| Summary: | The Gram negative bacterium Fibrobacter succinogenes lives anaerobically in the bovine rumen and secretes β-glucanase. Barley is a cheap
food input for poultry production but it is low in nutrients due to its beta glucan content. Supplementing exogenous β-glucanase (EC
3.2.1.4) to broiler diets can decrease the viscosity of the intestinal content by hydrolyzing the β-glucan and enhancing nutrient digestibility.
In the current study, β-glucanase enzymatic activity was assayed after extraction from bovine rumen fluid, and then its effect on broiler
performance, carcass characteristics, duodenum microbial flora, hematological and immunological parameters was compared with a
commercial enzyme. A total of 120 local broilers (Golpayegani-Ross hybrid) was allocated to 3 treatments with 4 replicates per treatment
and 10 birds per replicate/pen. Over a 49-day experimental period, broilers were fed a basal diet (T1), basal diet with 10 IU of extracted
β-glucanase and 20% barley (T2) and basal diet with 10 IU of commercial β-glucanase and 20% barley (T3). T2 significantly increased body
weight gain and decreased feed intake over the whole experimental period. Treatments had a significant effect on hematological parameters
except low density lipoprotein (LDL) concentration (P<0.01). Treatments did not affect antibody titration. The highest non-eviscerated carcass
weight (P<0.05) and eviscerated carcass weight (P>0.05) were associated with the T2. The same treatment also caused a significant increase
in lactobacilli and Escherichia coli in the gastrointestinal tract. Consequently, enzyme addition had a positive effect on broiler performance
without any adverse effects on humoral immunity parameters.
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