| The effect of supplementing wheat-based diets with phytase and xylanase alone or in combination on nutrient utilisation and performance was determined in growing pigs (from 20 to 60 kg body weight) and broilers (from hatch to three weeks of age). No synergistic interactions (P > 0.05) were detected between phytase and xylanase on any of the response criteria measured in both pigs and broilers. There were no enzyme effects ( P > 0.05) on growth performance in both pigs and broilers. Phytase increased (P < 0.05) the apparent ileal and total tract digestibility of P in pigs, and in broilers by 21 and 51%, and by 17.7 and 8.7%, respectively. In conclusion, phytase improved P digestibility in both pigs and broilers, but showed no synergistic effect with xylanase on any response criteria measured, probably due to the low non-starch polysaccharides concentration in the basal diets. |
