PRODUCTION OF PHYTASE ENZYME FOR POULTRY

Abstract

Since its discovery in 1907, a complex of technological developments has created a potential $500 million market for phytase as an animal feed additive. During last 30 years, research has led to increased use of soybean meal and other plant material as protein sources in animal feed. One problem that had to be overcome was the presence of antinutritional factors, including phytate, in plant. Phytate phosphorus is not digested by monogastric animals (e.g., hogs and poultry), and in order to supply enough of this nutrient, additional phosphate was required in the feed ration. However, this additional phosphorus creates a massive environmental problem when the land's ability to bind it is exceeded. Over the last decade, numerous feed studies have established the efficacy of a fungal phytase to hydrolyze phytate phosphorus in an animal's digestive tract, which benefits the animal while reducing total phosphorus levels in manures. A technique developed to produce crude microbial phytase (CMPhy) enzyme form fungus, with the objective to enhance phosphorus availability in corn and soybean meal based broiler diets.