Abstract
Starch is the main source of available energy in poultry
diets. It is the predominant reserve carbohydrate found in
plants and is the main component of the endosperm in
cereal grains (EVERS et al., 1974). It is composed of two
types of glucose polymers, amylose and amylopectin. Common
cereal starches are approximately similar in composition
with a range of 0.15 to 0.35 of the total starch being
amylose.
Variation in the proportion of amylose in the cereal
starch can occur for two reasons: Crop growth and husbandry
variables can affect the relative proportions of the
two polymers. HRUBY (2005) reported a range of 0.17 to
0.29 in amylose content of the starch in 60 maize samples
that were entering the commercial animal feed sector.
Secondly, the proportion of amylose and amylopectin in
the starch is controlled by allelic expression. Cultivars or
many cereal types have been developed that are either
completely composed of amylopectin (described as ‘waxy’
cultivars) or have a higher amylose content in the starch
content. Small amounts of waxy cereal cultivars are grown
because they are beneficial for ‘wet-milling’ processes of
starch extraction and high amylose cultivars have particular
thermal pasting characteristics for human food preparation
(GRAYBOSCH, 1998). Although these cultivars are
unlikely to be used in any significant proportions in the
animal feed sector, some samples may be used that do not
meet human food quality characteristics.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 21 - 29 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | Arch Geflugelk |
| Volume | 74 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| Publication status | First published - 2010 |
Keywords
- Broiler
- Chickens
- Dietary starch
- Growth performance
- Gut morphology