IN-VITRO ASSESSMENT OF SOME HIGH FIBRE FEEDSTUFFS AS PROBIOTICS IN BROILER DIETS

Abstract

Recent development of antibiotics-resistant pathogens in poultry which poses threat to human health has necessitated the search for alternative to antibiotic growth promoters (AGPS) to improve gut microflora in poultry diets. One of the alternatives to AGPS are probiotics which are beneficial organisms. Prebiotics are by-products of digestion of polysaccharides which poultry do not have enzymes to digest but are food for probiotics. Advent of enzymes makes this digestion possible. The prebiotic potentials of enzyme supplemented high fibre feedstuffs (HFFs) are not known. This study was conducted to screen some HFFs such as wheat bran (WB), maize bran (MB), palm kernel cake (PKC), rice husk (RH) and brewers dried grain (BDG) for production of oligosaccharides through xylanase digestion. Five high fibre feedstuffs (HFFs) (WB, BDG, PKC, RH and MB) screened for oligosaccharides production using the Benedict's test showed that all the feedstuffs screened except maize bran tested positive for the presence of oligosaccharides. The increase in dietary levels of HFFS generally could increase feed intake, reduced weight gain and increased feed/gain ratio (P<0.05). Enzyme Supplementation generally reduced feed intake while improving crude protein retention (P<0.05). There was no significantly different (P>0.05) interaction between the nutrients and enzyme studied. It was concluded that enzyme supplementation of high fibre feedstuffs could improve growth performance, nutrient retention and increased concentration of beneficial microbes in gut. Use of enzymes is therefore recommended when HFFs are required as prebiotic source in the gut of broilers.