Digestibility refers to the amount of nutrient absorbed by the individual and is generally calculated as the amount of nutrient consumed minus the amount of nutrient retained in the feces.
What is digestibility and why is it important?
Digestibility is the factor that expresses the potential of an ingredient to be digested, absorbed and processed by the animal's system, whether in terms of nutrients or of energy. It is very important that this coefficient is known when companies that make feed and animal foods are making decisions.
How do you measure digestibility of food?
Digestibility is measured directly from differences between the feed intake (I) and fecal output (O). Total collection of feces in water is not possible for fish, so an inert indicator (e.g., chromium, yttrium) is added to the diet that accumulates in the feces.
What factors affect food digestibility?
Carbohydrates: The nature and level of dietary carbohydrates affect the digestibility of all nutrients present in the diet. High crude fibre content of mixed diets decreases their digestibility. The higher the percentage of crude fibre in a ration, the lower is the digestibility of dry matter and all other nutrients.
What is low digestibility?
Low-digestible carbohydrates (LDCs) are carbohydrates that are incompletely or not absorbed in the small intestine but are at least partly fermented by bacteria in the large intestine. Fiber, resistant starch, and sugar alcohols are types of LDCs.
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