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REVIEW

Limitations to wheat starch digestion in growing broiler chickens: a brief review

Birger Svihus
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

Norwegian University of Life Sciences, N-1432 Aas, Norway, and University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia. Email: birger.svihus@umb.no

Animal Production Science 51(7) 583-589 https://doi.org/10.1071/AN10271
Submitted: 9 December 2010  Accepted: 16 March 2011   Published: 27 June 2011

Abstract

Starch digestibility may be suboptimal in broilers fed pelleted wheat-based diets. In the present review, the digestion and absorption process related to starch is presented, followed by a discussion of the effect of wheat characteristics and bird-related effects. Enzyme secretion or glucose absorption and metabolism have not been shown to be limiting factors. Suboptimal starch digestibility is primarily observed when a large proportion of wheat is included in the diet, and appears to be partly associated with characteristics of the wheat such as hardness and cell wall structure, which cause starch granules to remain entrapped in the protein matrix and the cell wall of the endosperm or aleurone layer. There are indications that low starch digestibility is negatively correlated with feed intake, and that such a feed over-consumption is linked to an under-developed gizzard.


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