The effect of enzymatic feed pretreatment on bioavailability of phytate phosphorous, performance, and bone indices of tibia in broilers

As production of cost-effective feed with minimal side effects on the environment is the main challenge in the feed industry, improving the bioavailability of nutrients, particularly phosphorous ( P ) is one way to approach these goals. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of feed pretreatment with commercial exogenous enzymes on P releasing from phytate and assessing the bioavailability of P in feed under in vivo conditions. Three hundred and sixty-one-day-old male Ross 308 broilers were kept for 18 D. For pretreating, feeds were supplemented with one of three commercial enzymes and HCl 0.5% and heated at 40°C for 2 h. Body weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion ratio, bone indices, and phosphorus bioavailability were assayed. The results indicated that using commercial enzymes for pretreatment of feed had significant effects on feed intake, calcium ( Ca ), and P percentage of bone ( P  < 0.001); pretreatment also improved the bioavailability and absorption of P in intestinal digesta and feces. Therefore, it could be concluded that pretreatment of feed with 0.5% HCl and commercial enzymes is effective for increasing absorption and bioavailability of P, which could decrease excretion of phosphorous and, therefore, environmental pollution. In addition, feeding broilers with this treated feed might improve body weight and feed conversion ratio.