Supplementation of yeast culture combined with an enzyme complex in the diet for confined steers

Abstract

The objective was to evaluate the productive performance, apparent digestibility of the diet and ingestive behavior of beef cattle finished in feedlot under the effect of the inclusion of yeast culture or enzyme complex. The treatments were: diet without additives (control); diet with enzyme complex (7 g animal day-1); diet with yeast culture (7g animal day-1) and diet with the association of enzymatic complex (7 g animal day-1) and yeast culture (7g animal day-1). The experimental design was completely randomized, with five replications. Forty ½ Angus ½ Nellore steers, with an average initial body weight of 362 kg ± 6 kg, were used. Regardless of the evaluation period, non-supplementation caused the animals to gain less weight (0 to 21 days: 1.267 kg day-1; 0 to 42 days: 1.377 kg day-1; 0 to 63 days: 1.368 kg day-1) compared to supplemented animals, feed conversion for non-supplemented animals was also worse. Starch apparent digestibility showed higher averages when steers were supplemented with yeast culture alone and yeast culture combined with enzyme complex (97.30% and 97.07%, respectively). Supplementation using a combination of yeast culture with enzyme complex did not cause additional effects on weight gain, but resulted in the lowest averages for feed conversion.

Keywords:
additives; diet apparent digestibility; feed conversion; weight gain

Resumo

Objetivou-se avaliar o desempenho produtivo, digestibilidade aparente da dieta e comportamento ingestivo de bovinos de corte terminados em confinamento sob efeito da inclusão de cultura de leveduras ou de complexo enzimático. Os tratamentos foram assim constituídos: dieta sem aditivos (controle); dieta com complexo enzimático (7 g animal dia-1); dieta com cultura de levedura (7g animal dia-1) e dieta com a associação de complexo enzimático (7 g animal dia-1) e cultura de levedura (7g animal dia-1). O delineamento experimental foi o inteiramente casualizado, com cinco repetições. Utilizou-se 40 novilhos inteiros, ½ sangue Angus ½ sangue Nelore, com peso vivo médio inicial de 362 kg ± 6kg. Independente do período de avaliação, a não suplementação fez com que os animais ganhassem menos peso (0 a 21 dias: 1,267 kg dia-1; 0 a 42 dias: 1,377 kg dia-1; 0 a 63 dias: 1,368 kg dia-1) em relação aos animais suplementados, a conversão alimentar para os animais não suplementados também foi pior. A digestibilidade aparente do amido apresentou maiores médias quando os novilhos foram suplementados com cultura de levedura isolada e com cultura de levedura associada com complexo enzimático (97,30% e 97,07% respectivamente). A suplementação na forma de associação da cultura de leveduras ao complexo enzimático não apresentou efeitos adicionais sobre o ganho de peso, mas possui as menores médias para conversão alimentar.

Palavras-chave:
aditivos; conversão alimentar; digestibilidade aparente da dieta; ganho de peso

1. Introduction

Productive efficiency is closely related to the growing demand for intensive production systems in Brazilian feedlots, where high energy density diets are used, in order to obtain good results in average daily weight gain, feed efficiency, carcass finishing and quality of the final product(¹).

The challenges in the inclusion of high energy diets, with lower forage and/or fiber contents, are related to the increased risk of gastrointestinal disorders in ruminants(²,³), which result in loss of nutrients in the feces and compromise the well-being of finishing animals. For this, technologies are used with the aim of improving the digestibility of foods, avoiding economic and environmental losses(⁴). Among these tools, the use of additives that modulate ruminai fermentation, such as enzymes and yeasts, has shown interesting results as possible strategies to be adopted.

Yeasts (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) are added to ruminant feed, positively modifying the ruminai environment and intestinal health, as it can be a source of various nutrients, thus promoting improved digestion and increased animal production(⁵). They come from biomass of different fermentations, such as bread making, wine, sugar cane and corn, and may also undergo different processes. They are characterized in live dry yeast, autolyzed yeast, yeast extract, cell wall and yeast culture(⁶), and all forms can be used as tools for animal nutrition, each with its specific characteristics.

