Effect of stachyose supplementation on growth performance, nutrient digestibility and caecal fermentation characteristics in broilers

1. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether the oligosaccharide stachyose enhances gastrointestinal tract health by fermentation and proliferation of desirable bacteria species and thus affects growth performance and nutrient digestibility in broilers. 2. A total of 432 1-d-old male Arbor...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:British poultry science 2006-08, Vol.47 (4), p.516-522
Main Authors: Jiang, H.Q, Gong, L.M, Ma, Y.X, He, Y.H, Li, D.F, Zhai, H.X
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal Feed
Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena
Animals
broiler chickens
cecum
Cecum - drug effects
Cecum - microbiology
cell proliferation
Chickens - growth & development
Diet - veterinary
Dietary Supplements
digestibility
Digestion - drug effects
feed supplements
fermentation
Fermentation - drug effects
intestinal microorganisms
liveweight gain
Male
nutrient availability
Oligosaccharides - pharmacology
raffinose
short chain fatty acids
stachyose
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Summary:1. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether the oligosaccharide stachyose enhances gastrointestinal tract health by fermentation and proliferation of desirable bacteria species and thus affects growth performance and nutrient digestibility in broilers. 2. A total of 432 1-d-old male Arbor Acres (AA) broilers were randomly allocated to one of 6 treatments, with 12 replicate pens per treatment and 6 birds per pen. Chicks were fed a maize-hamlet protein 300 (HP300) basal diet with 0, 4.0, 8.0, 12.0 or 16.0 g/kg stachyose. A sixth diet contained no HP300 but soybean meal (SBM) and provided 8.7 g/kg stachyose and 3.1 g/kg raffinose. The duration of the study was 42 d. 3. Stachyose contents above 12.0 g/kg depressed group body weights, average daily gain and feed/gain but not feed intake during the whole experimental period. Broiler growth decreased linearly and quadratically with increasing stachyose content. No differences were detected between diets supplemented with 12.0 g/kg stachyose and SBM. 4. Nutrient digestibility tended to decrease but not significantly with increasing stachyose. 5. Stachyose content had no significant positive effects on caecal pH, microflora population and the resulting short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) metabolites during the 42 d experiment, with only butyrate differing significantly in the initial period.
ISSN:0007-1668
1466-1799
DOI:10.1080/00071660600827708