A novel phytase improves the growth performance, tibia mineralization and phosphorus digestibility of male meat ducks under long- and short-term supplementation conditions

Exogenous phytase enzymes have been developed and widely used in poultry industry to enhance the phosphorous ( P ) utilization. However, duck production only accounts for 4.91% of the global poultry meat production, resulting in limited researchers on phytase application in this species. Consequently, duck producers often rely on broiler data as a reference, despite notable anatomical and physiological differences in the digestive tracts of ducks and broilers that could result in differences in nutrient utilization. Nevertheless, according to FAOSTAT data, the ducks contributed approximately 7.06 million tons of meat to global consumption in 2023, underscoring the importance of evaluating the utilization of phosphorus by phytase in the meat duck industry to support a more sustainable industry and precise nutrition management. Therefore, the current study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a novel phytase (characterized by superior thermostability and pH tolerance) in meat ducks under long- and short-term supplementation conditions. Results shown that the novel phytase significantly improved the growth performance and bone mineralization of ducks by effectively hydrolyzing the phytate P and releasing both P and inositol across both long- and short-term conditions. Based on the duck bone ash weight and percent, the novel phytase addition of 500, 1,000, 2,000, 3,000 and 4,000 phytase FYT/kg were estimated to be equivalent to approximately 0.085, 0.164, 0.237, 0.261 and 0.270% non-phytate phosphorus (nPP), respectively. These findings demonstrate the potential of the novel phytase as a valuable tool for advancing precision nutrition and reducing environmental P output in commercial duck production.