Approximately 60 to 80% of the phosphorus (P) in cereal grains and oil seeds is bound to phytate and unavailable to monograstics, including swine. Supplementing swine diets with the phytase enzyme improves P availability and retention. The phytate molecule complexes other minerals, proteins, and starch, however, the research examining the effect of the phytase enzyme on the utilization of these nutrients has demonstrated inconsistent responses and the conclusions are equivocal. Phytase, a protein, is subject to heat damage and is thus not suitable for use in pelleted diets. However, the developer of the enzyme used in this study reported improved thermotolerance, thus we examined the efficacy of this enzyme in pelleted diets. The overall objective of this experiment was to examine the interaction between phytase and dietary energy content.
