Sarhad J. Agric. Vol.25, No.3, 2009
NUTRITIONAL IMPORTANCE OF EXOGENOUS ENZYMES
IN BROILER RATION AT FINISHER PHASE
ALTAF-UR-RAHMAN*, SOHAIL AHMED*, DAULAT KHAN*, MUNIB HUSSAIN**,
IJAZ AHMAD*, ZAHIR SHAH*, SYED MOHAMMAD SOHAIL*,
IKRAM-UL-HAQ***, ABDUL HAFEEZ* and ZIA-UR-REHMAN*
*
**
***
Faculty of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Sciences, NWFP Agricultural University, Peshawar, Pakistan
Animal Sciences Division, National Agricultural Research Center, Islamabad, Pakistan
Department of Agricultural Extension Education & Communication, NWFP Agricultural University,
Peshawar, Pakistan
ABSTRACT
The present study was conducted at Akbar Poultry Farm Tehsil Munda, Timergara, District Lower Dir,
North West Frontier Province during 2006. The aim of the trial was to evaluate the nutritional importance of
Driselase-1 (a mixture of amylase, protease and cellulose) for commercial broiler chicks. Gain in body weight
(GBW), dry matter intake DMI) and feed efficiency (FE) were the main parameters. For this purpose, one hundred
and ninety two, 21 days old chicks were randomly distributed into 4 main groups, A, B, C and D, each group was
subdivided into 4 sub-groups contained 12 birds each. Four experimental diets were randomly allotted to these 16
sub-groups. All the 4 diets had 1 kg (basal feed ingredients) plus Driselase-1 @ 0, 1, 2 and 4 g/kg. The rations were
offered ad libitum twice daily. The data were statistically analyzed, using completely randomized design. The
experiment was lasted for 21 days. Feeding Driselase-1, during finisher phase had no effect (P>0.05) on GBW,
DMI and FE. It was concluded that the addition of Driselase-1 in the finisher ration has no beneficial effects on the
growth performance of broiler chicks.
Key Words: Exogenous enzymes, Broiler Rations, Finisher Phase
Citation: Altaf-ur-Rahman, S. Ahmed, D. Khan, M. Hussain, I. Ahmad, Z. Shah, S.M. Sohail, Ikram-ul-Haq, A.
Hafeez and Zia-ur-Rehman. 2009. Nutritional importance of exogenous enzymes in broiler ration at finisher phase.
Sarhad J. Agric. 25(3): 475-478.
INTRODUCTION
The major non nutrient feed additives are antibiotics, hormones or growth promoters, implants, taste and
colour enhancers, pre-biotics, probiotics, yeast and enzymes. The major functions of these additives are to improve the
health status, reproductive efficiency, feed palatability, general appearance, utilisation and digestion rate (Jin et al., 2000:
Hamid and Qureshi, 2001: Kabir et al. 2004: Altaf et al., 2007: Rafi 2007). Among these additives, the usage of
enzymes is considered easy, economical and non hazardous to human health (Bedford and Apajalahti, 2001: Alam et al.,
2003: Altaf et al 2007). Enzyme feeding to broilers can reduce the moisture content of the faeces; to keep the litter dry
(Alam et al., 2003). Moreover, the inclusion of exogenous enzymes could directly compensate with the endogenous
enzymes for speeding up their catalytic and hydrolytic activities for increasing the rate of digestion, absorption and
metabolism of complex organic feed nutrients (Douglas et al., 2000: Jin et al., 2000: Engberg et al., 2002). In the early
part of the present research work, it was observed that increasing levels of Driselase-1 linearly increased the gain in
body weight and feed efficiency in the commercial broilers at the starter phase (Altaf et al., 2007). Therefore, it was
hypothesised that the Driselase-1 would also show the same efficacy during the finisher phase as well.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Site of Experiment
The study was conducted at Akbar Poultry Farm Tehsil Munda, Timergara, District Lower Dir. Distribution of
Experimental chicks One hundred and ninety two, 3 weeks old Hubbard broiler chicks were randomly divided into 4
groups, namely A, B, C and D. Each group was further divided into 4 sub groups, containing 12 chicks each (Table I).
476
Altaf-ur-Rahman et al. Nutritional importance of exogenous enzymes in broiler ration…
Table I. Experimental design
Driselase-1
(g/kg)
0.0
1.0
2.0
4.0
Treatments
Rations
I
II
III
IV
Replicates
Groups
1
2
3
4
A
B
C
D
12
12
12
12
12
12
12
12
12
12
12
12
12
12
12
12
Source, Levels and Activities of Enzymes in Driselase-1
Four experimental diets were prepared (Table II). The chemical composition of each diet was evaluated using
the feed analytical methods given in AOAC (2006). The rations were randomly allotted to these 16 sub-groups. All the 4
diets had 1 kg (basal feed ingredients) plus 0, 1, 2 and 4 g of Driselase-1 (Table II). The Driselase-1 is the product of Han
Dong Company, Korea. Each kg of Driselase-1 had cellulase 1,000,000 units, amylase 700,000 units and protease
450,000 units. Each ration was offered ad libitum twice daily. Fresh drinking water was available all the time. The birds
were raised on deep litter system using saw dust as a bedding material. The trial was lasted for 21 days.