The culture contains the yeast and the medium in which it was grown(⁷), and all material is dried without destroying or processing the components combined with yeast, such as B vitamins, peptides, amino acids and nucleotides(⁷,⁸), providing an increase in the concentration of volatile fatty acids and in the molar proportion of propionate, causing a decrease in the concentration of lactic acid in the rumen fluid and less variation in pH after meals, thus resulting in an improvement in the rumen environment(⁹), reducing the variations of the microbiota during the day, which consequently provides a productive increase.

Exogenous enzymes are also indicated as an enhancer of dietary digestibility and productive efficiency(¹⁰). The production of short-chain fatty acids from enzyme supplementation increases subcutaneous fat deposition, improving carcass finishing(¹¹). Better feed conversion and weight gain of cattle supplemented with enzymes are indicated, but in other performance parameters there are no variations, which sharpens the search for more information on the subject (¹²,¹³).

Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of supplementation with yeast culture and/or enzyme complex, alone or in combination, on the productive performance, ingestive behavior and apparent digestibility of the diet of steers finished in feedlot.

2. Material and methods

This study was approved by the Committee for Ethical Animal Experimentation (CEUA/UNICENTRO) (official letter 002/2021), and was carried out at the Animal Production Center (NUPRAN) at the Graduate Program in Veterinary Sciences from the Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Sector of the State University of the Midwest (UNICENTRO), located in the municipality of Guarapuava, state of Paraná, Brazil. The climate in the region is subtropical humid mesothermal (Cfb), without a dry season, with cool summers and mild winters. According to the Köppen classification, Guarapuava is located at an altitude of approximately 1,100 m, with an average annual rainfall of 1,944 mm, an annual average minimum temperature of 12.7°C and an annual average maximum of 23.5°C, with a relative humidity of 77.9%.

Forty ½ Angus ½ Nellore steers, with an average initial body weight of 362 kg ± 6 kg, and average initial age of 11 months ±1.5 months were used. The facilities consisted of 20 feedlot pens (2 animals per pen), with an area of 15 m² each (2.5 m × 6.0 m). Each pen had a concrete feeder measuring 2.30 m in length, 0.60 m in width and 0.35 m in height, and a metallic drinker with automatic filling. The experimental period was 80 days, divided into 17 days for adaptation to the experimental diets and facilities and three periods of 21 days of evaluation.

The experimental design was completely randomized, consisting of four treatments, as follows: T1 – control diet (without additives); T2 – diet with enzyme complex (7 g animal day^-1); T3 - diet with yeast culture (7 g animal day^-1) and T4 - diet with the combination of enzyme complex (7 g animal day^-1) and yeast culture (7 g animal day^-1), with five replications, where each repetition corresponded to a pen with two animals (Experimental unit).

The enzyme complex Potenzya® (Safeeds – Nutrição Animal Ltda.) is composed of a combination of enzymes containing proteases, phytases and NSPases, obtained from the fermentation of Aspergillus niger and Trichoderma reesei fungi. The enzyme complex was previously analyzed for enzymatic activity, by assay with 3,5-dinitrosalicylic acid (DNS) adapted from Miller(¹⁴), showing activities of 3,117; 2,870; 2,210; 372; 11 and 21 U g^-1 xylanase, cellulase, β-glucanase, mannanase, α-galactocidase and amylase, respectively. Conditions of pH and temperature of the tests: xylanase: pH 4.5 and 40°C; cellulase: pH 4.8 and 50°C; β-glucanase, mannanase and amylase: pH 5.0 and 40°C; and α-galactocidase: pH 5.5 and 37°C. Cultron® (Aleris – Comércio e Exportação de Produtos para Nutrição Ltda.) is characterized as a yeast culture (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) obtained from fermentation in a controlled nutrient medium, containing sugarcane molasses and sequentially corn derivatives. This technological process maximizes the metabolic activity of the yeast, which increases the biological value of the final product. Its average composition is characterized by: 92% DM, 45% CP, 5% ether extract, 7% CF, 4% MM, 0.05% Ca, 0.78% P, 0.38% K, 15 to 17% β-glucans, 8 to 10% mannanoligosaccharides plus fermentation metabolites with different amino acids, vitamins, enzymes and organic acids.

