Growth performance and meat yields of broiler chickens fed diets containing low and ultra-low oligosaccharide soybean meals during a 6-week production period

Effects of soybean oligosaccharide, stachyose, and raffinose on growth performance and cecal microbiota in broiler chickens

This study was conducted to examine the effects of soybean oligosaccharide, stachyose, and raffinose on growth performance and cecal microbiota in broiler chickens. Three-hundred 1-day-old Arbor Acres broiler chickens were randomly assigned to five dietary treatments: a basal diet (control diet); diets supplemented with soybean oligosaccharide, stachyose, or raffinose at levels of 0.6% total sugar content; and diet with soybean meals (positive control). Results showed that feed-to-gain ratio (F/G) was improved (p < 0.05) in broiler chickens that received stachyose, but not raffinose, while addition of soybean oligosaccharide to the diet significantly (p < 0.05) resulted in decreases in the average daily feed intake (ADFI) and average daily gain (ADG). Supplementation with soybean oligosaccharide, stachyose, or raffinose had a positive effect (p < 0.05) on the nutrient digestibility, but not on the blood immune parameters (p > 0.05). The results of the gene sequencing indicated that, at the family level, Ruminococcaceae, Lachnospiraceae, and Lactobacillaceae were comparatively present in all the treatments but the cecal microbial composition was changed after dietary addition of different oligosaccharides. Our study had led to a greater understanding of prebiotic effects of these oligosaccharides on growth and intestinal health.

Effect of replacing conventional soybean meal with low-oligosaccharide soybean meal on growth performance and carcass characteristics of wean-to-finish pigs1

A trial was conducted to determine the effect of replacing conventional soybean meal (CSBM) with low-oligosaccharide soybean meal (LOSBM) on growth performance and carcass characteristics of wean-to-finish pigs. A total of 432 crossbred pigs (19 d and 6.6 ± 1.2 kg BW) were blocked by sex and BW and assigned to 1 of 6 dietary treatments: 1) CSBM in all phases and fishmeal and spray-dried plasma protein (FM/SDPP) in phases 1 to 3, 2) CSBM in all phases but with no FM/SDPP, 3) LOSBM and FM/SDPP in phases 1 to 3 and CSBM in phases 4 to 6, 4) LOSBM in phases 1 to 3 and CSBM in phases 4 to 6, 5) LOSBM in phases 1 to 6 and FM/SDPP in phases 1 to 3, and 6) LOSBM in phases 1 to 6. The results showed that pig growth performance (ADG, ADFI, and G:F) during the overall period (phases 1 to 6) and carcass traits (HCW, dressing percentage, fat depth, loin depth, and lean percentage) were not affected ( > 0.05) by dietary treatments. Moreover, replacing CSBM with LOSBM in phases 1 to 3 did not affect early phase growth performance in the absence of FM/SDPP but reduced ( ≤ 0.05) ADFI and increased ( < 0.05) G:F during the nursery period (phases 1 and 2) in the presence of FM/SDPP. In phase 2, LOSBM increased ( < 0.05) blood urea nitrogen in comparison with CSBM. In conclusion, reduction of oligosaccharide by replacing CSBM with LOSBM in the early, late, or entire phase of the wean-to-finish period did not improve growth performance and carcass characteristics of pigs.

Effect of replacing conventional soybean meal with low oligosaccharide soybean meal fed to weanling piglets

An experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of replacing conventional soybean meal (CSBM) with low-oligosaccharide soybean meal (LOSBM) on growth performance, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), intestinal morphology, viscosity of the intestinal contents, and visceral organ weight of weanling pigs. Thirty-two 19-d old individually housed pigs (6.2 ± 0.4 kg BW) were blocked by BW, and randomly assigned from within blocks to 1 of 4 dietary treatments: (1) CSBM with inclusion of fish meal and spray dried plasma protein (CSBM+), (2) CSBM without inclusion of fish meal and spray dried plasma protein (CSBM-), (3) LOSBM with inclusion of fish meal and spray dried plasma protein (LOSBM+), and (4) LOSBM without inclusion of fish meal and spray dried plasma protein (LOSBM-) according to a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement. Pigs were fed the experimental diets ad libitum for 14 d. Average daily gain and ADFI were not affected ( > 0.05) by the dietary treatments. However, inclusion of fish meal and spray dried plasma protein improved ( = 0.04) the gain to feed ratio. Replacing CSBM with LOSBM reduced ( = 0.01) viscosity of the intestinal contents. Dietary treatments had no effect ( > 0.05) on the small intestinal length and weights of organs including the pancreas, liver, heart, kidney, and spleen. No differences ( > 0.05) were observed between dietary treatments in villus height, crypt depth, and the ratio of villus height to crypt depth in the ileum, and crypt depth and the ratio of villus height to crypt depth in the jejunum; however, jejunal villus height was reduced ( = 0.02) when replacing CSBM with LOSBM. Concentration of BUN was higher ( = 0.01) for pigs fed the LOSBM diets compared with pigs fed the diets containing CSBM. In conclusion, LOSBM reduced the intestinal digesta viscosity but had no effects on growth performance and intestinal morphology when fed to piglets during the first 2 wk after weaning.