Study links β-mannanase to gut barrier gains in broilers

A newly published study in Frontiers in Veterinary Science adds fresh evidence that β-mannanase can improve gut function as well as feed efficiency in broilers. In a 21-day feeding trial, researchers found that supplementing a corn-soybean meal diet with 150 mg/kg of β-mannanase improved feed conversion ratio, reduced digesta viscosity, strengthened markers of intestinal barrier function, and shifted cecal microbiota composition, all without changing final body weight. (frontiersin.org)

That matters because β-mannans are well-recognized anti-nutritional polysaccharides in common poultry feed ingredients, especially soybean meal and other plant-based raw materials. They can increase digesta viscosity, interfere with nutrient use, and may contribute to what some researchers describe as a feed-induced immune response, where the gut expends resources reacting to feed components rather than directing them toward growth. A 2022 review argued that supplemental β-mannanase may blunt that response by breaking β-mannans into smaller fragments with less immunostimulatory effect, while also influencing microbial ecology in the gut. (frontiersin.org)

In the new study, the research team assigned 160 one-day-old AA broilers to either a basal diet or the same diet plus β-mannanase, with eight replicates of 10 birds per treatment. By day 21, the supplemented group showed lower feed intake and better feed conversion, along with higher jejunal villus height-to-crypt depth ratio and increased DNA content in the duodenum and jejunum, which the authors used as a quantitative marker of enterocyte development. They also reported improved digestibility of dry matter and metabolizable energy, lower serum D-lactic acid and endotoxin, higher secretory IgA, lower jejunal IL-1β expression, and increased expression of tight-junction and mucus-related genes including ZO-1, occludin, and mucin-2. (frontiersin.org)

The microbiota findings are notable, too, though still early-stage in practical terms. The authors reported increased relative abundance of several genera, including Alistipes, Lachnoclostridium, Enterocloster, and Comamonas. The paper frames those shifts as part of an improved gut micro-ecology, but as with many microbiome datasets, the field still needs more work linking taxonomic changes to consistent flock-level clinical outcomes. (frontiersin.org)

The study also fits with earlier literature suggesting that β-mannanase’s value may extend beyond simple nutrient release. A 2023 meta-analysis of 28 field trials across 13 countries found that β-mannanase use in commercial broiler diets reduced several indicators associated with compromised intestinal health, including excessive cellular sloughing, poor intestinal tone, excessive feed passage, thin intestines, gizzard erosion, and pododermatitis, while improving an overall intestinal integrity index. More recent work in broilers fed energy-reduced diets has also pointed to gains in nutrient utilization and performance, although some authors note that mechanistic gut measurements are still inconsistently assessed across studies. (sciencedirect.com)

There does not appear to be a major outside press campaign or broad veterinary commentary around this specific paper yet, but the industry and academic context is clear: enzymes that help poultry producers get more value from plant-based diets are drawing sustained interest as feed costs remain central to profitability and as production systems continue to move away from growth-promotion-era antibiotic strategies. The review literature suggests β-mannanase is being discussed not only as a feed efficiency tool, but also as part of a wider gut health and sustainability strategy. That framing is partly an inference from the published evidence base, rather than a direct claim from a single regulator or trade group. (frontiersin.org)

Why it matters: For veterinarians and technical teams supporting poultry operations, this study reinforces the idea that feed enzymes can affect intestinal physiology in ways that may be relevant to flock health management, not just formulation economics. Better barrier integrity, lower inflammatory signaling, and improved nutrient digestibility could translate into more resilient birds, especially where operations are balancing performance goals against enteric disease pressure, litter quality concerns, and reduced tolerance for inefficiency. Still, this was a short, controlled study in young broilers, and it does not answer how consistent these benefits will be across genetics, ingredient variability, pathogen challenge, or full commercial grow-out conditions. (frontiersin.org)

What to watch: The next developments to watch are longer-duration commercial trials, head-to-head comparisons across enzyme products and inclusion rates, and more field data connecting microbiota and barrier markers to outcomes veterinarians care about on farm, including enteric disease burden, welfare indicators, and cost per kilogram of gain. (frontiersin.org)