Diets consisted of 45% corn silage and 55% concentrate on a dry matter basis. The concentrate was composed of 20% wheat bran, 15% malt root, 14.28% corn grains, 12% fatted corn germ, 12.20% soybean hull, 14% forage barley, 5.52% soybean meal, 3.84% calcitic limestone, 1.80% livestock urea, 0.60% common salt, and 0.76% mineral vitamin premix, whose guaranteed levels are described in Table 1. Samples of corn silage and concentrate were collected in each experimental period and taken to a forced air oven at 55°C for 72 hours for determination of partial dry matter. The pre-dried samples were ground in a Wiley mill containing a 1 mm diameter sieve and subsequently analyzed for chemical composition.

Table 1
Chemical composition of ingredients used in animal feed and average values of the experimental diet, on a total dry matter basis.

Parameter	Corn silage	Concentrate1	Experimental diet
Dry matter, % NM*	35.89	91.83	66.66
Mineral matter, % DM	3.64	6.36	5.14
Crude protein, % DM	5.89	20.20	13.76
Ether extract, % DM	1.96	2.05	2.01
Starch, % DM	34.11	42.13	38.52
Neutral detergent fiber, % DM	44.06	31.47	37.14
Acid detergent fiber, % DM	22.51	13.08	17.32
Lignin, % DM	3.97	3.89	3.93
Total digestible nutrients, % DM	72.08	78.68	75.71
Ca, % DM	0.14	1.71	1.00
P, % DM	0.26	0.54	0.41

• Premix guaranteed level per kg of concentrate: vit. A: 16,000 IU; vit D3: 2,000 IU; vit. E: 25 IU; S: 0.36g; Mg: 0.74g; Na: 3.6 g; Co: 0.52 mg; Cu: 22.01 mg; F: 18.00 mg; I: 1.07 mg; Mn: 72.80 mg; Se: 0.64 mg; and Zn: 95.20 mg; *NM: Natural Matter.

From the pre-dried samples of corn silage and concentrate, the dry matter (DM), mineral matter (MM), ether extract (EE) and crude protein (CP) contents were determined, according to techniques described in AOAC(¹⁵). The content of neutral detergent fiber (NDF) was obtained according to Van Soest et al.(¹⁶) with thermostable a-amylase and acid detergent fiber (ADF) and lignin according to Goering & Van Soest(¹⁷). Total digestible nutrients (TDN) were calculated according to equations proposed by Weiss et al.(¹⁸). To determine the P and Ca contents, analyses were carried out according to the methodology described by Tedesco(¹⁹).

Starch was analyzed considering the hydrolysis of starch contained in the Hendrix sample(²⁰), after extraction of soluble carbohydrates with successive washes in 80% alcohol and colorimetric analysis of reducing sugars (glucose), with subsequent conversion of the result into starch. Table 1 shows the chemical composition of the foods used in animal feed and the average values of the experimental diet, on a total dry matter basis.

Diets were provided twice a day, at 6:00 am and 5:00 pm, as a total mixed ration (TMR). Additives were homogenized in 80 g ground concentrate to facilitate their supply on the diet at the time of each meal. Voluntary feed intake was recorded daily, by weighing the amount offered and leftovers from the previous day, considering the adjustment of daily consumption in order to keep leftovers at 5% of the total supplied.

