Enzyme supplements for digestion
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Enzyme Supplements for Digestion: A Comprehensive Overview
Introduction to Enzyme Supplements for Digestion
Enzyme supplements are increasingly being recognized for their potential to enhance digestive health. These supplements can break down proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids, aiding in the management of various digestive disorders such as lactose intolerance and exocrine pancreatic insufficiency2 3. This article synthesizes recent research on the efficacy and benefits of enzyme supplements in improving digestion and overall gut health.
Enhancing Digestibility with Exogenous Enzymes
Improved Nutrient Absorption in Animals
Studies on various animal models have demonstrated that enzyme supplementation can significantly improve nutrient digestibility. For instance, in turbot juveniles, the addition of enzyme complexes like Synergen® and Natugrain®TS increased the apparent digestibility of dry matter, proteins, lipids, and specific amino acids1. Similarly, in broiler chickens, enzyme supplementation improved daily gain and feed conversion ratios, while also reducing the size of digestive organs and increasing volatile fatty acid content in the hindgut4.
Benefits in Pigs and Poultry
In pigs, multi-enzyme supplementation has been shown to enhance the digestibility of dry matter, crude protein, and gross energy, leading to better growth performance and nutrient utilization6 7. Additionally, enzyme supplementation in meat ducks improved growth performance, serum metabolism, and intestinal digestive enzyme activities, indicating a positive impact on overall health and productivity10.
Enzyme Supplements in Human Digestive Health
Management of Digestive Disorders
Enzyme supplements are not only beneficial for animals but also play a crucial role in human digestive health. They are particularly effective in managing conditions like exocrine pancreatic insufficiency and lactose intolerance. Animal-derived enzymes have been the standard treatment, but plant-based and microbe-derived enzymes are emerging as promising alternatives2 3. For example, bromelain from pineapple is effective in protein breakdown, and microbe-derived lipase has shown benefits similar to pancreatic enzymes but at lower dosages3.
Future Perspectives
The combination of different enzymes might offer enhanced therapeutic options in the future. Research is ongoing to explore the potential of enzyme supplements in treating diseases not directly related to enzyme deficiencies, broadening the scope of their application2.
Impact on Gut Health and Microbiota
Positive Effects on Gut Microbiota
Enzyme supplementation has been shown to positively affect gut microbiota. In turbot juveniles, enzyme complexes increased the richness and diversity of intestinal microbiota1. In weanling pigs, multi-enzyme supplementation enhanced the counts of beneficial bacteria like Lactobacilli and Bacillus subtilis while reducing harmful bacteria such as Salmonella and Escherichia coli9.
Gut Health in Pigs
A meta-analysis on pigs revealed that enzyme supplementation positively influenced gut health by improving the ratio of beneficial to harmful bacteria and enhancing gut morphology5. This indicates that enzyme supplements can play a vital role in maintaining a healthy gut environment, which is crucial for overall health and performance.
Conclusion
Enzyme supplements offer significant benefits for both animal and human digestive health. They enhance nutrient digestibility, improve growth performance, and positively influence gut microbiota. As research continues, the potential applications of enzyme supplements are likely to expand, offering new therapeutic options for various digestive disorders and overall health improvement.
Sources and full results
Most relevant research papers on this topic
Exogenous enzymes supplementation enhances diet digestibility and digestive function and affects intestinal microbiota of turbot (Scophthalmus maximus) juveniles fed distillers' dried grains with solubles (DDGS) based diets.
Exogenous enzyme supplementation, such as Synergen® or Natugrain®TS, enhances digestibility and improves gut microbiota richness and diversity in turbot juveniles fed plant-based diets.
RCTDigestive Enzyme Supplementation in Gastrointestinal Diseases
Digestive enzyme supplementation can help manage various digestive disorders, with plant-based and microbe-derived enzymes showing promise in the future.
Literature Review
Highly CitedThe role of enzyme supplementation in digestive disorders.
Enzyme supplementation can effectively manage various digestive disorders, including exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, lactose intolerance, and malabsorption, with potential synergistic effects when combined with animal-based enzymes and microbe-derived enzymes.
Effects of enzyme supplementation on performance, nutrient digestibility, gastrointestinal morphology, and volatile fatty acid profiles in the hindgut of broilers fed wheat-based diets.
Enzyme supplementation improves broiler performance, nutrient digestibility, and gastrointestinal morphology, while decreasing digestive organ size and increasing volatile fatty acid content in the hindgut.
RCTHighly CitedMeta-analysis identifies the effect of dietary multi-enzyme supplementation on gut health of pigs
Dietary multi-enzyme supplementation with two enzyme complexes positively impacts gut health in pigs, with less heterogeneity than single or more than two enzymes.
Meta-Analysis
Rigorous Journal306 Nutrient Digestibility and Dietary Energy Values in Growing Pigs Fed a Corn Distillers Dried Grains with Soluble (Cddgs)-Based Diet with Multi-Enzyme Supplementation
ENZ supplementation in a corn distillers dried grains with solubles-based diet improves nutrient digestibility and energy values in growing pigs.
RCTEffect of feed enzymes on digestibility and growth in weaned pigs: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Phytase supplementation consistently improves piglet growth, P digestibility, and bone mineralization, while xylanase and -glucanase have inconsistent effects.
Meta-AnalysisInfluence of enzymes on performance and digestive parameters of broilers fed rye-based diets.
Enzyme supplementation in rye-based diets decreases intestinal viscosity and accelerates digestive transit, improving broiler performance and feed conversion.
RCT
Animal StudyHighly CitedEffects of dietary supplementation of multi-enzyme on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, small intestinal digestive enzyme activities, and large intestinal selected microbiota in weanling pigs.
Dietary supplementation of multi-enzyme in weanling piglets improves growth performance, gut health, and nutrient digestibility, while reducing harmful bacteria in feces.
RCTAnimal StudyRigorous JournalDietary Supplementation with Phytase and Protease Improves Growth Performance, Serum Metabolism Status, and Intestinal Digestive Enzyme Activities in Meat Ducks
Dietary supplementation with phytase and protease in low-energy and low-protein diets improves growth performance, serum metabolism, and intestinal digestive enzyme activities in meat ducks.
RCTAnimal StudyRigorous Journal