Effects of β‐glucanase and xylanase supplementation on gastrointestinal digestive enzyme activities of weaned piglets fed a barley‐based diet

Abstract

The effects of supplementing a barley-based diet for weaned piglets withexogenous beta-glucanase and xylanase on gastrointestinal digestiveenzyme activities were investigated. Thirty-six cross-bred weaned pigletswere randomly assigned to two groups with three pens based on sexand mass. Each group was fed on the diet based on barley with or withoutadded beta-glucanase and xylanase (0.15%) for a 4-week period. Theresults showed that enzyme supplementation improved growth performanceof piglets significantly (p < 0.05), but had no effect (p = 0.091)on average daily feed intake. The results also showed that supplementationof beta-glucanase and xylanase had no effect on pepsin activity in gastriccontents but slightly decreased (p = 0.092) the pepsin activity ingastric mucosa. Meanwhile, no effect of enzyme supplementation ontrypsin activity in duodenal contents was observed. However, the activitiesof amylase and lipase in duodenal contents were significantly(p < 0.05) decreased, whereas the activities of maltase, sucrase andgamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (gamma-GT) in jejunal and ileal mucosa wereenhanced significantly (p < 0.05). The improvement of disaccharidaseand gamma-GT activity may be attributed to the positive impacts of exogenousenzymes on digestion and absorption of the nutrients. In conclusion,the current results indicated that supplementation with enzymes in barley-based diets could improve the growth performance of piglets,decrease the activities of amylase and lipase in duodenal contents andincrease the activities of disaccharidase and gamma-GT in jejunal and ilealmucosa.

Effects of a blend of essential oils and an enzyme combination on nutrient digestibility, ileum histology and expression of inflammatory mediators in weaned piglets

“…Similar to present study, EO and XB supplementation did not improve ADG in piglets fed wheat barley-based diets (Muhl and Liebert, 2007;Owusu-Asiedu et al, 2010). In contrast, increased growth performance was reported by other authors (Fan et al, 2009;Maenner et al, 2011). The obtained results on growth performance could outline that the positive effects over the gut environment and inflammatory mediators or microbial faecal counts lead to a better health status of the piglets, but the effects of the administered compounds over these parameters was not sufficient to translate in increased growth.…”

“…Enzymes may improve gut health through the production of a variety of polysaccharide hydrolysis products that manipulate the growth of gastrointestinal microorganisms and/or reducing the intestinal viscosity due to the soluble non-starch polysaccharide, which might reduce rate of digesta passage and diffusion of digestive enzymes (de Lange et al, 2010). Fan et al (2009) evidenced an increase of the villus height in the duodenum, jejunum and ileum and decreased crypt depth in response to dietary supplementation of Acanthopanax senticosus extract, and Mathlouthi et al (2002) found that the addition of XB increased the villus size and V : C ratio of broilers. Despite the positive results obtained over intestinal histometry in treated animals, in the present study no enhanced faecal nutrients digestibility was observed, possibly because the observational period of the present study was that one around weaning, a period notoriously rich in stressful events which tend to diminish performances.…”

“…Moreover, enzymes supplementation would affect some components of gut health and intestinal barrier, including intestine structure, bacteria populations and microbial metabolites released in the gut lumen (Zijlstra et al, 2010). The administration of enzymes such as a combination of XB improves growth performance in piglets due to increased nutrient digestibility (Omogbenigun et al, 2004;Kiarie et al, 2007;Fan et al, 2009).…”

<b>Effect of using the Matrix Values for NSP-degrading enzymes on performance, water intake, litter moisture and jejunal digesta viscosity of broilers fed barley-based diet

“…Prolonged accumulation of undigested material in the gut could cause an increase in size of gastrointestinal tract and organs as a response to intestinal motility and digestive excretions (Shakouri, Iji, Mikkelson, & Cowieson, 2009). The increase in pancreas weight for birds fed barley could be related to an increase in endogenous enzyme activities and secretion volume required to digest barley, as reported earlier by Fan, Han, Xu, Wang, & Shi (2008). The reduction in the size and weight of the intestine and pancreas is related to the decrease of digesta viscosity and rapid digestion of nutrients (Wang, Qiao, Lu, and Li, 2005).…”

Effect of Italian heavy pig diets based on different barley varieties with or without non-starch polysaccharides degrading enzymes on growth performance, carcass characteristics and fresh thigh quality

“…The most of the studies focuses on the use of exogenous NSP enzymes in diets for weaned piglets, as especially piglets do not produce enzymes capable of degrading NSP (Kerr & Shurson 2013). Li et al (2004) and Fan et al (2009) reported that the addition of b-glucanase and xylanase to barley-based diets improved growth performance of piglets. However, the need for exogenous NSP enzyme supplementation of barley-based diets on weaned piglets can depend on the used barley variety (Prandini et al 2014).…”