Body weight (BW) was measured on day 0, obtaining the Initial Weight (IW), and thereafter every 21 days by weighing the animals individually, totaling four weighings in the three evaluation periods, after solid fasting for ten hours, and in the last weighing, the Final Weight (FW). The evaluated variables were average dry matter intake, expressed in kg animal day^-1 (DMI), average dry matter intake, expressed as a percentage of body weight (DMI, % BW), average daily weight gain (ADG, kg day^-1) and feed conversion (FC, kg kg^-1). Through the IW and FW of the animals, the weight gain along the experimental period was obtained (WGP), and from the average daily gain, it was possible to estimate the time necessary for the animals to gain 100 kg body weight.

For the analysis of ingestive behavior, one animal was randomly chosen per pen, duly identified for correct observation and marking by the evaluator. This analysis was carried out in a continuous time of 48 hours, on experimental days 31, 32 and 33, such evaluation began at 12:00 on the first day and ended at 12:00 on the third day. Observations were carried out by 9 observers per shift, in a rotation system every 6 hours. Readings were taken at regular 3-minute intervals. Animal behavior data, represented by idleness, rumination, water consumption and food intake, were expressed in hours per day. On that same occasion, following the same methodology, the frequency of occurrence of feeding, watering, urination and defecation activities, expressed in number of times per day, were also observed. In the nocturnal observation, the environment was kept under artificial lighting, a condition that occurred since the arrival of the animals in the experimental unit.

Concomitant with the behavioral evaluation, the apparent digestibility of the diet was evaluated, for which the total fecal collection of each experimental unit was carried out at the end of each shift, with the aid of scrapers, during the 48 hours of evaluation, and to avoid influence of dirtiness, the pens were washed to remove any and all impurities that might interfere with the collection. Feces were weighed and sampled at each 6-hour shift, and then stored in a freezer at -18°C until analysis. After the end of the evaluation, samples were thawed, homogenized to form a composite sample, corresponding to each experimental unit.

The daily feed intake and leftovers were measured and a sample of the diet was collected and stored in a freezer. After the end of the evaluation, samples were thawed and homogenized to form a composite sample, per pen and treatment, and stored at -15°C. Samples of diets, leftovers and feces were dried in a forced air oven at 55°C for 72 hours and corrected for total dry matter at 105°C. In these, DM and starch contents were evaluated, following the same procedures adopted in the analysis of ingredients foods.

Coefficients of apparent digestibility (AD) of DM and starch in the experimental diets were determined according to the following formula: AD (%) = [(g ingested nutrient – g excreted nutrient) ÷ g ingested nutrient] × 100. Fecal score for each pen was analyzed daily, based on the methodology adapted from Looper et al.(²¹) and Ferreira et al.(²²), ranging from 1 to 6, being: 1 = watery feces, not very consistent; 2 = liquid feces, not very consistent, with small piles of up to 2.5 cm; 3 = intermediate feces with a concentric ring and 3 to 4 cm pile (ideal); 4 = pasty feces with concentric rings and pile of more than 5 cm; 5 = drier feces without concentric rings and pile of more than 5 cm; and 6 = hard or dry feces.

Data on animal performance, dry matter intake, and apparent digestibility referred to the mean of the experimental unit, and data on ingestive behavior referred to the animal chosen in the experimental unit. Both were tested by ANOVA, with subsequent comparison of means at 5% significance by Tukey’s test, through the GLM procedure of the SAS statistical program(²³).

The following statistical model was used: Yij = μ + Ti + Eij, where: Yi = response criterion; μ = overall mean common to all observations (constant); Ti = effect of the i-th treatment, in which: T1 – control diet, T2 – diet with enzyme complex, T3 – diet with yeast culture, and T4 – diet with enzyme complex and yeast culture; and Eij = random error common to all observations.

