This experiment was conducted to determine the effects of feeding mustard protein concentrate on nutrient digestibility and the performance of broiler chickens.A total of 180,day-old,male broiler chickens,weighing an average of 52.8 ± 0.6 g,were randomly assigned to one of six dietary treatments in a randomized block design.The control diet was based on wheat and soybean meal and contained 15% canola meal.The experimental diets contained 3%,6%,9%,12% or 15% mustard protein concentrate added at the expense of canola meal.The digestibility of crude protein and energy declined linearly(P<0.01)with increasing levels of mustard protein concentrate.In addition,weight gain and feed intake were linearly(P<0.01)reduced as the level of mustard protein concentrate in the diet increased.Feed conversion was also negatively affected(P<0.01)by mustard protein concentrate while mortality did not differ among treatments.The results of the present experiment provide a strong indication that there is a factor or factors present in mustard protein concentrate which negatively affects broiler performance.The process through which the protein in mustard seed is concentrated from mustard meal may concentrate some of the anti-nutritional factors found in mustard.Previous research has reported an increase in the concentration of phenolic compounds in protein isolates from mustard and this may be the cause of the reduction in performance as the level of mustard protein concentrate in the diet increased.Further research should be conducted to test this hypothesis.
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