Effect of phytic acid and phytase on feed intake, growth, digestibility and trypsin activity in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar, L.)

In the majority of experiments, the effects of phytic acid (with or without phytase) are not separated from the effects of adding plant meals containing phytic acid. A 12-week experiment was conducted with Atlantic salmon (28.9 g) to determine the separate and combined effects of phytic acid and phytase on feed intake, trypsin activity, digestibility and growth. Diets were prepared without phytic acid and phytase; with 2000 U phytase kg-1 diet; with 10 g sodium phytate kg-1 diet; and with 10 g sodium phytate and 2000 U phytase kg-1 diet. The basal diet contained sufficient phosphorus and other minerals to meet salmonid requirements. The addition of phytic acid had no significant effect on feed intake or weight gain, it significantly (P < 0.05) reduced protein digestibility although there was no reduction in trypsin activity. Phytase inclusion neutralized the effect of phytic acid on protein digestibility. Phytase had no effect on feed intake but significantly enhanced growth whether included with or without phytic acid. Feed efficiency ratio was significantly improved for fish fed the diet containing both phytase and phytic acid but not separately. The significance of this experiment was to separate the direct effects of phytase and the direct effects of phytic acid, added in a pure form, from effects due to other components in ingredients containing phytic acid.