3. Results and discussion

In Table 2, there was no statistical difference between the three feedlot periods (P>0.05), for dry matter intake, whether expressed in kg day^-1 or % body weight. Average daily gain, feed conversion and fecal score differed (P<0.05) between evaluated treatments (Table 2). In general, the average daily gain was higher for the animals that received enzyme complex and yeast culture in their diets, either alone or in combination, compared to the control treatment. Regarding the efficiency of converting the ingested dry matter into weight gain, in the first 21 days of feedlot, this was better (P<0.05) in animals supplemented with the combination of yeast culture and enzyme complex (5.47 kg kg^-1), compared to non-supplemented animals (7.18 kg kg^-1), but did not differ (P>0.05) from animals that received yeast culture or enzyme complex alone (5.85 and 5.81 kg kg^-1, respectively).

Table 2
Average daily weight gain, dry matter intake expressed in kg day^-1 or per 100 kg body weight, feed conversion and fecal score, of steers in feedlot supplemented with enzyme complex or yeast culture, alone or in combination.

Parameter	Experimental diet.				Average	CV	Prob
	Control	Enzyme complex	Yeast culture	Combination		(%)
Average daily gain, kg day-1:
0 to 21 days	1.267 b	1.638 a	1.662 a	1.605 a	1.543	12.74	0.0493
0 to 42 days	1.377 b	1.629 a	1.698 a	1.579 a	1.570	12.05	0.0164
0 to 63 days	1.368 b	1.584 a	1.644 a	1.581 a	1.544	10.55	0.0529
Dry matter intake, kg dat-1:
0 to 21 days	9.08 a	9.42 a	9.36 a	8.73 a	9.15	9.62	0.5996
0 to 42 days	9.52 a	9.69 a	9.66 a	8.99 a	9.47	8.66	0.5181
0 to 63 days	9.59 a	9.76 a	9.57 a	9.05 a	9.49	7.73	0.4765
Dry matter intake, % body weight:
0 to 21 days	2.32 a	2.37 a	2.35 a	2.22 a	2.31	6.55	0.4450
0 to 42 days	2.34 a	2.34 a	2.32 a	2.20 a	2.30	5.97	0.3107
0 to 63 days	2.28 a	2.28 a	2.22 a	2.13 a	2.23	5.36	0.1868
Feed conversion, kg kg-1:
0 to 21 days	7.18 a	5.81 ab	5.85 ab	5.47 b	6.07	12.15	0.0106
0 to 42 days	6.95 a	5.98 ab	5.78 b	5.72 b	6.11	10.16	0.0213
0 to 63 days	7.05 a	6.16 ab	5.94 b	5.78 b	6.23	11.41	0.0521
Fecal score:
0 to 21 days	2.89 b	3.00 a	3.01 a	3.02 a	2.98	1.78	0.0044
0 to 42 days	2.85 b	3.01 a	3.02 a	3.03 a	2.98	2.10	0.0006
0 to 63 days	2.86 b	3.01 a	3.02 a	3.04 a	2.99	2.80	0.0137

• Means in the same row, followed by different lowercase letters, are significantly different by Tukey’s test at 5%; CV: Coefficient of variation.

When evaluating the feed conversion, with the advance of the finishing period, either from 0 to 42 days and/or from 0 to 63 days, animals supplemented with yeast culture, whether alone or in combination, showed better (P<0.05) efficiency of converting the ingested dry matter into weight gain compared to the control diet, but did not differ from animals supplemented with enzyme complex alone.

Exogenous enzymes are indicated as an enhancer of dietary digestibility and productive efficiency, when they are associated with microorganisms present in the animal digestive tract, they assist in the release of sugars and other components of complex carbohydrates(²⁴,²⁵). However, data in the literature regarding this food additive are somewhat variable, given that its activity is dependent on the substrate available, the volume of enzyme administered and the enzyme-substrate ratio(¹⁰).

The yeast culture(²⁶), on the other hand, assists in the fermentation and absorptive processes in a secondary way. This, when administered to animals, can stabilize the rumen environment, making the fermentation process more efficient, giving animals better performance, in addition to improving the immune system due to the presence of β-glucans and mannan oligosaccharides(²⁷). It is suggested that these mechanisms of action mentioned above were responsible for ensuring the animals made better use of the nutrients in the diet, which led to a better feed conversion and greater average daily weight gain, compared to animals that did not receive any additive. In the different periods, animals supplemented with yeast culture or enzyme complex, alone or in combination, had better fecal score, where they presented scores closer to 3, considered ideal.

