A 42-day study was conducted to consider the effect of composite enzyme (Natuzyme®) supplementation on production parameters, intestinal segment measurements, and nutrient digestibility of broiler chickens fed low energy and protein (LEP) diets. Two hundred male Ross 308 broiler chicks consisting of 4 groups were divided into five pens (10 chicks/pen). The first group (control) received a standard diet without composite enzyme (CE) supplementation, whereas the LEP0, LEP0.25, and LEP0.50 groups received LEP supplemented with CE at 0, 0.25, and 0.50 g/kg feed, respectively. Compared to birds in the control group, supplementation of 0.50 g/kg CE to LEP diet offset (P < 0.05) the poor feed intake (FI), body weight gain (BWG), feed conversion ratio (FCR), and cost/kg gain observed among LEP0 and LEP0.25 groups on days 0-21, 22-42, and 0-42. Birds in the LEP0, followed by the LEP0.25 group, had decreased (P < 0.05) ileum weight, villi height, villus height, and crypt depth ratio (VH/CD), and deeper crypt depth of duodenum and ileum compared to birds in the control group. However, the aforementioned parameters were improved in the LEP0.50 group. Likewise, supplementation of CE at 0.50 g/kg to broiler diet having LEP improved (P < 0.05) digestibility of energy, fiber, and protein on day 42. In conclusion, CE supplemented at 0.50 g/kg diet ameliorated the negative effect caused by feeding LEP diets on production parameters, ileum weight, villi height, VH/CD, and deeper crypt depth of duodenum and ileum as well as energy, fiber, and protein digestibility of broiler chickens.
Keywords: Broiler performance; Digestibility; Enzyme; Histology; Low energy; Low protein.
© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.