Alteration of D-xylose intestinal absorption in broilers with high dietary barley intake

Low nutritive value and suitability of barley as a feedstuff for broilers is mainly due to its non-starch polysaccharides. An experiment was carried out to evaluate if diets high in barley alter the mechanisms responsible for the absorption of nutrients across the intestinal epithelium of broilers, using D-xylose absorption test. Thirty, 14-d old male broiler chicks (Ross 308) with similar body weights (430g ± 10) were randomly divided into 3 groups of 10 birds, each bird as one replicate. Each group was offered a diet based on maize, high quality wheat or barley as the main source of carbohydrate, for 14 days. On the last day of the experiment, all birds were weighed individually and Dxylose absorption test was performed. Following the test, all birds were sacrificed and the relative size and weight of digestive tract were measured. Those birds fed on barley diet had lower weight gain when compared with maize or wheat fed birds (p<0.05). There was no difference in relative weight and size of digestive parts (p>0.05). No difference was also observed in absorption capacity of small intestine for D-xylose between the experimental groups (p>0.05). It was concluded that the differences observed in weight gain among the experimental groups was not related to the absorption capacity of intestine as this parameter was not changed. It appears that, in short term, barley antinutrients show their negative effect on growth performance of the birds by other means.