Effects of exogenous enzyme supplementation in wheat bran-based diets on production efficiency, egg quality, and nutrient utilization in dual-purpose hens reared under tropical conditions

Effects of exogenous enzyme supplementation in wheat bran-based diets on production efficiency, egg quality, and nutrient utilization in dual-purpose hens reared under tropical conditions | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Effects of exogenous enzyme supplementation in wheat bran-based diets on production efficiency, egg quality, and nutrient utilization in dual-purpose hens reared under tropical conditions Aditya Raj, Kaushalendra Kumar, Sanjay Kumar, Pankaj Kumar Singh, and 5 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-6499996/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract A study was conducted to assess the effects of dietary supplementation with two exogenous enzymes - phytase, xylanase and their combinations on the performance and egg quality of Vanaraja (Indigenous dual-purpose) laying hens. A total of 280 hens were randomly allocated into seven groups (40 hens per group; five replicates of 8 hens each) and fed iso-nutritive diets: T0 (control), T1 (400 FTU/kg phytase), T2 (1200 FTU/kg phytase), T3 (1000 XU/kg xylanase), T4 (3000 XU/kg xylanase), T5 (400 FTU/kg phytase + 1000 XU/kg xylanase), and T6 (1200 FTU/kg phytase + 3000 XU/kg xylanase). A fixed feed quantity and ad libitum water were provided for 24 weeks. Growth performance, egg production, egg quality, and nutrient utilization were evaluated. Feed intake remained constant across groups due to the fixed feed allocation. Body weight gain was significantly (p < 0.05) higher in T4, followed by T5, T1, T6, T3, and T2 compared to control. Egg production was significantly higher in T6, followed by T3, T4, T2, T5, and T1. Egg weight was significantly higher in T3, followed by T4, T6, T2, T5, and T1. FCR was significantly improved in T3, followed by T6, T4, T2, T5, and T1. Hen-day egg production (%) was highest in T6, followed by T3, T4, T2, T5, and T1. Egg quality traits (egg weight, albumen height, yolk colour, yolk and albumen weight, shell weight and thickness, and Haugh unit index) showed no significant differences (p > 0.05) among groups. Crude protein and crude fibre retention were significantly improved in T6 (8.91% and 13.48%, respectively). Calcium and phosphorus retention also increased significantly in T6 (10.74% and 9.47%, respectively). It was concluded that phytase and xylanase supplementation, individually or combined, enhanced performance and nutrient utilization without affecting egg quality in Vanaraja laying hens. egg quality phytase performance Vanaraja laying hen xylanase Introduction Poultry includes a large category of domesticated food animals reared for meat or eggs for human populations around the globe. It provides nutritional security by minimizing the protein and calorie deficiency of human population throughout the world specially in developing countries. Poultry production has evolved from a simple household farming to a full-fledged industry as demand for poultry products has grown. Feed has great economic importance on poultry production, as it contributes about 60–70% of total cost of production (Coon, 2002). Cereals and vegetable protein sources form the major ingredients in poultry rations. According to Baker et al. ( 2021 ) around 30% of the composition of the main plant-based feedstuffs used in poultry ration containing non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) and phytate-P generally accounts approximately 70% of the total phosphorous in grains/seeds and their byproducts (Vieira et al., 2016 ). NSP in cereals is a part of the cell wall structure and in vegetable proteins, especially legumes, play a role as an energy storage material. Chicken having a simple stomach, which cannot digest complex nutrients like NSP and phytate phosphorous efficiently. Therefore, addition of exogenous enzymes such as xylanase and phytase can help to increase nutrient availability, which further improves intestinal health and microbiota of broiler chickens (Selle et al., 2009 ). Phytase catalyzes the hydrolysis of phytic acid to releases phosphorous, minerals, proteins, amino acids and starch, whereas, xylanase catalyses the beta-1,4-xylan bonds to provide more energy to the birds by acting on carbohydrate hydrolysis in the plant cell wall and releasing starch, lipids and proteins which are encapsulated within insoluble matrix (Tiwari et al., 2018 ). These action, reduces the antinutritional properties of phytic acid and non-starch polysaccharides, which may improve the intestinal health of poultry birds. The use of phytase alone, on the other hand, may not have