Thermostable xylanase derived from Trichoderma citrinoviride increases growth performance and non-starch polysaccharide degradation in broiler chickens

The effect of thermostable and enteric-coated multi-protease on the performance and digestibility of laying hen fed low-protein diets

This study evaluated the efficacy of a multi-protease on the performance, egg quality and digestibility of laying hen. The study had four treatments: Control (without multi-protease, CON), Pro 1.2 (CON + 0.1% multi-protease), Pro 2.4 (CON + 0.2% multi-protease) and Pro 3.6 (CON + 0.3% multi-protease). Each treatment was replicated six times (replicate = experimental unit = one pen with 15 hens) to give a total of 360 layer hens of the Hy-line breed. The study lasted for a total of 3 months (14 day adaptation period + 84 days experimental period). The effects of the additive were assessed on: the performance variables, egg quality and ileal amino acid (AA) digestibility. At the end of the study, dietary supplementation with Pro 2.4 and Pro 3.6 improved (p < 0.05) hen-day egg production, egg mass and eggshell thickness compared with CON at the peak phase. Further improvements (p < 0.05) were observed in the digestibility of crude protein and AAs such as isoleucine, lysine, threonine and cysteine at Pro 2.4 and Pro 3.6 protease supplementation levels compared with CON, while arginine and alanine were higher (p < 0.05) at Pro 3.6 compared with CON. No differences were reported for other performances such as body weight, average daily feed intake, average egg weight, feed conversion ratio, eggshell hardness and all the egg qualities measured. Overall, the results from this study showed better efficacy at Pro 2.4 and Pro 3.6 on the performance of laying hen during the peak phase.

Purification and characterization of the low molecular weight xylanase from Bacillus cereus L-1

Xylanase is widely used in various industries such as food processing, paper, textiles, and leather tanning. In this study, Bacillus cereus L-1 strain was isolated and identified as capable of producing low molecular weight xylanase through 16 s rRNA sequencing. Maximum xylanase yield of 15.51 ± 2.08 U/mL was achieved under optimal fermentation conditions (5% inoculum, 20 g/L xylan, pH 6.0, for 24 h). After purification via ammonium sulfate precipitation and High-S ion exchange chromatography, electrophoretic purity xylanase was obtained with a 28-fold purification and specific activity of 244.97 U/mg. Xylanase had an optimal pH of 6.5 and temperature of 60 °C and displayed thermostability at 30 °C and 40 °C with 48.56% and 45.97% remaining activity after 180 min, respectively. The xylanase retained more than 82.97% of its activity after incubation for 24 h at pH 5.0 and was sensitive to metal ions, especially Mg2+ and Li+. Purified xylanase showed a molecular weight of 23 kDa on SDS-PAGE, and partial peptide sequencing revealed homology to the endo-1,4-beta-xylanase with a molecular weight of 23.3 kDa through LC/MS-MS (liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry). This study suggests that the purified xylanase is easier to purify and enriches low molecular weight xylanases from bacteria source.

Effects of meal processing of black soldier fly on standardized amino acids digestibility in pigs

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of incorporating black soldier fly (BSF) larvae and its processed form as an alternative source of protein to fish meal (FM) on the digestibility of amino acids (AA) in weaned pigs. Four cannulated pigs with an initial bodyweight of 13.25 ± 0.25 kg and aged 30 days were subjected to a 4 × 4 Latin square design with three treatments, as well as a nitrogen-free treatment. The diets used for each treatment consisted of a FM diet, a diet containing BSF larvae meal (BSFM), and a diet containing extruded BSF (BSFE). The study was conducted over four stages, with a total duration of 28 days. The apparent ileal digestibility (AID) of protein was higher in the FM treatment compared with the BSFM. Among essential AA, the AID of Arg, His, Leu, and Thr were higher in the FM compared with the BSFM and BSFE. A greater AID of Ile and Phe was observed in pigs in the FM treatment compared with the BSFM. The average AA digestibility did not show any difference between treatments. Among non-essential AA, the AID of Ala (p = 0.054) and Glu (p = 0.064) tended to be increased in the FM compared with the BSFM. Among essential AA, the standardized ileal digestibility (SID) of Arg, His, Ile, and Leu were higher in the FM compared with the BSFM. Among non-essential AA, the SID of Cys (p = 0.074) tended to be increased in the FM compared with the BSFM. In conclusion, the processing and thermal conditioning techniques utilized for BSF larvae meal showed a tendency for increased AA digestibility. Therefore, when formulating a diet, it is important to take into account the difference in AA digestibility between FM and BSFM.

