Effects of Dietary Carbohydrases on Growth Performance, Nutrient Digestibility and Blood Characteristics in Finishing Pigs

The objective of this study was to assess the effects of dietary carbohydrases on growth performance, nutrient digestibility and blood characteristics in finishing pigs. A total of 90 pigs [(Landrace ${\times}$ Yorkshire) ${\times}$ Duroc] (initial BW = $56.15{\pm}1.26kg$) were used for a 35 d feeding trial. The dietary treatments included: 1) CON (control diet), 2) MIX (CON + mixture with ${\alpha}$-galactosidase and ${\beta}$-mannanase 0.05%) and 3) MAN (CON + ${\beta}$-mannanase 0.05%). There were six replications per treatment with five pigs per pen. The average daily gain (ADG) in MIX was higher than in CON (p<0.05). No significant differences were noted in the average daily feed intake (ADFI) and feed efficiency (G:F) among dietary treatments (p>0.05). Apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of dry matter (DM) and energy (E) in MIX increased (p<0.05) relative to CON and MAN. The ATTD of nitrogen (N) in MIX was higher (p<0.05) than in CON. No differences in red blood cells (RBC), white blood cells (WBC), lymphocytes and IgG concentrations were observed among dietary treatments (p>0.05). In conclusion, the addition of the mixture of carbohydrases (${\alpha}$-galactosidase and ${\beta}$-mannanase 0.05%) increased ADG and nutrient digestibility in finishing pigs.