The influence of a microbial phytase, produced by solid-state fermentation, on the apparent metabolisable energy and ileal digestibility of phosphorus, nitrogen and starch in sorghum, maize, wheat and barley was examined using 4-week-old broilers. For wheat and barley, the influence of phytase, individually or in combination with glycanases, was also evaluated. Microbial phytase improved (p < 0.05) apparent ileal phosphorus digestibility in all cereals. Phytase supplementation improved (p < 0.05) the apparent metabolisable energy of maize and barley by 2.6 and 7.8%, respectively. Numerical improvements in apparent metabolisable energy were observed in sorghum (1.9%) and wheat (2.1%), but were not statistically significant (p > 0.05). Further improvements (p < 0.05) in the apparent metabolisable energy of wheat and barley were observed when the phytase was combined with glycanases. However, the observed improvements in apparent metabolisable energy were not always associated with enhanced ileal digestibility of protein and starch.

1. The influence of a microbial phytase on the performance, toe ash contents and nutrient utilisation of male broilers fed diets based on maize and wheat was investigated. The experiment was conducted as 2 x 2 x 2 factorial arrangement of treatments. Within the factorial, two diet types (maize-soy or wheat-soy) containing two levels of non-phytate phosphorus (3.0 or 4.5 g/kg) were evaluated and each level of non-phytate phosphorus was supplemented with 0 or 500 PU phytase/kg diet. Each of the 8 dietary treatments were fed to 6 pens of 8 birds from d 1 to 21 post-hatching. 2. Main effects of diet type and phytase were observed for all parameters. Main effect of non-phytate phosphorus was significant only for feed/gain and toe ash contents. Phytase addition improved weight gains irrespective of diet type or non-phytate phosphorus level, but the magnitude of improvement in the phosphorus-deficient wheat-soy diet was greater, resulting in a diet type x non-phytate phosphorus interaction. Responses in toe ash contents were noted only in phosphorus-deficient diets, as indicated by a non-phytate phosphorus x phytase interaction. 3. Phytase addition improved apparent metabolisable energy values of wheat-based diets, but had little effect on the apparent metabolisable energy of maize-based diets as shown by a diet type x phytase interaction. The apparent metabolisable energy was not influenced by dietary non-phytate P. 4. Phytase improved ileal nitrogen digestibility in both diet types, but the responses to added phytase tended to be higher in wheat-based diets, as shown by a diet type x phytase interaction. 5. Increasing the dietary non-phytate phosphorus level reduced phosphorus digestibility and increased excreta phosphorus content. Addition of phytase improved phosphorus digestibility, but the increments were higher in low phosphorus diets resulting in a non-phytate phosphorus x phytase interaction. Phytase addition tended to lower the excreta phosphorus content, but the effects were greater in birds fed low phosphorus diets, as shown by a non-phytate phosphorus x phytase interaction.

The influence of sex of broilers and dietary phosphorus (P) level on energy utilization and apparent ileal digestibility of N, P and phytate-P were investigated. The AME(N) was determined using 3- and 6-week old broilers, while the apparent ileal digestibility were determined only with 6-week old birds. Sex of broilers had no effect on the AME(N) values determined during week 3. During week 6, the AME(N) values for male broilers were higher (P < 0.01) than those for the females. An interaction (P < 0.05) between sex and dietary P level was also observed. AME(N) values determined with male broilers were lower in the adequate-P diet compared to those in the low-P diet, whereas no effect of P level was observed in females. Female broilers tended (P < 0.10) to have a higher ileal N digestibility than the males, but a significant (P < 0.01) sex x P level interaction was observed. Males receiving the adequate-P diet had a lower N digestibility than those receiving the low-P diet, whereas the opposite was true in the females. Ileal phytate P degradation in males was higher than in females (0.282 vs. 0.234), but the differences were not significant. Increasing dietary P level increased ileal P digestibility in both the males and females, but the improvements were greater in the females, as indicated by a significant sex x P level interaction.

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