Xylanase Supplementation in Wheat-based Diets and the Influence on Necrotic Enteritis in Broilers: A Translational Model for Human Malnutrition.
In the poultry industry, necrotic enteritis results in substantial production and economic losses each year. Outbreaks are more prevalent due to the removal of antibiotic growth promoters. Clostridium perfringens, a commensal organism within the gastrointestinal tract of poultry, is the primary bacterial etiology responsible for necrotic enteritis. In the absence of a host, C. perfringens
spores can remain dormant in the environment for long durations, possibly between flocks. Eimeria spp. colonization commonly predisposes broilers to the disease due to epithelial cell
damage and increased mucus production, which provides an ideal environment for proliferation of C. perfringens. Dietary ingredients, such as wheat can affect the integrity of the gastrointestinal
tract and potentially induce necrotic enteritis.
Wheat is a variable feed grain that is high in insoluble non-starch polysaccharides. Non-starch polysaccharides fed in moderate amounts can slow passage rates due to the gizzard’s ability to retain insoluble fiber. High-levels of non-starch polysaccharides present in wheat diets can increase viscosity in the small intestine due to their lack of digestibility. According to Branton et al broilers challenged with C. perfringens and fed wheat based diets had higher necrotic enteritis lesion scores than the challenged and non-challenged corn-based diet controls.
Research studies have shown that enzyme addition to broiler diets can mitigate the negative effects of necrotic enteritis and improve growth performance. Moreover, xylanase supplementation to poultry diets is widely accepted as this enzyme functions to break down arabinoxylans located within plant cell walls, producing greater nutrient bioavailability and reducing negative non-starch polysaccharides.
Adv Food Technol Nutr Sci Open J. 2018; 4(2): e4-e5. doi: 10.17140/AFTNSOJ-4-e013