Effects of 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol and phytase on zinc utilization in broiler chicks

Influence of supplemental phytase on calcium and phosphorus utilization in laying hens

A 6-wk study was conducted to determine the influence of supplemental phytase on Ca and P utilization in commercial laying hens. Diets were arranged factorially with three levels of dietary Ca (2.5, 2.8, and 3.1%), fed at two levels of nonphytate P (0.1 and 0.3% NPP) with and without supplemental phytase. Each diet was replicated eight times, with 16 hens per replicate. Criteria evaluated included egg specific gravity, feed consumption, egg production, egg weight, eggshell weight, bone quality, and body weight. Increasing dietary Ca significantly improved shell quality within 1 wk. A significant improvement in shell quality due to phytase supplementation was also observed during the 1st wk. Increasing NPP from 0.1 to 0.3% had not effect on egg specific gravity until Week 3, suggesting that the phytase benefit during Weeks 1 and 2 was related to improved Ca utilization. From Weeks 3 to 6, a significant P by phytase interaction was observed in which the magnitude of shell quality improvement was greatest when the 0.1% NPP diet was supplemented with phytase. This interaction was also observed from Weeks 3 to 6 for feed consumption and egg production and during Weeks 4 and 6 for egg weights. Phytase supplementation completely overcame the adverse effects associated with low dietary P and significantly reduced the impact of low dietary Ca on hen performance.

Phytase: sources, preparation and exploitation

This review deals with phytase (myo-inositol hexakisphosphate phosphohydrolase) and covers microbiological sources, phytase occurrence in plants and animals, its purification, physico-chemical and molecular properties. Protein engineering of phytase and potential enzyme applications are discussed.

Iron bioavailability in soybean meal as affected by supplemental phytase and 1 alpha-hydroxycholecalciferol

An Fe depletion-repletion chick bioassay was conducted to determine whether supplemental microbial phytase or 1 alpha-hydroxycholecalciferol (1 alpha-OH D3) would improve the bioavailability of Fe in soybean meal (SBM). Weight gain, hemoglobin, and hematocrit were markedly improved when increasing levels (0, 10, 20, and 80 mg/kg) of Fe from analytical grade ferrous sulfate (FeSO4.7H2O) were added to the Fe-deficient casein-dextrose basal diet containing 20 mg Fe/kg. Addition of 19 mg Fe/kg from SBM to the basal diet improved (P < 0.05) hemoglobin and hematocrit, but the response was less than that obtained from 10 mg Fe/kg from FeSO4.7H2O. Phytase (1,430 units/kg), 1 alpha-OHD3 (10 micrograms/kg), or the combination, added to the SBM-fortified basal diet did not further improve hematocrit or hemoglobin, indicating that Fe bioavailability of SBM was not increased by either of these feed additives. Based on standard-curve methodology, and using hemoglobin as a criterion, the relative bioavailability of Fe was 38.5% for SBM, 21.0% for SBM+phytase, 23.2% for SBM+1 alpha-OHD3, and 29.2% for SBM+phytase+ 1 alpha-OHD3.

1alpha-hydroxycholecalciferol does not increase the specific activity of intestinal phytase but does improve phosphorus utilization in both cecectomized and sham-operated chicks fed cholecalciferol-adequate diets

Two chick assays were conducted in an attempt to understand how 1alpha-hydroxylated cholecalciferol compounds [1,25-(OH)2 D3 and 1alpha-OH D3] function in chicks to improve utilization of phytate-bound phosphorus (P) and trace minerals. Mucosal tissue from chicks fed a P-deficient corn-soybean meal diet, with or without supplemental 1alpha-OH D3, was incubated with sodium phytate. Inorganic P (Pi) release from sodium phytate, a measure of mucosal phytase activity, was not influenced by 1alpha-OH D3 presence in the diet. Increasing doses of mucosal protein in tubes containing sodium phytate resulted in marked increases (P < 0.01) in Pi release, but 1alpha-OH D3 in the diet from which the duodenal mucosal tissue was obtained had no effect on Pi release. Similarly, addition of either 1alpha-OH D3 or 1,25-(OH)2 D3 directly to the incubation tubes had no effect on Pi production. Efficacy of supplemental 1alpha-OH D3 and phytase was also tested in cecectomized vs. sham-operated chicks that were fed P-deficient and cholecalciferol-adequate corn-soybean meal diets. Removal of the twin ceca was done in an attempt to remove much of the intestinal microbial activity, and in turn, much of the gut microbial phytase activity. Marked increases (P < 0.01) in bone ash occurred in response to phytase or 1alpha-OH D3 supplementation, and cecectomized birds responded to either addition in the same manner as sham-operated controls. The data suggest that the marked phytate-P releasing capacity of dietary 1alpha-OH D3 or 1, 25-(OH)2 D3 is not caused by an increased specific activity of intestinal phytase.

