Effect of enzymes RovabioTM EXCEL AP, probiotics Bactocell®, and prebiotics Agrimos® on productivity, digestive processes and meat quality of broiler chickens

Researches has reported that with the aid of number of alternatives including probiotics, prebiotics (mainly oligosaccharides), feed enzymes and others feed additives not only has the general health status of the poultry been maintained, but also the growth performance and feed efficiency improved. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of enzymes and its combination with probiotics and prebiotics on productivity, digestive processes and meat quality of broiler chickens. The feeding experiment was performed on 1000 1-d-old Ross 208 broiler chickens allocated to four treatments groups of 250 chickens each. The birds were fed for 5 weeks (a starter diet from day 1 to 8 and a grower diet from day 9 to 35) ad libitum with a crumbled corn-wheat-soybean meal based diet (1st Control group) supplemented with an enzyme preparation (2nd experimental group), its combination with probiotics (3th experimental group) and basal diet combined with enzymes, probiotics and prebiotics mannanoligosaccharides (4th experimental group). A corn-wheat-soybean meal based diet was formulated to meet the nutrient and energy requirement for broiler chickens. The addition of enzymes and its combination with probiotics and prebiotics during all experiment periods improved body weight and feed conversion ratio of broiler chickens by 4 % (P≤0.05). Feed additives had no effect on broiler chickens mortality. There were observed, that feed additives had tendency to increase pH in duodenum, small and large intestine, while in caeca it was lower, compared to Control group. Enzymes alone and with combination of probiotics and prebiotics mannanooligosaccharides had tendency increased dry matter concentration in all researched parts of gastrointestinal tract content. The addition of enzymes and its combination with probiotics and enzymes with probiotics and prebiotics mannanooligosaccharides to a diet had tendency to increase concentration of propionate and butyrate (P>0.05), while these additions decreased the concentration of acetate, izo-butyrate, valerate and total SCFA by 21.54 μmol/g, 0.36 μmol/g, 1.39 μmol/g and 28.56 μmol/g, respectively, compared to Control group (P≤0.05). Also it was observed tendency through the action of enzymes with probiotics and enzymes with probiotics and prebiotics increased the activities of α-glucosidase by 0.97 and 0.75 U/g digesta, α-galactosidase – by 0.53 and 2.42 U/g digesta, and β-galactosidase - by 2.57 and 3.80 U/g digesta, respectively (P≤0.05), while activity of β-glucuronidase had tendency to decrease (P>0.05). The addition of enzymes and its combination with probiotics and prebiotics mannanooligosaccharides to a diet from 21.03 till 27.11% decreased concentration of ammonia compared to Control group (P≤0.05). Through the action of enzymes, probiotics and prebiotics mannanooligosaccharides were observed tendency to increase palmitic, linoleic, docosahexaenoic and arachidonic fatty acids, while oleic fatty acids concentration decreased in the broiler chickens breast meat, compared to Control group (P>0.05). The addition of feed additives (enzymes and its combination with probiotics and prebiotics) had no effect on pH of broiler chickens breast and leg meat. Maturation of meat followed a set pattern. Its also had no negative influence on sensory attributes and acceptability of thigh and breast muscles samples