INFLUENCE OF PHYTIC ACID AND CRUDE FIBRE ON THE AVAILABILITY OF MINERALS FROM FOUR PROTEIN SUPPLEMENTS IN GROWING CHICKS

Abstract

Commercial broiler chicks were used in a study to determine the influence of dietary phytic acid and crude fibre on the availability of Ca, Cu, Mg, Mn, P and Zn in palm kernel meal, soybean meal, cottonseed meal and rapeseed meal. Results showed that phytic acid content varied from 0.85 to 1.92% of the sample among ingredients that were tested. Crude fibre varied from 6.5% in soybean meal to 17.5% in palm kernel meal. The retention of all minerals was adversely affected by either phytic acid or crude fibre. Several minerals showed a significant inverse relationship to both phytic acid and crude fibre.