In another experiment four cecal-cannulated barrows were randomly assigned to a 2x2 crossover designed study to compare the influence of pretreating soybean meal with a mixture of fiber-degrading enzyme on nutrient digestibility. Cornstarch-soybean meal diets were formulated to contain 17% protein. The pretreatment consisted of dilution with deionized water, distilled water at a 1:4 ratio and incubating at 50C, pH 5 for 18 hours with 8.5 grams of the following enzymes per kilogram of soybean meal: arabinase, cellulase, alpha-galactase, hemicellulase, pectinase and xylanase. The results of the digestion studies indicated that enzyme pretreatment increased (P<0.08) ideal digestion of DM, OM, Asp, Glu, Lys and total tract digestion of OM, N, Asp, Thr, Ser, Gly, Val, Phe, His, Lys, Ile and Try. Enzyme pretreatment tended (P<0.15) to increase ideal digestibility of Pro, Cal, Ile, Leu and total tract digestibility of DM, Glu, Pro and Leu. The researcher concluded that enzyme pretreatment of soybean meal increased dry matter and amino acid digestibilities of cornstarch-soybean meal fed to growing pigs.

Saddoris, K.L. and co-workers. 2001. The effects of pretreating soybean meal with fiber-degrading enzymes on ideal and total tract digestibility by growing pigs. J. Animal Sci. 79:Suppl. 1 (abstract 1949).