The ileal digestibility and retention of some nutrients and the energy content were evaluated in diets for broilers containing mannan oligosaccharides (MOS) and/or enzymatic complex (EC). Two hundred and seventy-five birds were used in a randomized complete block design, with factorial arrangement (2 x 2 + 1) of the treatments, with two MOS levels (0 and 0.1%), two EC levels (0 and 0.05%) and a positive control diet with antibiotics. Chromic oxide (0.5%) was added to the diets to estimate the indigestibility factor. The experiment started when the birds reached 13 days of age, the excreta collection was performed from the 20th to the 22nd day and the digesta collection at the 23rd day of age of the birds. The interaction MOS x EC was significant for CP and P retention and for apparent metabolizable energy (AME), whose values were higher in diets with MOS and EC. EC inclusion improved DM retention and there was an improvement on ileal digestibility coefficient of DM, CP, Ca and P, Ca retention, and digestible energy values due to MOS inclusion. Ileal digestibility coefficients of DM, and DM, CP, Ca and P retention, as well as AME values were higher in diets containing MOS and/or EC compared with the diets containing antibiotics.
additives; enzymes; nutritive value; prebiotic
