Effect of trypsin inhibitor activity in soybean on the growth performance, protein digestibility and incidence of sub-clinical necrotic enteritis in broiler chicken flocks

M. W. Chamari Devika Palliyeguru (1)

1 Animals

ABSTRACT 1. The effect of three different levels of dietary trypsin inhibitor activity (achieved by varying the amount of non-toasted full fat soybean in replacement for toasted full fat soybean) on the incidence of spontaneously-occurring sub-clinical necrotic enteritis in broiler chickens was compared. A fourth dietary treatment compared the effect of a diet that used potato protein concentrate as the major protein source. The determined trypsin inhibitor activity increased with the increasing level of non-toasted soybean: 1.90, 6.21, 8.46 and 3.72mg/g for the three soybean diets (0,100g/kg and 200g/kg of non-toasted soybean) and the potato protein diet respectively. 2. Although increasing levels of the non-toasted full-fat soybean increased the food intakes of the birds (P<0.05), there was a marked reduction (P<0.001) in protein digestibility, weight gain and feed conversion efficiency. 3. There was a linear increase (P<0.001) in sub-clinical NE lesions in the duodenum, jejunum, mid small intestine and ileum with increasing non-toasted soybean. Caecal Clostridium perfringens counts increased with the increasing dietary levels of non-toasted soybean. Serum α-toxin antibodies were higher (P<0.001) in the birds fed the 200g/kg non-toasted soybean diet than the other diets. 4. The results of this experiment have demonstrated that variation in the amount of non-toasted dietary soybean not only affects growth performance of broilers but also affects the incidence of sub-clinical necrotic enteritis in the flock. Ensuring the lowest possible trypsin-inhibitor activity in soybean samples would appear to be a valuable tool in improving health and welfare of the birds and also reducing the financial losses from this disease.

Mots clés: Life Sciences

Domaines: Biologie animale

M. W. Chamari Devika Palliyeguru. Effect of trypsin inhibitor activity in soybean on the growth performance, protein digestibility and incidence of sub-clinical necrotic enteritis in broiler chicken flocks. British Poultry Science, 2011, 52 (03), pp.359-367. ⟨10.1080/00071668.2011.577054⟩. ⟨hal-00711293⟩