Efficacy of yeast phytase in improving phosphorus bioavailability in a corn-soybean meal-based diet for growing pigs

Crossbred barrows (n = 66; 6 wk old) were used in a 6-wk experiment to evaluate the efficacy of phytase from yeast or Aspergillus niger on performance, tibial characteristics, and serum inorganic P concentration. We also investigated the stability of these phytases in acidic solutions with pepsin, which simulated gastric conditions. Pigs were fed a P-adequate diet containing .34% nonphytate-P or a low-P diet containing .20% nonphytate-P. The low-P diet was supplemented with 0, 1,000, 2,000, or 4,000 phytase units (PU; the activity at optimal pH, i.e., pH 4.2 for yeast phytase and pH 5.5 for phytase from Aspergillus niger)/kg of yeast phytase, or 1,000 PU/kg phytase from Aspergillus niger. The graded level of yeast phytase linearly increased ADG (P = .047), tibial weight (P = .091), tibial density (P < .001), and P concentration in tibial cortex (P = .018). Aspergillus niger phytase also increased ADG (P = .022), serum inorganic P concentration (P < .001), tibial density (P = .007), and tibial P concentration (P = .025). The pigs given 1,000 PU/kg Aspergillus niger phytase showed greater ADG (P = .091), tibial density (P= .001), and tibial P concentration (P = .062) than those given 1,000 PU/kg yeast phytase. No measurements differed (P > .31) between the pigs given 1,000 PU/kg Aspergillus niger phytase and those given 4,000 PU/kg yeast phytase. These results suggested that yeast phytase improves bioavailability of P in the diet for growing pigs but the efficacy of yeast phytase is less than that of Aspergillus niger phytase. During incubation in acidic solutions with pepsin, yeast phytase (P < .001) lost more of its activity than Aspergillus niger phytase. This lesser stability of yeast phytase may be responsible for the poorer efficacy of yeast phytase than that of Aspergillus niger. In summary, supplementation of swine diets with yeast phytase is beneficial, but its efficacy is less than that of Aspergillus niger phytase.