The effects of several oligosaccharides on growth performance, nutrient digestibilities, and cecal microbial populations in young chicks.
Two experiments were conducted with New Hampshire x Columbian chicks fed a corn-soybean meal diet and 1 experiment was conducted with chicks fed a dextrose-isolated soy protein diet to examine the effects of inulin, oligofructose, mannanoligosaccharide (MOS), short-chain fructooligosaccharide (SCFOS), and transgalactooligosaccharide on growth performance, ME(n), digestibility of amino acids (AA), and cecal microbial populations. Each diet was fed to chicks from 0 to 21 d of age, and excreta were collected at 3-4, 7, 14, and 21 d of age in both experiments. Neither 4 nor 8 g of oligosaccharides/kg had a significant effect on growth performance. The ME(n) and AA digestibility values increased with increasing age. Feeding 8 g/kg of inulin and SCFOS had a negative effect (P <0.05) on ME(n) at most ages, and 8 g/kg of most of the oligosaccharides reduced (P <0.05) digestibility of AA at various ages. In experiment 2, 4 g/kg of SCFOS, MOS, and transgalactooligosaccharide significantly reduced ME(n) at 3 to 4 d, but most oligosaccharides increased (P <0.05) ME(n) values at 7, 14, and 21 d. The effects of oligosaccharides (4 g/kg) on AA digestibility were generally small and inconsistent. Feeding corn-soybean meal diets containing 4 g/kg of oligosaccharides had no significant effect on cecal Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillius, Clostridium perfringens, or Escherichia coli populations in 21-d-old chicks. In a third experiment, cecal populations of C. perfringens were reduced when SCFOS and MOS were supplemented at 4 g/kg into a dextrose-isolated soy protein diet. These results indicate that a low concentration (4 g/kg) of an indigestible, prebiotic oligosaccharide can be fed with no deleterious effects on ME(n) and AA digestibility. Feeding a higher level of an oligosaccharide (8 g/kg), however, may depress ME(n) and AA digestibility.
Biggs
P
P
Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana 61801, USA.
Parsons
C M
CM
Fahey
G C
GC
D000596:Amino Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D000821:Animal Feed; D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D002432:Cecum / Q000382:microbiology*; D002645:Chickens / Q000254:growth & development*; D004032:Diet / Q000662:veterinary*; D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004063:Digestion / Q000187:drug effects*; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D008297:Male; D009844:Oligosaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015430:Weight Gain
D000596:Amino Acids; D004044:Dietary Proteins; D009844:Oligosaccharides