Effects of β-mannanase alone or combined with multi-carbohydrase complex in corn–soybean meal diets on nutrient metabolism and gut health of growing pigs

Abstract

Non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) can reduce performance in pigs due to their deleterious effects on the gastrointestinal tracts of these animals. Corn and soybean meal are the most common ingredients in pig diets, and they contain 6–17% NSP. Soy also contains an amount of β-mannans, which can cause unnecessary and chronic immune stimulation in pigs. This study evaluated whether adding β-mannanase alone (BM) or in combination with a multi-carbohydrase complex (BM + MCC) improves diet digestibility, nutrient and energy metabolism, and gut health in growing pigs. The results showed that the addition of BM and BM + MCC significantly improved dry matter, protein, and energy digestibility, as well as protein and energy metabolizability, compared to the control. Higher nitrogen retention and lower fecal energy were observed in the BM and BM + MCC groups. There was a significant reduction in manure production and fecal moisture with the addition of the enzymes. BM supplementation increased the villus area and villus height-to-crypt depth ratio. Both the BM and BM + MCC diets reduced the fecal calprotectin levels. In conclusion, the use of β-mannanase alone or in combination with a multi-carbohydrase complex improved the nutritional digestibility, nutrient and energy metabolism, and gut health in growing pigs, and they also contributed to reducing manure production in the test animals.