Effects of non-starch polysaccharides of barley supplemented with enzymes on growth performance, gut microbial population and intestinal morphology of broiler chickens

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of non-starch polysaccharides of barley supplemented with multi-enzyme on growth performance and physiological characteristics of broilers. A total number of 375 one day old Ross-308 broiler chickens were allocated randomly to 3 treatments with 5 replicates at 2 rearing period (including 1 to 21 and 22 to 42 days of age) using a CRD statistical design. Treatments including control، barley and barley+ enzyme. Traits were included growth performance، gut microbial numeration and jejunal villus morphometric characteristics. According to the results، maximum and minimum feed intake at the whole rearing period was observed in barley+ enzyme and control group. Unlikely about average daily gain، the maximum value was belonged to control and minimum was belonged to barley treatments. The barley and control group had maximum and minimum feed conversion ratio respectively. Barley treatment had the highest number of gram negative، coliform and clostridium bacteria، but in conversely had the minimum number of lactic acid and bifido-bacteria among treatments. Also measures of villus including height and width and crypt depth significantly affected by feeding of barley diet. So the minimum villus height and width، conversely maximum crypt depth belonged to barley diet. Supplementation of barley diet eliminated these problems. In conclusion، inclusion of barley to experimental diet due to high level of the non-starch polysaccharides had negative effect on growth performance، gut microbial population and intestinal villus morphology، but enzyme supplementation of barley diet with multi-glycanase and phytas eliminated such negative effects.