Enzyme Treatment of Soybean Meal

Scottish researchers tube-fed cockerels to measure the effect of different enzyme treatments on true metabolizable energy and nitrogen digestibility of commercial solvent-extracted soybean meal. They found that one protease from Aspergillus niger and an alpha-galactosidase from Asperillus oryzae improved true metabolizable energy and true nitrogen digestibility. The enzyme response was non-linear with the greatest response occurring with the lowest enzyme treatments. When the two enzymes were fed together the response was less than expected when fed alone. A chick growth study confirmed the tube-feeding experiments. The researchers concluded that the nutritional value of soybean meal could be improved by protease and alpha-galactosidase treatment.

Ghazi, S., J.A. Rooke and H. Galbraith. 2003. Improvement of the nutritional value of soybean meal by protease and alpha-galactosidase treatment in broiler cockerels and broiler chicks. Br. J. Poultry Sci. 44(3): 410-418.