# The Role of Exogenous Non-Starch Polysaccharide Enzymes in Enhancing Digestibility and Performance of Pig

## TL;DR

Adding enzymes to pig diets may improve digestion and growth by breaking down plant fibers, though results were not statistically significant.

## Contribution

This study evaluates the potential of non-starch polysaccharide enzymes to enhance nutrient digestibility and growth performance in pigs.

## Key findings

- Enzyme supplementation increased in vitro digestibility of dry matter, crude protein, and crude fiber in several swine diets.
- In vivo results showed trends toward improved growth and gut health in pigs fed enzyme-supplemented diets.
- The enzyme had the most notable effects on finisher, gestating, and lactating diets.

## Abstract

Modern pig diets contain natural plant fibers that pigs cannot fully digest, which may limit nutrient absorption and slow growth. Enzyme supplementation has been proposed as a way to help pigs use these nutrients more efficiently. In this study, we examined whether adding a non-starch polysaccharide enzyme mixture could improve the digestibility of several common swine diets. Laboratory tests showed that the enzyme improved nutrient availability in many diet types, particularly those used for finishing pigs and breeding herds. When evaluated in young pigs, the enzyme supplementation showed trends toward better growth performance and healthier intestinal structures. Although these differences were not statistically significant, the overall patterns suggest that enzymes may help pigs obtain more benefit from the same amount of feed. These findings indicate that enzyme supplementation has the potential to support more efficient and sustainable pig production by enhancing nutrient use and promoting digestive health.

Non-starch polysaccharides (NSPs) in plant-based swine diets can reduce nutrient availability, and the use of exogenous NSP-degrading enzymes has been proposed as a practical approach to improve digestive utilization. This study examined the effects of a commercial enzyme mixture through both in vitro assessment and an in vivo trial in nursery pigs. The in vitro evaluation of seven commercial diets showed that enzyme supplementation increased dry matter, crude protein, crude fat, and crude fiber digestibility, with the most notable improvements observed in finisher, gestating, and lactating diets. In the in vivo experiment, pigs fed the enzyme-supplemented diet showed higher average daily gain (464 vs. 361 g/d; p = 0.07) and an improved feed conversion ratio (1.82 vs. 2.39; p = 0.07), together with numerically greater cecal butyrate concentration (2.13 vs. 1.06 mmol/dL; p = 0.10) and increased villous height in the jejunum and ileum. Although these responses did not reach statistical significance, they represent consistent trends that align with the in vitro findings and suggest potential benefits in nutrient utilization and gut morphology. Overall, the results indicate that NSP enzyme supplementation may support digestive function under specific dietary conditions, particularly in diets containing moderate to high NSP levels, and provide useful information for its practical application in swine nutrition.