BioResource International, Inc. (BRI), a global biotechnology company specializing in the research, development and manufacture of high-performance enzyme feed additives for animal nutrition, announced the availability of further research showing its enzyme feed additive, XylamaxTM, improves feed digestibility and uptake in poultry broilers fed a corn-soy diet.

Traditionally, xylanase feed enzymes have been used in wheat diets. Xylanases were not thought to be effective when formulated with or added to corn-soy diets, as there were concerns there were not enough substrates available for the enzyme to act upon. However, two external trials conducted in conjunction with research partners in the United States and India showed that Xylamax significantly improved growth performance and ileal energy digestibility in commercial broilers fed corn-soy diets.

The first study was conducted in the United States in conjunction with researchers at Texas A&M University. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effect of Xylamax inclusion on growth performance and ileal digestible energy when broilers were fed a diet containing corn, soybean meal and distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS) in a 42-day broiler pen trial. The study demonstrated that Xylamax can be pelleted at 85oC, making it an intrinsically thermostable enzyme. In addition, findings showed that birds fed diets supplemented with Xylamax:

• Weighed 72g (2.9%) heavier than the control at 42 days
• Demonstrated 4 points of feed conversion ratio (FCR) improvement at 42 days
• Utilized 6% more energy (180 kcal/kg) than birds fed diets without Xylamax

The second study was conducted in India in conjunction with researchers at the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) – Project Directorate on Poultry. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effect of supplementing Xylamax on the performance of broilers fed lower levels of metabolisable energy, under growing conditions typical for poultry in India. When commercial broilers were fed a corn-soybean diet over a 42-day trial, birds fed diets supplemented with Xylamax:

• Demonstrated 4 to 6 points of FCR improvement
• Improved BWG by 5% to 7%
• Utilized 130 kcal/kg more energy than birds fed diets without Xylamax

Based on this trial, it could be concluded that Xylamax performs well in Indian poultry production conditions and can be effectively used in either reformulated or on-top feed strategies. In reformulated diets, producers can reduce dietary energy up to 130 kcal/kg and supplement 100g/MT Xylamax to maintain performance similar to standard dietary energy levels. Using an on-top strategy, producers can supplement 100g/MT Xylamax to the existing formulation to improve FCR by at least 4 points.