Effect of different enzyme preparations on in vitro viscosity of wheat

Abstract

Wheat is a common raw material in Australian broiler diets because of its high starch and protein content. However, the main concern with wheat is the presence of soluble non starch polysaccharides (NSPs), especially arabinoxylans. Arabinoxylans may account for up to 61 g/kg of wheat dry matter (Choct and Annison, 1990). These NSPs are difficult to digest and may cause digesta to become viscous thereby reducing nutrient digestion and absorption. Many NSP degrading enzyme products are commercially available and are used in the poultry feed industry. This study was undertaken to compare the effect of different enzymes preparations on in vitro viscosity of different wheat varieties.