Digestibility of phosphorus by broiler chickens fed raw and autoclaved faba bean diets with and without phytase

1. The nutritional potential of Faba bean (<i>Vicia faba</i> L.) is limited by the presence of phytate, which reduces phosphorus (P) digestibility and the bioavailability of other minerals. This study evaluated the effect of autoclaving and phytase on the P digestibility of broiler chickens.2. Diets were formulated to include faba beans (FB) or autoclaved FB (AFB), with or without 1,000 FYT/kg phytase, in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement. Broiler chickens were fed a similar starter diet until d 18, after which 256 chickens were weighed and assigned to four diets in a randomised complete block design, with body weight as the blocking factor (eight replicates of eight birds per cage).3. Phytase increased the apparent total tract digestibility of P (<i>p</i> < 0.01), with an interaction between autoclaving and phytase on AID of P (<i>p</i> < 0.01); the AID of P increased to a greater extent when phytase was added to non-autoclaved FB than to autoclaved FB. Additionally, ileal digestible P and retainable P intake increased with phytase supplementation (<i>p</i> < 0.01).