Nutritional and Functional Roles of Phytase and Xylanase Enhancing the Intestinal Health and Growth of Nursery Pigs and Broiler Chickens

This review paper discussed the nutritional and functional roles of phytase and xylanase enhancing the intestinal and growth of nursery pigs and broiler chickens. There are different feed enzymes that are currently supplemented to feeds for nursery pigs and broiler chickens. Phytase and xylanase have been extensively studied showing consistent results especially related to enhancement of nutrient digestibility and growth performance of nursery pigs and broiler chickens. Findings from recent studies raise the hypothesis that phytase and xylanase could play functional roles beyond increasing nutrient digestibility, but also enhancing the intestinal health and positively modulating the intestinal microbiota of nursery pigs and broiler chickens. In conclusion, the supplementation of phytase and xylanase for nursery pigs and broiler chickens reaffirmed the benefits related to enhancement of nutrient digestibility and growth performance, whilst also playing functional roles benefiting the intestinal microbiota and reducing the intestinal oxidative damages. As a result, it could contribute to a reduction in the feed costs by allowing the use of a wider range of feedstuffs without compromising the optimal performance of the animals, as well as the environmental concerns associated with a poor hydrolysis of antinutritional factors present in the diets for swine and poultry.

Growth Stimulation, Phosphate Resolution, and Resistance to Fungal Pathogens of Some Endogenous Fungal Strains in the Rhizospheres of Medicinal Plants in Vietnam

Endophytic fungi are recognized for their many potential applications in agriculture, such as supporting cropland expansion and increasing the yield and resistance of plants by creating antibiotics that inhibit the growth of pathogenic microorganisms. In addition, they can produce enzymes that break down hard-to-solubilize substances within soil, dissolve phosphates, fix nitrogen, reduce metals, and produce hormones that promote plant growth (auxin, cytokinin, and gibberellins) to keep crops healthy. In this report, three strains of endophytic fungi, namely, N1, N2, and N3, were isolated from the roots of Stevia rebaudiana (Bert.) Hemsl., Polyscias fruticosa, and Angelica dahurica in some localities in Vietnam. Through a screening process, it was found that they can produce high levels of indole acetic acid (IAA), resolve phosphates, and resist disease, and they were selected to as an alternative to chemical fertilizers to make probiotics in order to increase medicinal plant yields. The results show that the three strains of fungi have the ability to degrade phosphate to 341.90, 1498.46, and 390.79 ppm; the content of IAA produced in the culture medium reached 49.00, 52.35, and 33.34 ppm. Based on some morphological characteristics and an internal transcribed spacer gene sequence analysis of the fungal strains, N1, N2, and N3 were named Penicillium simplicissimum CN7, Talaromyces flavus BC1, and Trichoderma konilangbra DL3, respectively, which have the ability to inhibit the growth of pathogenic fungal strains, such as fungus C. gloeosporioides (CD1), fungus F. oxysporum, fungus L. theobromae N13, and N. dimidiatum. They grow significantly over a period of 5 to 6 days.

Live Performance and Microbial Load Modulation of Broilers Fed a Direct-Fed Microbials (DFM) and Xylanase Combination

