Digestibilidad aparente de dietas con probióticos o fitasa para potros Mangalarga Marchador

Abstract

Additives have been used to improve quality diet and animal development. The objective was to assess the effects of probiotic or phytase supplementation on apparent digestibility of nutrients in 24 Mangalarga Marchador foals (16 males, 8 females), aged 241.6 ± 23.2 days (mean ± SD/SEM), and weighing 216.7 ± 27.8 kg. The study lasted 28 days, the first 23 for diet and handling adaptation, and the last five days for fecal collection. The basal diet consisted of Cynodon pasture and pelleted concentrate (1.2 kg/100 kg body weight), as well as water and mineral salt ad libitum. There were four treatments: basal diet (T1); basal diet + 5 g/day of 109 CFU/g of s. cerevisiae (T2); basal diet + 2 g/day of 108CFU/g of bacteria B. bifidum, E. faecium, L. acidophilus, L. plantarum and 105 CFU/g of s. cerevisiae (T3); and basal diet + 1250 FTU/day of phytase (T4). The DM intake was estimated with an external marker (LIPE©) associated with cecal in situ digestibility of DM. All foals were randomized by replicate using a 4 x 2 factorial, and results were compared using student's t-test (p<0.05). Group T3 showed better digestibility of crude protein, total minerals, calcium and phosphorus; whereas T2 had better digestibility of hemicellulose and calcium. Group T4 had better digestibility of neutral detergent fiber and intermediary values of minerals digestibility. Probiotics can be used as a nutritional strategy to improve the digestibility of a foal's diet, particularly when live bacteria and yeast culture are used. A phytase dose of 205 FTU/kg DM in the basal diet improved fiber digestibility, indicating its potential in equine nutrition.