The determination of the positive effects of exogenous enzymes is essential to ensure their inclusion in poultry feed formulation. This study was conducted to determine the effect of enzymes on the apparent metabolisable energy (AME) value of brewers? dried grain (BDG). Xylanase, phytase and multipurpose enzymes were used in a completely randomised design to determine the effects of individual exogenous enzymes and their cocktails on poultry metabolisable energy using adult cockerels. There were eight treatments comprising a control and seven experimental treatments with BDG and one, two or three enzymes. The AME values were determined using the intubation method. Data collected were analysed using the statistical analysis system. Enzymes individually and as a cocktail improved the AME value of BDG compared to the control. An increase in the AME value was 3.48%, 5.39%, 5.92%, 14.29%, 18.13%, 23.21% and 29.58% respectively for phytase, xylanase, cocktail of xylanase and phytase, multipurpose enzyme, cocktail of multipurpose enzyme and phytase, cocktail of xylanase and multipurpose enzyme and cocktail of xylanase, phytase and multipurpose enzyme. Cocktails of enzymes were significantly better (P?0.05) than individual enzymes in their effects on apparent metabolisable energy of BDG. Phytase gave a marginal increase in AME of the studied feedstuff. It has been concluded that the cocktail of enzymes is better than individual enzymes in their effects on AME of BDG. If different enzymes are available, it is recommended that the enzyme with higher units should be used.

The need for rapid test in evaluation of feedstuffs in poultry nutrition cannot be overemphasized. Such test must however be able to replace exactly the response in the animal concern. This study was conducted to determine the suitability of In vitro technique in predicting the In vivo response of poultry to enzyme supplemented feedstuffs. Rice husk was used in a Completely Randomized Design with individual and cocktail of enzymes for both In vitro and In vivo trials. Three exogenous enzymes namely a xylanase, a multipurpose and a phytase were used individually, pairwise and altogether with the feedstuff to constitute the treatments namely T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, T6, T7, and T8. Each treatment was replicated thrice for both In vitro and In vivo trials. The In vitro trial was done to simulate the chicken digestive system while the In vivo trial was done using the intubation method. Parameters measured for both trials were digestibility values for dry matter, crude protein, ether extract, crude fiber and fiber fractions. All data collected were statistically analyzed using Analysis of Variance procedure and treatment means were separated using Duncan Multiple Range Test. Correlation analysis was carried out to compare the results of both trials.  Results show that enzymes individually and as cocktails significantly improved the digestibility of parameters for both In vitro and In vivo trials. Cocktails of enzymes were significantly better than the individual enzymes for dry matter and crude fiber digestibility for both In vitro and In vivo trials. Correlation analysis shows positive correlation (r=0.99, r=0.96, r=0.94, r= 0.86, r=0.78) between In vitro and In vivo trials in most of digestibility values for the rice husk. It was concluded that In vitro trial can be used as both criterion and replacement for In vivo trial when determining the efficacy of exogenous enzymes in poultry nutrition.

This study was conducted to quantify the effects of enzymes and their cocktails on the apparent metabolisable energy (AME) value of palm kernel cake to maximise enzymes’ advantages. There were eight treatments, each with three replicates in a completely randomised design with T1 as control. The experimental treatments had Xylanase, Multipurpose and phytase enzymes respectively for T2, T3 and T4, and a cocktail of xylanase and multipurpose, a cocktail of xylanase and phytase, cocktail of multipurpose and phytase, and cocktail of xylanase, multipurpose and phytase for T5, T6, T7 and T8. The feeding trial was done using the intubation method. Gross energy values were determined with calorimeter while calculated AME values were subjected to analysis of variance using Statistical Analysis System and treatment means separated by Duncan Multiple Range Test. Results show that individual enzymes, apart from phytase, significantly (p>0.05) improved the AME value of palm kernel cake. Treatment T8 was significantly (p>0.05) better than the other treatments. Each cocktail was significantly better than its respective individual enzymes except cocktail of multipurpose enzyme and phytase that was not significantly different from multipurpose enzyme but significantly (p>0.05) better than phytase. It was concluded that enzymes and cocktail of enzymes could be used to enhance the energy content of nonconventional feedstuffs thereby serving as a replacement to conventional energy feedstuffs.