The animal industry, which focuses on producing protein for human consumption, is continuously seeking solutions that can enhance both animal performance and health at a low cost. Several feed additives are currently being used to improve the nutritive value of feed as well as replacing the subtherapeutic levels of antibiotic growth promoters (AGP). This study was designed to investigate the effect of a feed additive that is a blend of multi-strain Bacillus spp. probiotics and a xylanase in a 2 × 2 factorial dietary treatments design, testing two levels of the feed additive blend (0 and 100 g/MT) and two cereal grain types (corn and wheat) on live performance, gut lesions, environmental Clostridium perfringens load, and pathogen load in the digesta of broiler chickens (E. tenella, total aerobic count cells (APC), E. coli, and C. perfringens). Day-old chicks were randomly placed in 10 replicate pens per treatment with 52 birds per replicate and grown to 42 d of age. Data were analyzed by two-way ANOVA. At 42 d, birds fed EnzaPro were heavier (p < 0.0004) than unsupplemented birds. An improvement in FCR (p = 0.03) was observed from 1 to 42 d by approximately two points in both corn- and wheat-based diets supplemented with EnzaPro. In wheat-based diets, supplementing EnzaPro reduced (p < 0.0001) a 21 d lesion score of intestines with a further reduction (p < 0.02) at 42 d. EnzaPro reduced (p < 0.03) litter moisture by approximately 1% compared to non-supplemented EnzaPro in both corn- and wheat-based diets. Pathogen load in digesta (C. perfringens, E. tenella, APC, and E. coli) was reduced (p < 0.0002) when EnzaPro was supplemented in diets. It can be concluded that EnzaPro (a blend of DFM Bacillus spp (1 × 105 CFU/g feed) and xylanase (10 XU/g feed)) may be used in both corn- and wheat-based diets to improve the performance and gut health of broilers.

Characterization of yeast cell surface displayed Lentinula edodes xylanase and its effects on the hydrolysis of wheat

The current study displayed a xylanase from Lentinula edodes on the surface of Pichia pastoris (sdLeXyn) and investigated its properties and effects on the wheat hydrolysis. Fluorescence microscope results showed that sdLeXyn was successfully anchored and displayed on the surface of P. pastoris X-33 cells. The highest activity of sdLeXyn was obtained at pH 3.0 and 50 °C. The sdLeXyn exhibited anti-high temperature property and showed broad temperature adaptability (>55% of the highest activity at 20-80 °C). The sdLeXyn was very stable at room temperature and could remain functionally stable at 50 °C for 3 h. The K_m value was greater in sdLeXyn than that in free recombinant L. edodes xylanase. The sdLeXyn exhibited well resistance to Mn²⁺, Zn²⁺, Ca²⁺, Na⁺, Cu²⁺, Mg²⁺, K⁺, Ni²⁺ (1 mM and 5 mM) except Cu²⁺, which reduced the sdLeXyn activity by 54.5% at 5 mM dosage. The activity of sdLeXyn was increased by 42.6% by 5 mM Mn²⁺, 5 mM DTT, Trition X-100, and Tween 20 did not affect the activity of sdLeXyn, but SDS and EDTA slightly reduced it by 12.8% and 14.6%, respectively. The sdLeXyn could resist the degradation of pepsin, efficiently hydrolyzed wheat and reduced the viscosity of wheat hydrolysate. Current data indicate that the sdLeXyn has a potential as a feed additive to improve the utilization of wheat in poultry production.

Invitro bioprocessing of corn as poultry feed additive by the influence of carbohydrate hydrolyzing metagenome derived enzyme cocktail

The carbohydrate-hydrolyzing enzymes play a crucial role in increasing the phenolic content and nutritional properties of polysaccharides substrate, essential for cost-effective industrial applications. Also, improving the feed efficiency of poultry is essential to achieve significant economic benefits. The current study introduced a novel thermostable metagenome-derived xylanase named PersiXyn8 and investigated its synergistic effect with previously reported α-amylase (PersiAmy3) to enhance poultry feed utilization. The potential of the enzyme cocktail in the degradation of poultry feed was analyzed and showed 346.73 mg/g poultry feed reducing sugar after 72 h of hydrolysis. Next, the impact of solid-state fermentation on corn quality was investigated in the presence and absence of enzymes. The phenolic content increased from 36.60 mg/g GAE in control sample to 68.23 mg/g in the presence of enzymes. In addition, the enzyme-treated sample showed the highest reducing power OD 700 of 0.217 and the most potent radical scavenging activity against ABTS (40.36%) and DPPH (45.21%) radicals. Moreover, the protein and ash contents of the fermented corn increased by 4.88% and 6.46%, respectively. These results confirmed the potential of the carbohydrate-hydrolyzing enzymes cocktail as a low-cost treatment for improving the phenolic content, antioxidant activity, and nutritional values of corn for supplementation of corn-based poultry feed.

