four proteases could improve the protein digestibility in broiler diets, which had greater effect than monocomponent protease," the authors commented, emphasizing the advantages of their findings.
The significance of this study lies not only in enhancing poultry nutrition but also addressing broader environmental concerns. The results provide valuable insights for poultry farmers seeking to maintain productivity levels amid the growing need for sustainable practices. The application of this knowledge could lead to reduced waste and lower nitrogen outputs—a key objective for many agricultural sectors today.
Overall, the work conducted offers solid evidence supporting the incorporation of exogenous proteases within poultry diet formulation as effective and beneficial. Future research will be needed to validate these findings across different breed types and environmental conditions.