NUTRITION ▶▶▶
Beneficial dietary fibre in laying hens
The digestive tract of poultry is not comparable with ruminants, so what would be the sense of feeding dietary fibre? The answer is that poultry also depend on having a balanced microbiota in the hindgut. To maintain eubiosis in the large intestine, it is necessary to provide fermentable dietary fibre as a nutritional basis and energy source for the gut bacteria.
BY NINA NEUFELD, NEUFELD GMBH U
Most fibre sourc- es take up too much ‘space’ in high-energy poultry diets. Eubiotic ligno- cellulose is far more concen- trated and thus more efficient.
ntil a few years ago, the issue of dietary fibre at- tracted little, if any, interest in the field of poultry nutrition. On top of which it had a poor reputation. Why? Because the physiological benefits were ig-
nored and there always was – and even today, still is – the question of energy dilution. It is true that most fibre sources take up too much ‘space’ in high-energy poultry diets. Beyond that, varying fibre content and possible contamination with mycotoxins are further limiting factors. Diets for farm animals typically focus on energy level and di- gestibility but neglect the quality and quantity of dietary fi- bre. During phases of inadequate fibre supply, many species of gut bacteria use the glycoproteins of the mucus layer as an energy source instead of fibre. This inadequate supply results in an imbalance in the gut flora, degradation of the mucus layer and leads to issues like wet litter, dirty eggs, feather pecking and cannibalism. These problems all affect health and performance.
Substrate for microbiota Dietary fibre is made up of complex carbohydrates that are not digested by the endogenous enzymes of the animal but broken down by specialist enzymes produced by the gut bacteria. Dietary fibre is an important factor in shaping the gut microbiota as it forms the substrate for these micro-organisms. Dietary fibre is broken down by bacterial enzymes, the me- tabolites are used by the micro-organisms but they are also very important to the host animal. The presence of dietary fi- bre specifically promotes those bacteria in the intestinal flora that can break down fibre. Thus favouring microbial diversity in the intestine. A lack of dietary fibre decreases microbial diversity and reduces the thickness of the mucus layer. The main fermentation products in the breakdown of dietary fibre are short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs; acetate, propionate, butyrate) and lactate. Acetate acts as an energy source for the host animal. From propionate, the host animal can synthesize glycogen in the liver. Butyrate is the most important energy source for the epithelial cells of the intestine and contributes to the proliferation and health of the gut mucosa. Lactate and lactate-producing bacteria are beneficial to intestinal health, regulating the growth of undesirable, potentially pathogenic bacteria. Overall, a healthy, diverse intestinal flora is an im- portant factor in the condition and performance of the ani- mal and has a prophylactic effect in preventing digestive dis- orders, wet litter and dirty eggs. The various metabolites (lactate and SCFAs) are also in a steady state with each other. The bacteria Faecalibacterium and Roseburia, for example, use acetate to produce butyrate.
Lignocellulose a highly concentrated fibre Lignocellulose is a natural fibre concentrate made of fresh wood. Within the group of lignocellulose products there are also variations that are worth considering, e.g. for fermenta- bility. The original lignocellulose consists of completely insol- uble and non-fermentable fibre. While scientifically enhanced lignocellulose (OptiCell) is also insoluble, it contains ferment- able fibre. Because it was developed to support the health and diversity of the intestinal flora, it is also called eubiotic lignocellulose. Compared with other fibre sources lignocellulose has an outstanding benefit: it is highly concentrated. Eubiotic
34 ▶ POULTRY WORLD | No. 4, 2021
PHOTO: HERBERT WIGGERMAN
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