# Multi-carbohydrase complex supplementation improves crude protein and energy utilization of corn-soybean-based diets with or without HP-DDGS in growing pigs

## TL;DR

Adding a multi-carbohydrase complex to pig diets improves protein and energy digestion, even when using corn-soybean or high-protein corn by-products.

## Contribution

Demonstrates that multi-carbohydrase complex improves nutrient utilization in diets with or without high-protein corn by-products in pigs.

## Key findings

- HP-DDGS reduced digestibility of dry matter, crude protein, and energy compared to corn-soybean diets.
- MCC supplementation improved nutrient and energy digestibility regardless of diet composition.
- MCC can enhance the use of ethanol by-products in swine nutrition.

## Abstract

The use of high protein corn dried distillers’ grains with solubles (HP-DDGS) presents distinct nutritional and economic value compared to corn and soybean meal. This co-product is characterized by a high concentration of non-starch polysaccharides. The hypothesis of this study was that the inclusion of a multi-carbohydrase complex (MCC) in a corn-soybean based diet with or without HP-DDGS would improve nitrogen and energy digestibility and utilization in growing pigs. A total of 8 pigs were used in a digestibility study. Animals were assigned to 4 dietary treatments using a replicated 4 × 4 Latin square design. Experimental diets consisted of two basal diets: a corn–soybean meal diet and a corn–soybean meal diet containing 20% HP-DDGS. Each basal diet was formulated with or without the inclusion of MCC. Data were analyzed using an ANOVA with HP-DDGS inclusion, enzyme inclusion, animal, and period as the main effects. Means were then compared by the Student Newman-keuls test. The inclusion of HP-DDGS reduced (P < 0.001) the apparent total tract digestibility of dry matter, crude protein, gross energy, energy metabolizability coefficient, and decreased digestible energy and metabolizable energy compared to the corn-soybean diet. Conversely, MCC supplementation improved (P < 0.05) nutrient and energy digestibility, regardless of diet composition. The present study demonstrated that the use of a MCC in growing pig diets has the potential to improve nutrient digestibility and utilization not only when HP-DDGS is used, but also in regular corn-soybean based diets.

Graphical Abstract

The inclusion of a multi-carbohydrase complex in pig diets significantly improved nutrient digestibility in both conventional corn- and soybean-based diets and HP-DDGS–containing diets, highlighting the importance of enzyme supplementation. These results indicate that multi-carbohydrase complex is a promising strategy to optimize nutrient utilization and enable the sustainable and cost-effective inclusion of ethanol by-products in swine nutrition.