Addition of exogenous enzymes to diets containing grape pomace: Effects on intestinal utilization of catechins and antioxidant status of chickens

- Chickens have the capacity to use monomeric and dimeric catechins of grape pomace.
- Tannase reduced the ileal digestibility of total polyphenols, catechins, and protein.
- Grape pomace increased α-tocopherol and reduced iron concentration in plasma.
- Enzymes did not enhance the antioxidant protection observed with grape pomace.

Grape pomace (GP) is a rich source of polyphenols with antioxidant capacity. An experiment was conducted to study the effect of GP phenolic compounds included at 5 and 10%, and the addition (individually or combined) of hydrolyzing enzymes (carbohydrase enzyme complex and tannase at 500 ppm) on intestinal utilization of catechins and antioxidant status in broiler chickens. A diet supplemented with 200 ppm of α-tocopheryl acetate was also used. Our findings demonstrate the capacity of chickens to digest the monomeric (catechin, epicatechin, gallic acid, and epicatechin-O-gallate) and dimeric (procyanidin B1 and procyanidin B2) catechins present in grape pomace. The addition of enzymes (mainly tannase) hydrolyzed the polymeric structures into smaller catechins, but also promoted a lower digestibility of the monomeric and dimeric catechins suggesting that polymeric structures might favour the intestinal utilization of these catechins. The intestinal accumulation of phenolic compounds generated with tannase and with 10% GP reversed the antimicrobial effect against Clostridium perfringens observed with 5% of GP. Grape pomace improved the antioxidant status of the bird, increasing the α-tocopherol and reducing the iron content on plasma, not affecting the plasma gluthatione. Enzymes modified the intestinal utilization of catechins but not additional protective effect was detected on any of the parameters analyzed to evaluate the antioxidant status.

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