Multi-carbohydrase complex supplementation improves crude protein and energy utilization of corn-soybean-based diets with or without HP-DDGS in growing pigs

Abstract The use of high protein corn dried distillers’ grains with solubles (HP-DDGS) presents distinct nutritional and economic value compared to corn and soybean meal. This co-product is characterized by a high concentration of non-starch polysaccharides. The hypothesis of this study was that the inclusion of a multi-carbohydrase complex (MCC) in a corn-soybean based diet with or without HP-DDGS would improve nitrogen and energy digestibility and utilization in growing pigs. A total of 8 pigs were used in a digestibility study. Animals were assigned to 4 dietary treatments using a replicated 4 × 4 Latin square design. Experimental diets consisted of two basal diets: a corn–soybean meal diet and a corn–soybean meal diet containing 20% HP-DDGS. Each basal diet was formulated with or without the inclusion of MCC. Data were analyzed using an ANOVA with HP-DDGS inclusion, enzyme inclusion, animal, and period as the main effects. Means were then compared by the Student Newman-keuls test. The inclusion of HP-DDGS reduced (P .001) the apparent total tract digestibility of dry matter, crude protein, gross energy, energy metabolizability coefficient, and decreased digestible energy and metabolizable energy compared to the corn-soybean diet. Conversely, MCC supplementation improved (P .05) nutrient and energy digestibility, regardless of diet composition. The present study demonstrated that the use of a MCC in growing pig diets has the potential to improve nutrient digestibility and utilization not only when HP-DDGS is used, but also in regular corn-soybean based diets.