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Barley ß-Glucans Alter Intestinal Viscosity and Reduce Plasma Cholesterol Concentrations in Chicks^1,2,

Montana Agricultural Experiment Station, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717

Ninety-six 14-d-old male broiler chicks were divided into three dietary groups and fed a corn-soybean meal diet, a barley diet with ß-glucanase and that diet without ß-glucanase. All diets contained 4 g cholesterol/kg. Average daily body weight gain, plasma total cholesterol concentration, LDL cholesterol concentration and digestibility of lipids and protein were lowest (P < 0.05) in the chicks fed the barley diet without ß-glucanase and highest (P < 0.05) in the chicks fed corn-soybean meal diet. Supplementation of the barley diet with ß-glucanase resulted in greater (P < 0.05) average daily weight gain, plasma total and LDL cholesterol concentrations and digestibility of lipids. Viscosity of small intestinal digesta was greatest in chicks fed barley, lowest in those fed the corn-soybean diet and intermediate in chicks fed enzyme-treated barley. Significant (P < 0.01) negative correlations occurred between viscosity of the small intestinal contents and average daily weight gain, plasma total and LDL cholesterol concentrations, and digestibility of lipids and protein. A lower concentration of insoluble ß-glucans in small intestinal digesta of the chicks fed barley supplemented with ß-glucanase compared with the chicks fed the unsupplemented barley diet reflects hydrolytic activity of the supplemental ß-glucanase in the diet.

KEY WORDS: • intestinal viscosity • broiler chicks • barley ß-glucans • growth • plasma cholesterol

¹ Supported in part by a grant from Montana Wheat and Barley Committee, Great Falls, MT.

² Contribution No. J-2699, Montana Agricultural Experiment Station.

³ To whom correspondence should be addressed.

Manuscript received 15 May 1992. Revision accepted 1 July 1992.

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