Changes in Growth Performance and Ileal Microbiota Composition by Xylanase Supplementation in Broilers Fed Wheat-Based Diets

Xylanase exerts key roles in improving growth performance and intestinal health of broilers fed wheat-based diets. However, knowledge is limited regarding effects of xylanase supplementation on ileal microbiota in broilers. A total of 128 one-day-old broilers (initial BW 48.03 ± 0.33 g) were selected to investigate effects of xylanase (AT-xynA) on growth performance, ileal morphology, microbiota composition, immune response, antioxidant capacity, and endocrine peptide levels in broilers. Broilers were randomly allotted into two dietary treatments (n = 8), namely, a wheat-soybean basal diet and a basal diet with 4,000 U/kg AT-xynA (XY). On days 7, 14, 21, and 42, broilers were weighted and ileal tissues were sampled. Ileal digesta samples were collected for analyzing microbiota composition on days 21 and 42. The results showed that AT-xynA could improve average daily weight gain and average daily feed intake, and there were interactions between diet and age of broilers (p < 0.05). On days 21 and 42, xylanase supplementation decreased ileal microbiota α-diversity, and the relative abundance of potentially pathogenic microbiota, such as phylum Proteobacteria, family Moraxellaceae and Staphylococcaceae, genus Staphylococcus, Pseudomonas, Streptococcus, and Enterococcus, increased the abundance of Lactobacillus (p < 0.05). Moreover, the reduction in acetate concentration and abundance of short-chain fatty acid-producing bacteria was also observed in broilers from XY group (p < 0.05). AT-xynA increased ileal villus height, glucagon-like peptide-1, and insulin-like growth factor-1 concentrations and decreased interleukin-1β, interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-α, and malondialdehyde content in broilers, and these positive effects on intestinal health were greater in young broilers. In conclusion, xylanase supplementation to wheat-based diets could improve ileal intestinal morphology and immune function, and alleviate excess fermentation of bacteria, which may be related to changes of intestinal microbiota. In addition, the positive effects of xylanase on intestinal health were more pronounced in young broilers, thus contributing to subsequent improvement in growth performance of broilers.

Effects of Dietary Fiber on Nutrients Utilization and Gut Health of Poultry: A Review of Challenges and Opportunities

Simple Summary

The inclusion of agricultural co-products has been increased to utilize the nutrients in these products available at low cost, but inherently, it adds a high dietary fiber content in the poultry diets. The use of exogenous feed enzymes along with advancements in feed milling, feed formulation, and processing of these non-conventional ingredients to improve their digestibility and utilization have played an emphatic role in boosting their use globally. Despite such developments, the presence of a high level of dietary fibers (DF) acting in an anti-nutritive manner still poses challenges in poultry feeding. Various isolated forms of fiber or feed enzymes to break DF into fermentable substrates are being used extensively to provide potential prebiotics to support beneficial gut microbiota or probiotics to improve the gut health of poultry raised without antibiotic growth promoters (AGP). This review reports and discusses the existing challenges in feeding high-DF feed ingredients to poultry and the opportunities that are available to improve the nutritive value of such non-conventional feed ingredients by adopting various technologies.

Abstract

Many fibrous ingredients incorporated in poultry feed to reduce production costs have low digestibility and cause poor growth in poultry. However, all plant-based fibers are not equal, and thus exert variable physiological effects on the birds, including but not limited to, digestibility, growth performance, and microbial fermentation. Several types of fibers, especially oligosaccharides, when supplemented in poultry diets in isolated form, exhibit prebiotic effects by enhancing beneficial gut microbiota, modulating gut immunity, boosting intestinal mucosal health, and increasing the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) in the gut. Recently, poultry producers are also facing the challenge of limiting the use of antibiotic growth promoters (AGP) in poultry feed. In addition to other alternatives in use, exogenous non-starch polysaccharides digesting enzymes (NSPase) and prebiotics are being used to provide substrates to support the gut microbiome. We also conducted a meta-analysis of different studies conducted in similar experimental conditions to evaluate the variability and conclusiveness in effects of NSPase on growth performance of broilers fed fibrous ingredients. This review presents a holistic approach in discussing the existing challenges of incorporating high-fiber ingredients in poultry feed, as well as strategies to fully utilize the potential of such ingredients in improving feed efficiency and gut health of poultry.