Determination of AME of wheat using gnotobiotic chickens. (Short Communication)

Abstract

DETERMINATION OF AME OF WHEAT USING GNOTOBIOTIC CHICKENS Geoffrey Annison * 1 that wheat Apparent studies indicated low Recent Metabolisable Energy (AME) values are due to the interaction of a wheat component w i t h a v a r i a b l e f a c t o r a s s o c i a t e d w i t h t h e broilers resulting in some birds being poor starch digesters. the gut The study r e p o r t e d h e r e a s s e s s e d t h e v a r i a b i l i t y o f m i c r o f l o r a o f b r o i l e r s d u r i n g g r o w t h a n d d u r i n g a n AME t r i a l o f t w o i r r a d i a t e d w h e a t b a s e d d i e t s ( A a n d B). grown in were Three groups (I,II,III) o f chickens conventional conditions to 39 days of age. T h e y w e r e u s e d t o The gut microflora of determine the AME of wheats A and B. was assessed weekly. A group i n d i v i d u a l b i r d s from each group CSIRO SPF-Poultry the of gnotobiotic chickens maintained at Unit, Maribyrnong was a l s o u s e d t o a s s a y t h e t r i a l d i e t s . The populations of microorganisms assayed varlea g r e a t l y between individual birds, groups of birds and with time (Group 1 d a t a i s s h o w n i n Fig.1). W h i l s t t h e d i f f e r e n c e s w e r e s i g n i f i c a n t between groups o f b i r d s for all classes except Lactobaccillilike organisms i t w a s n o t p o s s i b l e t o c o n c l u d e i f a n y p a r t i c u l a r c l a s s o f microoganism i n f l u e n c e d t h e w h e a t AME. T h e h i g h e s t AME values were obtained using t h e g n o t o b i o t i c b i r d s a l t h o u g h t h e significance was l o w (p=O.Z,Table 1). T h e r e s u l t s level of the that suggest the p r e s e n c e o f a gut m i c r o f l o r a depresses e n e r g y metabolising a b i l i t y o f t h e b i r d s . l.ANNISON,G. a n d JOHNSON,R. (1989) Aust.Poult.Sci.Symp. Uni.Syd. ---------------------------------------------------------------* Dept of Animal Husbandry, University of Sydney, Camden, 2A