Addition of xylo-oligosaccharides to broiler diets can boost performance benefits of xylanase

A new study carried out by our senior research team has shown that the addition of short-chain xylo-oligosaccharides (XOS) to xylanase-supplemented broiler diets can amplify the enzyme’s impact on performance.

Building on recent research showing that performance improvements in xylanase-supplemented diets are due in part to the xylanase-mediated release of XOS in the gut, the study investigated the influence of adding xylanase alone, or with XOS, to wheat-based broiler diets.

Our Global Services Director Dr Hadden Graham explains the rationale behind the study:

“The benefits associated with xylanase use are widely accepted, but there was a lack of evidence showing whether adding xylanases, alone or with XOS, to a wheat-based diet would influence broiler performance, carcass yield and water intake. This seemed to be an untapped area for possible incremental gains across performance and profit.”

The study employed a randomized complete block design, with 12 pen replicates of 24 birds per diet. Birds were fed wheat / soybean meal diets in a three-phase program. Weight gain, feed and water intake, mortality and carcass yield were recorded up to 34 days.

Analysis confirmed that xylanase inclusion reduced 34-day mortality, and both the xylanase and xylanase plus XOS diets improved FCR relative to the control. Crucially, supplementation with xylanase and XOS was shown to improve weight gain by approximately 40g, relative to the other diets.

Dr Graham concludes: 

“This research suggests that a combination of short-chain xylo-oligosaccharides, to stimulate microbial fibre degradation, and a xylanase to partly degrade fibre, can act together to improve nutrient digestibility, make the fibre more susceptible to microbial degradation, and thus improve broiler performance.”

The results of the research study are being presented at the Australian Poultry Science Symposium, in Sydney on 18 February.