Determining the available phosphorus release of Natuphos E 5,000 G phytase for nursery pigs

A total of 288 pigs (PIC 327 x 1050; initially 11.1 +/- 0.1 kg, and day 40 of age) were used in a 21-d growth trial to determine the available P (aP) release curve for a novel source of 6-phytase (Natuphos E 5,000 G; BASF Corporation, Florham Park, NJ). Natuphos E is a bacterial derived 6-phytase of which the phytase gene is assembled from a hybrid of phytase-producing bacteria and produced through the fermentation of Aspergillus niger. Pigs were randomly allotted to pens at weaning. From day 15 to 18 postweaning, a common corn-soybean meal diet containing 0.12% aP was fed to all pigs to acclimate them to a P-deficient diet. On day 0 of the experiment (day 19 after weaning), pens were allotted in a randomized complete block design to one of eight treatments. There were four pigs per pen and nine pens per dietary treatment. Pigs were fed a corn-soybean meal-based diet formulated to 1.25% standardized ileal digestible Lys. Experimental diets were formulated to contain 0.73% Ca and increasing aP supplied by either monocalcium P (0.12%, 0.18%, and 0.24% aP) or from increasing phytase (150, 250, 500, 750, and 1,000 phytase unit [FTU]/kg) added to the 0.12% aP diet. Analyzed phytase concentrations were 263, 397, 618, 1,100, and 1,350 FTU/kg, respectively. On day 21 of the study, one pig per pen was euthanized and the right fibula was collected for bone ash and percentage bone ash calculations. From day 0 to 21, increasing P from monocalcium P or phytase improved (linear, P < 0.01) ADG and G: F. Bone ash weight and percentage bone ash increased (linear, P < 0.01) with increasing monocalcium P or phytase. When formulated phytase values and percentage bone ash are used as the response variables, aP release for up to 1,000 FTU/kg of Natuphos E 5,000 G phytase can be predicted by the equation: aP release = 0.000212 x FTU/kg phytase.