Enzyme Treatment of Soybean Meal

Research was conducted to determine the effects of enzymatically hydrolyzing raffinose and stachyose on fecal oligosaccharide concentration and performance of chicks fed a corn-soybean meal diet. The alpha-galactosidase treatment degraded the raffinose and stachyose in soybean meal by 69 percent and 54 percent respectively, compared to the untreated soybean meal. Excreta from chicks fed the treated soybean meal had raffinose and stachyose levels below detection levels (0.1 mg/g). Enzyme treatment increased the total metabolism energy content of the diet from 2,974 to 3,328 kcal/kg. Growth studies indicated no statistical differences (P<0.05) in growth performance between the chicks fed the enzyme-treated and control soybean meals.

Graham, K.K. and co-workers. 2002. The effect of enzyme treatment of soybean meal on oligosaccharide disappearance and chick growth performance. Poultry Sci. 81(7):1014-1019.