Efficacy of supplemental microbial phytase at different dietary calcium levels on growth performance and mineral utilization of broiler chickens

A 3-wk feeding trial with 240 sexed, day-old broiler chickens was conducted to determine the efficacy of microbial phytase at different levels of dietary Ca on performance and utilization of minerals in broiler chickens fed a low-P corn-soybean diet. The experimental design was a 3 x 2 factorial arrangement of treatments; Ca at 0.6, 1.0, and 1.25% and phytase at 0 and 600 phytase U/kg diet. Phytase supplementation, regardless of Ca level, increased (P < or = 0.005) feed intake, (P < or = 0.0001) body weight, and (P < or = 0.025) feed efficiency at 21 d; the optimum levels of body weight, feed intake, and feed efficiency were obtained with low (0.6%) dietary Ca plus phytase. Retentions of P, Ca, and N were increased (P < or = 0.05) by phytase supplementation. Although maximum retentions of P and N were obtained at the 1.0 and 1.25% Ca levels, respectively, they were not significantly different from the values obtained at 0.6% Ca. The increasing level of dietary Ca decreased plasma P ( P < or = 0.05) and Cu (P < or = 0.06). Phytase supplementation had the opposite effect; i.e., increased plasma P (P < or = 0.03) and Cu (P < or = 0.02). The maximum level of plasma P was obtained with phytase at the 1.0% Ca level, but this value was not significantly different from the value obtained with phytase at the 0.6% Ca level. Phytase supplementation increased (P < 0.04) the ash content of both tibia head and shaft but had no effect on mineral contents in the ash. The optimum level of ash content was observed with the 0.06% Ca diet plus phytase. The results show that microbial phytase supplementation to a low P diet improved growth performance and mineral utilization in broiler chickens. Dietary Ca levels had a significant effect on the response to phytase; the optimum growth performance and mineral utilization were achieved at the low (0.6%) level of dietary Ca supplemented with phytase.

The effects of supplemental microbial phytase on the performance and utilization of dietary calcium, phosphorus, copper, and zinc in broiler chickens fed corn-soybean diets

A 3-wk feeding trial with 180 sexed day-old broiler chickens was conducted to study the efficacy of microbial phytase (Natuphos 1000) on growth performance, relative retention of P, Ca, Cu, and Zn, and mineral contents of plasma and bone. Treatments involved a normal P level corn-soybean diet, a low-P diet, and a low-P plus phytase (600 phytase units/kg) diet. Phytase supplementation increased (P < or = 0.05) body weight in male and female chickens by 13.2 and 5.8%, respectively, at 21 d. The improvements yielded body weights comparable to those obtained on the normal P diet. Phytase supplementation overcame (P < or = 0.05) the depression of feed intake observed on the low-P diet. Treatments had no effect on feed:gain ratio. Phytase supplementation of the low-P diet increased (P < or = 0.05) the relative retention of total P, Ca, Cu, and Zn by 12.5, 12.2, 19.3, and 62.3 percentage units, respectively, in male chickens. Microbial phytase increased the plasma P by 15.7% and reduced (P < or = 0.05) the Ca concentration by 34.1%, but had no effect on plasma concentrations of Cu or Zn. Phytase supplementation increased the percentage ash in both head and shaft portions of dry, fat-free tibia bone to a level comparable to that of the normal-P diet. Phytase supplementation had no effect on the concentration of any of the minerals measured in whole tibia ash but did increase (P < or = 0.05) the DM percentage of P and Ca min tibia head of male chickens by 0.65 and 1.4 percentage units, respectively. These results show that microbial phytase supplementation of a low-P diet increased growth and relative retention of total P, Ca, Cu, and Zn and improved bone mineralization in broiler chickens.

Supplemental microbial phytase improves zinc utilization in broilers

Day-old male broilers (n = 384) were used in a 21-d trial to investigate the effect of microbial phytase on the retention and utilization of Zn. A corn-soybean isolate basal diet containing 20 ppm Zn was fed alone and supplemented with 5, 10, or 20 ppm Zn as ZnSO4.7H2O or with 150, 300, 450, or 600 U of phytase/kg of diet. Total excreta were collected during Days 18 to 20. Toe, tibia, and liver samples were taken at the end of the experiment. Adding Zn and phytase to the low Zn basal diet linearly increased BW gain and feed intake of broilers (P < 0.01). The gain to feed ratio was not changed by adding Zn but was decreased by adding phytase (P < 0.01). The amount of DM retained was linearly increased by adding Zn and phytase (P < 0.10), but DM retained as a percentage of intake was only increased by adding Zn (P < 0.05). The amount of Zn retained per bird was linearly improved by adding Zn and phytase (P < 0.01). Zinc retained as a percentage of intake was linearly decreased by adding Zn but was linearly increased by adding phytase (P < 0.10). Ash percentage of toe and tibia were not affected by adding Zn but were linearly improved by adding phytase (P < 0.10); however, the amount of ash in toe or tibia was increased by Zn (P < 0.05) and phytase (P < 0.01 for toe; not significant for tibia). The concentration and amount of Zn in toe and tibia were linearly increased by adding Zn and phytase (P < 0.001). The concentration of Zn in liver increased by adding Zn (P < 0.10) but was not significantly improved by adding phytase. The amount of Zn retained in liver was linearly improved by adding Zn and phytase (P < 0.05). Nonlinear or linear response equations of the effects of Zn and phytase levels were generated and used to calculate the Zn equivalency values. The average function of Zn equivalency values (Y, milligrams per kilogram) of microbial phytase (X, units per kilogram of diet) was developed: Y = 0.20 + 0.0082X. The results indicate that approximately 0.9 mg of Zn was released per 100 U of phytase over the range of 150 to 600 U of phytase.