EFFECT OF BETA-GLUCANASE SUPPLEMENTATION OF CEREAL-BASED DIETS FOR STARTER PIGS ON THE APPARENT DIGESTIBILITIES OF DRY-MATTER, CRUDE PROTEIN AND ENERGY

A total of 48 PIC pigs (Camborough x Canabrid), average body weight 6. 2 kg and 24 d of age, were allotted to four experiments (12 pigs each, equal numbers of barrows and gilts) to determine the effect of beta-g lucanase supplementation on the digestibilities of crude protein and e nergy in cereal-based soybean meal diets without or with supplementati on of beta-glucanase at 0.05, 0.1 and 0.2% (wt./wt.). The experimental diets were formulated to contain 200 g crude protein kg(-1) based on soybean meal and barley (B + SBM, experiment 1), wheat (W + SBM, exper iment 2), corn (C + SBM, experiment 3) or rye (R + SBM, experiment 4), respectively. Chromic oxide was used as digestibility marker. Each ex periment was carried out according to a balanced two-period change-ove r design. The pigs were fed 3 times daily, equal amounts, at 08:00, 16 :00 and 24:00 h, at a rate of 5% (wt./wt.) of the individual body weig ht which was determined at the beginning of the first (6.2 kg) and sec ond (8.1 kg) experimental period. Each experimental period lasted 10 d ays with 7 days of adaptation followed by 3 days of faeces collection. There was a linear increase (P < 0.05) in the digestibilities of dry matter, crude protein and energy when beta-glucanase was supplemented to the B + SBM diets. The digestibility of crude protein increased (P < 0.05) from 81.6 to 88.5% when 0.2% beta-glucanase was supplemented; the digestibility of energy increased (P < 0.05) from 85.2 to 89.5%. T here was no effect (P > 0.05) of beta-glucanase supplementation on the digestibilities of crude protein and energy in the W + SBM, C + SBM a nd R + SBM diets.