Hydrogen gas production of broiler chicks in response to soybean meal and alpha-galactoside free, ethanol-extracted soybean meal

In order to measure broiler chick hydrogen gas production, a sealed atmosphere chamber was constructed and chicks were intubated with soybean meal (SBM), alpha-galactoside free, ethanol-extracted soybean meal (ESBM), and ESBM with alpha-galactosides added to the levels of SBM (ESBMG). Six male broiler chicks averaging 156 g of weight were deprived of feed for 12 h prior to intubation with 6 g of the test soybean meals. Two chicks were used for each treatment. Following intubation, chicks were placed in the sealed atmosphere chamber for 20 min at 2-h intervals for 28 h. At the end of this 20-min period, a sample of the chamber atmosphere was collected with a gas-tight syringe and analyzed for hydrogen gas by gas-solid chromatography. The hydrogen production of the two chicks intubated with SBM peaked 7 h postintubation at 127 ppm. The ESBM produced a peak at approximately 17 h postintubation at 26 ppm. Intubation with ESBMG resulted in peak hydrogen production at approximately 12 h postintubation at an average of 67 ppm. Results indicate that chicks intubated with SBM produced 3.2 times the amount of total hydrogen gas than those chicks intubated with ESBM. Chicks intubated with ESBMG produced 2.2 times the amount of total hydrogen gas than chicks intubated with ESBM. The research indicates the alpha-galactoside oligosaccharides are a major cause of hydrogen gas production from SBM in poultry.