The improvement in the fecal score for animals supplemented with yeast culture suggests an effect of β-glucans and mannan oligosaccharides. These components help in the development of the gastrointestinal tract, in the growth of the intestinal villi, and in the regulation of the intestinal flora, which results in a greater absorption of nutrients and water by reducing the rate of passage of the diet, making feces less watery(²⁸,²⁹).

The improvement in the fecal score for animals supplemented with exogenous enzymes may be the effect of a possible lower rate of passage of the diet. According to Khademi et al.(³⁰), fibrolytic enzymes prolong the retention time of the diet in the rumen, which also reduces the rate of passage, and increases the absorption of water from the intestinal lumen. When analyzing Table 3, for the variables final weight, weight gain in the feedlot period, days to gain 100 kg body weight, fecal output (kg day^-1), apparent digestibility of dry matter and starch there was no difference (P<0.05).

Table 3
Fecal output in kg day^-1, on natural or dry basis, fecal dry matter content and apparent digestibility of dry matter and starch in feedlot steers supplemented with enzyme complex or yeast culture, alone or in combination.

Parameter	Experimental diet.				Average	CV	Prob
	Control	Enzyme complex	Yeast culture	Combination		(%)
IW, kg	363.6 a	362.2 a	362.7 a	360.3 a	362.2	3.88	0.9847
FW, kg	449.8 b	462.0 a	466.3 a	459.9 a	469.5	4.26	0.0442
WGP	86.2 b	99.8 a	103.6 a	99.6 a	97.3	8.45	0.0327
100kg weight gain	73 a	63 b	61 b	63 b	65	4.66	0.0029
Feces, kg NM day-1	18.34 a	14.55 ab	13.74 b	13.70 b	15.08	14.60	0.0175
Feces, kg DM day-1	2.97 a	2.37 b	2.34 b	2.39 b	2.52	14.88	0.0564
Feces, % DM	16.19 a	16.28 a	17.26 a	17.51 a	16.81	6.20	0.1584
DMD, %	67.26 b	74.88 a	75.18 a	73.40 a	72.26	3.57	0.0013
SD, %	95.83 b	96.89 ab	97.30 a	97.07 a	96.77	0.61	0.0095

• Means in the same row, followed by different lowercase letters, are significantly different by Tukey’s test at 5%; IW: Initial Weight; FW: Final Weight; WGP: Weight gain in the trial period; DMD: dry matter digestibility; SD: starch digestibility; CV: Coefficient of variation.

Higher production of feces, either on a natural basis or on a dry basis, was observed when animals were not given additives. Fecal output is closely related to the digestibility of the food, that is, foods with greater digestibility present greater utilization, consequently the fecal output will be lower, an effect observed in the present study (Table 3).

The apparent digestibility of dry matter was higher for animals supplemented with yeast culture or enzyme complex, alone (75.18% and 74.88%, respectively) or in combination (73.40%) compared to animals that received no additive (67.26%). The apparent digestibility of starch was higher when animals were supplemented with yeast culture alone and with the combination of yeast culture plus enzyme complex (97.30% and 97.07%, respectively), but did not differ from animals supplemented with the enzyme complex alone (96.89%).

The better apparent digestibility in animals that received the enzyme complex as a supplement can be explained by its mechanism of action. When exogenous enzymes are administered, they enter into synergy with bacterial enzymes, thus enhancing their effects(³¹). Fibrolytic enzymes promote hydrolysis and greater degradation of polysaccharides present in the food cell wall, which generates greater degradation and consequently greater use of the diet and consequently reduces fecal output(³²,³³,³⁴).

