Effects of Amylase and Cellulase Supplementation in Sorghum-based Diets for Finishing Pigs

Abstract

Three experiments were conducted to determine the effects of a sorghum-specific enzyme system, derived from an Aspergillus niger and Bacillus subtilis fermentation extract (carbohydrase activity of 1,650 α-amylase units and cellulase activity of 30 fibrinolytic units/mL), on growth performance of finishing pigs. In Exp. 1,192 pigs (average initial BW of 46.1 kg) were fed sorghum-based diets without or with 360 mL of enzyme system per ton of sorghum in a 78 d growth assay. For d 0 to 39, gain/feed was improved (p<0.03) with enzyme supplementation, but ADG was not affected (p>0.15). For d 39 to 78 and overall (d 0 to 78), ADG, gain/feed, and digestibilities of DM and N were not affected (p>0.13) by enzyme supplementation. Backfat thickness, fat-free lean index, and scores for stomach keratinization and ulcers also were not affected (p>0.15) by the dietary treatments. In Exp. 2,168 pigs (average initial BW of 58.4 kg) were fed diets without or with 150, 300, or 450 mL/ton of the same enzyme system used in Exp. 1. Adding as much as 450 mL enzyme system / ton of sorghum did not affect (p>0.15) ADG or gain/feed for d 0 to 29 of the growth assay. However, during d 29 to 63, ADG increased by 11% (linear effect, p<0.02) and gain/feed increased by 10% (linear effect, p<0.06) as enzyme concentration was increased from none to 450 mL/ton of sorghum. For the overall period (d 0 to 63), ADG tended to increase (p<0.08) with enzyme supplementation, but gain/feed and digestibilities of DM and N were not affected (p>0.14). Carcass characteristics (dressing percentage, backfat thickness, and fat free lean index) also were not affected (p>0.20) by addition of the enzyme system. In Exp. 3,176 pigs (average initial BW of 46.7 kg) were fed diets without or with 450, 900, or 1,350 mL/ton of the same enzyme system used in Exp. 1 and 2 in a 71 d growth assay. Adding up to 1,350 mL/ton of enzyme had no effects (p>0.15) on ADG, gain/feed, digestibilities of DM and N, and carcass characteristics (dressing percentage, backfat thickness, and fat-free lean index). In conclusion, finishing pigs fed diets with a sorghum-specific enzyme system showed some positive trends for improved growth performance, but those effects were not large and (or) consistent.

Effect of enzymes, flavor and organic acids on nutrient digestibility, performance and carcass traits of growing–finishing pigs fed diets containing dehydrated lucerne meal

“…However, there was no improvement in pig performance, nutrient digestibility or carcass traits as a result of supplementing the diet with an enzyme cocktail containing cellulase. This finding supports the work of Kim et al 39 and Park et al 40 who also observed no improvements in finisher pig performance as a result of cellulase supplementation of sorghum-meal based diets. In contrast, Omogbenigun et al 41 reported improvements in nutrient digestibility and pig performance when enzyme cocktails containing cellulases were fed to weaner pigs.…”

Utilization of Reconstituted High-tannin Sorghum in the Diets of Broiler Chickens

“…The effects of the enzyme (exogenous phytase and xylanase) in lysinedeficient diets containing wheat and sorghum were more pronounced than those of the individual feed enzymes (Selle et al, 2003a). The finishing pigs, fed diets with a sorghum-specific enzyme system, showed positive trends for improved growth performance (Park et al, 2003). Reduced nutrient specifications in terms of protein, amino acids, energy density and phosphorus (P) of standard diets had a negative impact on growth rates and feed efficiency, and phytase supplementation on sorghum or wheat-sorghum based diet had a positive influence on growth performance and protein efficiency ratios (Selle et al, 2003b).…”

Processing of ingredients and diets and effects on nutritional value for pigs

“…Addition of cellulase to DDGS may theoretically result in release of glucose that may be absorbed in the small intestine [ 20 ], but data to demonstrate this effect under practical conditions are lacking. Pigs fed a sorghum-SBM diet supplemented with the cellulase enzyme did not have improved growth performance or digestibility of DM, N, or GE compared with pigs fed a non-supplemented diet [ 19 , 146 ]. Kim et al [ 147 ] reported that pigs fed a corn-SBM based diet with addition of a cocktail of enzymes that contained α-galactosidase, β-mannanase, and β-mannosidase had improved energy and AA digestibility and improved G:F compared with pigs fed the same diet without enzymes.…”

“…Some of the chemicals used to increase fiber digestibility are sodium hydroxide (NaOH) [ 8 – 10 ], ammonium [ 11 , 12 ], calcium oxide [ 13 ], and calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH) 2 ) [ 14 ]. Benefits of microbial phytase in terms of increasing the digestibility of phosphorus [ 15 , 16 ] and calcium [ 17 , 18 ] are well documented, but cellulase, hemicellulase, xylanase, β-glucanase, α-galactosidase, or carbohydrase mixtures may potentially be used to increase energy and fiber digestibility in feed ingredients and diets [ 19 – 24 ]. There is, however, a lack of information about effects of many of these processing techniques on energy and nutrient digestibility and the utilization of feed by pigs.…”