Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33652524›Full record

ArticlePoultry science2021

Effects of hulless barley and exogenous beta-glucanase levels on ileal digesta soluble beta-glucan molecular weight, digestive tract characteristics, and performance of broiler chickens.

Namalika D Karunaratne, Henry L Classen, Nancy P Ames, Michael R Bedford, Rex W Newkirk

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Poultry science, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed
1.6field-weighted citation impact, top 18% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed, 21 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Amino Acid Nutrition in Poultry: A Review.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2025
    Review
  2. Article
  3. Microorganisms · 2024
    Review
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Namalika D KarunaratneDepartment of Animal and Poultry Science, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon SK S7N 5A8, Canada.
Henry L ClassenDepartment of Animal and Poultry Science, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon SK S7N 5A8, Canada.
Nancy P AmesAgriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Winnipeg, R3T 2E1 Manitoba, Canada.
Michael R BedfordAB Vista, Marlborough, Wiltshire SN8 4AN, United Kingdom.
Rex W NewkirkDepartment of Animal and Poultry Science, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon SK S7N 5A8, Canada. Electronic address: rex.newkirk@usask.ca.
University of Saskatchewan · CAAB Vista (United Kingdom) · GBAgriculture and Agri-Food Canada · CA

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The reduced use of antibiotics in poultry feed has led to the investigation of alternatives to antibiotics, and one such substitution is fermentable carbohydrates. Exogenous β-glucanase (BGase) is commonly used in poultry fed barley-based diets to reduce digesta viscosity. The effects of hulless barley (HB) and BGase levels on ileal digesta soluble β-glucan molecular weight, digestive tract characteristics, and performance of broiler chickens were determined. A total of 360 day-old broilers were housed in battery cages (4 birds per cage) and fed graded levels of high β-glucan HB (CDC Fibar; 0, 30, and 60% replacing wheat) and BGase (Econase GT 200 P; 0, 0.01, and 0.1%) in a 3 × 3 factorial arrangement. Beta-glucan peak molecular weight in the ileal digesta was lower with 30 and 60 than 0% HB, whereas the peak decreased with increasing BGase. The weight average molecular weight was lower at 0.1 than 0% BGase in wheat diets, whereas in HB diets, it was lower at 0.01 and 0.1 than 0% BGase. The maximum molecular weight was lower with 0.01 and 0.1 than 0% BGase regardless of the HB level. The maximum molecular weight was lower with HB than wheat at 0 or 0.01% BGase. Overall, empty weights and lengths of digestive tract sections increased with increasing HB, but there was no BGase effect. Hulless barley decreased the duodenum and jejunum contents, whereas increasing the gizzard (diets with BGase), ileum, and colon contents. The jejunum and small intestine contents decreased with increasing BGase. Ileal and colon pH increased with increasing HB, but there was no BGase effect. Treatment effects were minor on short-chain fatty acids levels and performance. In conclusion, exogenous BGase depolymerized the ileal digesta soluble β-glucan in broiler chickens in a dose-dependent manner. Overall, feed efficiency was impaired by increasing HB levels. However, HB and BGase did not affect carbohydrate fermentation in the ileum and ceca, although BGase decreased ileal viscosity and improved feed efficiency at the 0.1% dietary level.

Indexed as

beta-GlucansChickensDextranaseDietGastrointestinal TractHordeumAnimal FeedAnimal Nutritional Physiological PhenomenaAnimalsDigestionIleumMolecular Weightbeta-GlucansDextranasefeed enzymefermentationnonstarch polysaccharideoligosaccharideprebioticviscosity

Identifiers

PMID33652524
PMCPMC7936222
OpenAlexW3116805311

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.