The yeast culture alters the concentrations of some short-chain fatty acids, in particular, it increases the proportion of propionate and reduces lactate, due to its ability to compete for the same substrates used by Streptococcus bovis bacteria that are lactate producers, and to stimulate the growth of Selenomonas ruminantium bacteria, which are consumers of lactic acid. This reflects in smaller variations in rumen pH, greater stability in the rumen environment and smaller variations in its microbiota, factors that provide better diet digestibility and better animal performance(³⁵,³⁶). Arambel & Kent(³⁷) and Moallem et al.(³⁸) reported that the use of yeast can be more effective under stress than under normal conditions. As well as the use of the enzyme will depend on several conditions, such as rumen pH, concentration of enzymes and the type of substrate present in the rumen(¹⁰).

The highest final weight, weight gain in the confinement period and the shortest time to gain 100 kg body weight of animals supplemented with yeast culture and enzyme complex, alone or in combination, is a reflection of the best ADG of these animals (Table 2) and the best digestibility of dry matter and starch (Table 3). An important point to be highlighted, because, once the feedlot period is shortened, costs also reduce, resulting in greater profitability for the producer. The ingestive behavior data listed in Table 4 indicated no difference (P>0.05) in time and frequency of the parameters evaluated with the supplementation of different types of additives, alone or in combination, compared to the control diet.

Table 4
Ingestive behavior (hours day^-1) or represented by the frequency of activities performed (times day^-1) of steers in feedlot supplemented with enzyme complex or yeast culture, alone or in combination.

Parameter	Experimental diet.				Average	CV	Prob
	Control	Enzyme complex	Yeast culture	Combination		(%)
Hours day-1
Food intake	2.70 a	2.76 a	2.83 a	2.78 a	2.76	16.61	0.9739
Water intake	0.32 a	0.24 a	0.33 a	0.22 a	0.28	27.08	0.0749
Idleness	14.71 a	14.77 a	15.00 a	15.15 a	14.90	5.21	0.7930
Rumination	6.27 a	6.26 a	5.82 a	5.90 a	6.06	10.78	0.5988
Times day-1
Feeding	21.5 a	19.2 a	17.8 a	19.7 a	19.6	14.25	0.2432
Drinking	7.3 a	6.5 a	7.5 a	6.3 a	6.9	19.06	0.4386
Urinating	5.9 a	7.7 a	6.9 a	6.0 a	6.6	15.20	0.0758
Defecating	7.2 a	7.4 a	7.6 a	7.0 a	7.3	19.60	0.9260

• Means in the same row, followed by different lowercase letters, are significantly different by Tukey’s test at 5%; CV: Coefficient of variation.

As in the present study, some studies that evaluated the use of enzymes and/or yeasts in ruminant diet also did not find significant difference in the behavioral evaluation of the animals(³⁹,⁴⁰). On the other hand, Vigne et al.(⁴¹) evaluated the same enzyme blend, however with a high-energy diet, and reported a significant effect for rumination time and idle time.

When comparing these data in the literature with our findings, it leads to the belief that the use of the additive alone is not likely to change the animal behavior, which is positive, since changes in the ingestive behavior can lead to a reduction in intake, reduction in weight gain, and for biochemical reasons, trigger a behavior of selection of feeds in the trough. The ingestive behavior of animals can be altered by factors, such as diet composition, especially fiber content, particle size, which directly influences the time of ingestion and rumination(⁴²,⁴³). As the diets used in the present study were the same for both evaluated additives, this suggests that this is the main reason for the lack of differences in the evaluated behavioral parameters.

5. Conclusion

The use of yeast culture alone or in combination with an enzyme complex improves the apparent digestibility of dietary dry matter and starch, in addition to promoting higher average daily gain, better feed conversion and providing higher final weight of the animals.

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Publication Dates

• Publication in this collection
  29 May 2023
• Date of issue
  2023

History

• Received
  01 Dec 2022
• Accepted
  01 Feb 2023
• Published
  05 Apr 2023