Table II. Composition of the finisher rations
Rations
Ingredients
I
Driselase-1(g)
Wheat bran (g)
Corn (g)
Fish meal (g)
Soybean meal (g)
Rice (g)
Vegetable oil (g)
Blood meal (g)
Corn gluten meal (60%) (g)
Di-calcium Phosphate (g)
Lime stone (g)
Salt (g)
Vitamin Minerals Premix (g)*
Lysine (g)
Methionine (g)
Total
0
200
420
50
100
30
60
20
80
19
12.5
2
5
0.06
1.44
1000
Nutrient composition
ME (kcal/kg)
2956.5
Crude protein
Crude fiber
21.402
7.722
II
1
200
420
50
100
30
60
20
80
19
12.5
2
5
0.06
1.44
1000
2956.5
21.402
7.722
III
IV
2
200
420
50
100
30
60
20
80
19
12.5
2
5
0.06
1.44
1000
4
200
420
50
100
30
60
20
80
19
12.5
2
5
0.06
1.44
1000
2956.5
2956.5
21.402
7.722
21.402
7.722
Data Collection and Statistical Analysis
The data were collected for daily dry matter intake, weekly gain in live weight and feed efficiency. The data
were analysed with the standard procedures of analysis of variance, using Completely Randomized Design, while the
mean values were compared by least significance difference as described by Steel and Torrie (1981). The statistical
package (SAS, 2007) was used to perform the above analysis on computer.
Statistical Modal
Yij
=
Yij
=
Tj
=
∑ij
=
µ
=
µ+Tj+∑ij
ith observation of jth treatment.
Effects due to treatment.
Experimental or random error.
Over all mean (mean effect).
477
Sarhad J. Agric. Vol.25, No.3, 2009
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Gain in Body Weight
The mean values for gain in body weight were found to be similar (P>0.05) among all the 4
groups of chicks consumed control or Driselase-1 added experimental diets (Table III). Based on the
findings of the first part of the present experiment (Altaf et al., 2007), it was hypothesised that at the finisher stage,
increasing levels of Driselase-1 would also improve the overall performance of the experimental birds. But such
hypothesis was not found to be true, because, the Driselase-1 was found to be inactive at the finisher stage and
brought no change in gain in body weight of the chicks fed Driselase-1 added rations versus the chicks fed the
control diets. The obvious reasons might be (i) The concentrations of the enzymes in Driselase-1 was not enough to
compensate the catalytic activities of the endogenous enzymes for maximizing the digestion rate of the substrates in
the digestive tract of the experimental birds. Therefore, the birds fed Driselase-1 added rations did not show any
positive response in the gain in body weight of the experimental birds. Such justification is further supported by the
findings of Douglas et al., (2000) they achieved higher gain in body weight of broiler chicks at finisher phase, for
every 10 fold increase of protease and hemicellulase addition in soybean meal based diets. Therefore, further
research work is suggested to use Driselase-1 above than 4 g/kg in the broiler rations at finisher stage. (ii) it might
be possible that with the advancement of age, the production or the concentration of endogenous enzymes in the
digestive juices might be enough or over than the concentration of substrates for their proper digestion. So, in such
condition addition of exogenous enzymes might be looking not beneficial. (iii) or there could be any other hidden
factor, which inhibited the catalytic activities of the enzymes present in the Driselase-1 at finisher stage. However,
the results of the present study are not maching with the findings of Biswas et al., (1999), Choct et al., (1999)
Hübner and Simon (2002), Alam et al., (2003) and Józefiak etal., (2004) who achieved more gain in body weight by
feeding enzymes added rations versus control in broiler chicks during the finisher phase.
Table III. Mean values for gain in body weight, dry matter intake and feed efficiency at finisher phase
Driselase-1
Rations
(g/kg)
0
I
1
II
2
III
4
IV
P. values
Least Significant Difference values
Groups
A
B
C
D
Gain in body weight
(g)
1560.0
1577.5
1596.5
1607.5
0.0521
56.68
Dry matter intake
(g)
2125.2
2056.2
2125.7
2149.0
0.0562
94.68
Feed efficiency
(values)
1.39
1.31
1.36
1.46
0.0556
0.91
Dry Matter Intake and Feed Efficiency
Driselase-1 addition did not change (P>0.05) the dry matter intake as well as the feed efficiency of the
experimental birds (Table III). The results are in contrary with those investigated by Bergh et al., 1999 and Bougon
et al (1999), who observed the significant reduction in the DMI of the broiler at finisher phase, when the
experimental chicks were fed on wheat or barley based rations, treated with different concentrations of gluconase
and protease. The variation in the results of Bougon et al. (1999) versus the results of the present study could be due
to concentration of enzymes versus concentration of substrate, source or origin of enzymes, physical nature of
enzyme mixture i.e. powdered or in liquid form or any other hidden factor etc.
CONCLUSION
Feeding Driselase-1, during finisher phase had no effect (P>0.05) on GBW, DMI and FE. It was concluded
that the addition of Driselase-1 in the finisher ration has no beneficial effects on the growth performance of broiler
chicks. Therefore it was recommended that the use of Driselase-1 in broiler ration should be avoided finisher ration.
Altaf-ur-Rahman et al. Nutritional importance of exogenous enzymes in broiler ration…
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