Effect of dietary enzyme complex on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and fecal noxious gas emission in growing pigs

Abstract Text: A total of 180 growing pigs [(Yorkshire × Landrace) × Duroc] with an average BW of 26.40 ± 2.29 kg were used in this 6-wk study to evaluate the effect of dietary enzyme complex (cellulase, 12,000 units/g; amylase, 10,000 units/g, protease, 2,000 units/g; xylanase, 1,500 units/g; phytase, 1000 units/g; β-glucanase, 125 units/g; mannanase, 30 units/g; pectinase, 20 units/g; lipase, 5 units/g, and galactosidase, 3 units/g) on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and fecal noxious gas emission in growing pigs. Pigs were allotted to pen given a basal diet with 0 (CON), 0.05% (EC1), and 0.10% (EC2) enzyme complex. Pig BW and feed consumption were recorded on d 42 to calculate ADG, ADFI, and G:F. Pigs were fed diets mixed with chromic oxide (0.2%) for the determination of apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) for DM and N. On d 42, fecal samples were collected in each pen via rectal massage, and the urine was collected in a bucket via a funnel below the cage. Subsamples of slurry (150 g fresh feces and 150 g urine) were taken and stored in 2.6-L plastic boxes. The samples were permitted to ferment for 1 d at 25°C, after which the adhesive plasters were punctured, and a gas sampling pump was utilized for gas detection. After collection, the boxes were resealed with adhesive plaster to measure the fecal gas content at d 3, 5, and 7 as aforementioned. All data were analyzed as a randomized complete block design using the GLM procedures. Orthogonal contrasts were used to determine the effect of treatments: CON vs. EC1 + EC2 and EC1 vs. EC2, and P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Overall period (d 0 to 42), pigs fed with enzyme complex inclusion diets had a greater (P < 0.05) ATTD of DM and N than those fed with basal diet (CON). In conclusion, enzyme complex supplementation in corn-soybean based diets improved the ATTD of DM and N, but it neither improved growth performance nor decreased fecal noxious gas emissions in growing pigs.

Keywords: enzyme complex, growing pigs, nutrient digestibility