Nine Polish varieties of pea (P. sativum L.) differing in flower colour, from white to purple, were evaluated for chemical and amino acid composition and in vitro for predicted ileal digestibility of protein (pdN) and predicted digestibility of energy (pdE) for pigs. In selected varieties differing in tannin content the apparent metabolizable energy value corrected for zero N balance (AME N ), apparent digestibility of protein and fat and effect of enzymes reducing viscosity of digesta on this parameters were estimated in chickens; apparent metabolizable energy value (AME), true digestibility and biological value of protein was determined in rats.Tannin content had most pronounced negative effect on protein digestibility in chicken (r= -0.93; PO.05) and rats (r= -0.89; PO.05), pdN for pigs (r= -0.98; PO.001) as well as AME N for chicken (r= -0.99; PO.001) and AME for rats (r= -0.95; PO.01), while nutrient content in peas had no significant effect on measured parameters. AME N values of pea did not depend on supplementation of pea-containing diet with xylanase.Seeds of coloured-flowered cultivars, which are rich in tannins are less effectively utilized by monogastric animals than white-flowered ones. The degree of decline in nutrient utilization depends on tannin content in the seeds, which is correlated with the colour of the flowers.

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The efficacy of two fat-coated organic acid preparations added alone or in combination with a commercial feed enzyme to a wheat-and soyabean meal-based broiler diet was investigated. Fat-coated sodium butyrate (SB) and blend G composed of fumaric acid, calcium formate, calcium propionate and potassium sorbite were used. Each preparation was added at 1 g/kg diets cold pelleted. Two hundred 40-day-old Cobb broiler females were allocated to 6 groups, 40 in each, and fed experimental diets from the first day of life to slaughter. Histomorphometry of the jejunum and ileum was performed on eight 8-d-old chicks per group, performance was measured from day 8 to 21 of life on 16 chickens kept in individual cages per group, while the balance trial was conducted using 9 chickens per group. Measurements of digesta pH in the crop, stomach, jejunum and caecum were taken in 30-day-old birds. Additionally, viscosity of ileal digesta and short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) concentrations in caecal digesta were determined.No effect of the feed additives on small intestinal morphology was found in the ileum, but in the jejunum blend G increased the villi height (P<0.001), crypt depth (P<0.01) and the width of the tunica muscularis (P<0.05). The added enzyme decreased villi width (P<0.05). The effect of SB on intestinal morphology was insignificant. The growth performance of birds fed diets supplemented with both SB and feed enzyme was increased in comparison with other experimental groups (P<0.05). Both preparations G and SB increased nitrogen retention, while enzyme supplementation increased organic matter digestibility and the AME N value of diets. Neither preparations G nor SB Animal and Feed Sciences, 18, 2009, 478-489 479 SMULIKOWSKA S. ET AL. affected ileal digesta viscosity, but this parameter decreased by 10% (P<0.05) following enzyme supplementation. The effect of additives on the pH of digesta was not significant, except enzyme supplementation, which decreased the pH (P<0.05) of jejunal digesta. Neither additive affected total short-chain fatty acids concentration in caecal digesta.

The objective of the study was to investigate the effect of linseed and rapeseed or respective oils on performance indices, nutrient digestibility, metabolizable energy of diets, digesta viscosity, and yield and chemical composition of edible and non-edible parts of the carcass of broiler chickens, with particular attention to n-3 PUFA. Two experiments were performed on 134 female broiler chickens, randomly allocated to 3 groups of 22 birds (Experiment 1) or 2 groups of 24 birds (Experiment 2) and 10 birds to a zero group. The chickens were kept in individual cages. Five wheat-based and xylanase-supplemented diets containing about 80 g crude fat per kg were prepared. The source of added fat was in control diet lard (61 g/kg), in experimental diets half of the lard was substituted by: linseed oil (LO) or full-fat linseed (L), rapeseed oil (RO) or full-fat rapeseed (R). Chickens were given the control or experimental diets from days 8 to 42 of life, then they were slaughtered, the carcasses were divided into edible and non-edible parts, and their chemical composition determined. Feeding diet with rapeseed did not significantly affect BWG or FCR, while linseed caused an increase in feed intake and subsequent deterioration in FCR, which in groups C, LO, and L equalled 1.82, 1.73 and 2.0, respectively. The viscosity of jejunal digesta in group L reached 4.5 mPas.s in comparison with about 1.5 in all of the remaining groups. Organic matter retention and AME N value of diet L was lower than in diets C and LO (P≤0.05), while apparent protein and fat digestibility, organic matter retention, and the AME N value of diet R was lower than RO (P≤0.01). Protein retention and meat yield was lower in group L than in both of the other groups (P≤0.05). The deposition