Impact of multi-component protease and papain on broiler growth, gut microbiota, and utilisation of unconventional protein sources

Abstract This study investigated the impact of multi-component protease and papain on broiler performance and protein digestion. A total of 360, one-day-old chicks were reared for 42 days and fed a diet that included maize, soybean meal and alternative protein sources, such as meat and bone meal and mustard de-oiled cake. The trial involved five groups: a positive control, a negative control (reduced soybean meal and crude protein levels), and three treatment groups that received a negative control diet supplemented with either multi-component protease, papain or a combination of both. The results showed that birds fed the combination group had significant performance improvements, with six points improvement in feed conversion ratio ( P <0.05) compared to the negative control group. Additionally, there were improvements in faecal nitrogen retention and reduced dysbacteriosis scores. The addition of proteases to the reformulated diet increased the abundance of beneficial bacteria and decreased harmful bacteria. The combination group had higher levels of Lactobacillus salivarius , which indicated improved gut health and performance. In conclusion, the combination of multi-component protease and papain improved protein digestibility and modified the intestinal microbiota, leading to better performance of broiler chickens fed unconventional protein sources.