Degradation and formation of inositol phosphates in the digestive tract of broilers.

Phytate is the major storage form of P in plant seeds. Phytate P is poorly available for monogastric animals. The objective of this project is to better understand and localize the formation of inositol phosphates during phytate degradation in the digestive tract of broilers. Samples are taken in consecutive segments of the gastrointestinal tract and analyzed for contents of inositol phosphate isomers with a newly established HPIC (High Performance Ion Chromatography) method. Different factors influencing the degradation and formation of inositol phosphate isomers will also be examined. Studies with different microbial phytases, which are characterized on the basis of in vitro techniques, with regard to the formation of positional inositol phosphate isomers along the digestive tract and for a differentiation between inositol phosphate degradation by intrinsic and endogenous phytases are conducted. Moreover, the effect of an exogenous phytase and the interaction with an exogenous xylanase on inositol phosphate degradation along the digestive tract will be examined. In this context, different types of cereal grains are applied to vary the contents of Non-Starch-Polysaccharides, phytate and phytase.