effects on the intestinal mucosa (Pirgozliev et al., 2008 ), but the association between phytase and xylanase may have an additive effect, since the efficiency of phytase added to the diet can be improved by the access to the substrate released by hydrolysis of the NSPs. Similarly, phytase insufficiency may reduce the action of xylanase on nutrients that may be bound to the phytate molecule (Schramm et al., 2017 ). The search for alternatives to conventional poultry feed sources is becoming increasingly important in many countries to meet rising demand (El-Sabrout et al., 2023 ). Wheat bran (WB), a byproduct of the milling industry, has attracted considerable interest due to its high dietary fiber content and positive effects on gut physiology. It also contains protein, starch, minerals, and bioactive compounds, with global production reaching up to 150 million tons annually (Wanzenbock et al., 2017 ). Growing competition between human and animal food crops has encouraged the use of agricultural by-products like WB in animal feed (Kraler et al., 2015 ). However, its application in poultry diets remains limited due to its high fiber content. To date, limited research has explored the combined use of phytase and xylanase enzymes in WB-enriched diets for laying hens. We hypothesized that supplementing wheat bran-based diets with phytase and xylanase would enhance laying hen performance while reducing production costs. Therefore, we evaluated the effects of these exogenous enzymes on the performance of Vanaraja laying hens in diets where wheat bran partially replaced corn. Materials and methods Experimental materials For the experiment, the exogenous enzymes such as phytase (ADPHOS™) and xylanase (BG-XYLAN™) was obtained from Advanced Bio-Agro Tech. Ltd. (ABTL), Pune, India. Feeding, management and dietary treatment The experiment was conducted for 24 weeks at Poultry Research and Training Centre, Bihar Animal Sciences University, Patna, India. A total of 280 hens were randomly allocated into seven groups (40 hens per group with five replicates of 8 hens each) and fed iso-nutritive diets: T0 (control), T1 (400 FTU/kg phytase), T2 (1200 FTU/kg phytase), T3 (1000 XU/kg xylanase), T4 (3000 XU/kg xylanase), T5 (400 FTU/kg phytase + 1000 XU/kg xylanase), and T6 (1200 FTU/kg phytase + 3000 XU/kg xylanase). Birds were housed on deep litter system (used dried saw dust of 3–4 inch thick) and provided proper lightening and ventilation throughout the experiment. All the standard managemental practices were followed during experimental period including vaccination schedule. A fixed feed quantity and ad libitum water were provided for 24 weeks. Performance parameters and nutrient retention The growth performance, egg production, egg quality, and nutrient utilization were evaluated. Initial and final body weight of individual hens were recorded. Feed conversion ratio (FCR) was calculated as the amount of feed consumption and egg mass produced. Eggs were collected twice a day (morning and evening time) during the experimental period and divided by the total number of hens available in each replicate. Egg weight was recorded for production performance and egg quality trait study for entire experimental period. The average number of eggs was recorded for each dietary treatment group spanning from the beginning of the 22nd week to the end of the 46th week of age. Hen-day egg production (HDEP) was calculated by the number of hen-days in the period by totaling the number of hens alive on each day of the period. A metabolism trial lasting five days was carried out in a metabolic cage on one hen per replicate (n = 35 hens across all groups) to observe the balance of major nutrients such as crude protein, ether extract, crude fibre, calcium and phosphorus. Egg quality characteristics For egg quality traits, one egg from each replicate were used for egg quality measures on fortnightly basis. Total 35 eggs per group were utilized for analyzing external and internal egg quality traits. Eggs were cleaned properly using cotton/tissue paper and weighed individually before examine the characteristics of the egg quality. Whole egg weight (g), shell weight (g), shell thickness (mm), yolk weight (g), yolk color, albumen weight (g), height of thick albumen (mm) and Haugh unit (HU) index was calculated on the basis of height (H) of thick albumen (mm) and weight W) of whole egg (g) as per given formula; HU = 100 log (H– 1.7 W 0.37 + 7.6), as per Haugh, 1937 . Laboratory analysis The feed ingredients, compounded feed, feed residues, and excreta were analyzed for their dry matter (DM; ID 930.15), organic matter (OM), total ash and acid insoluble ash (ID 942.05), crude protein (CP; N × 6.25, ID 954.01), ether extract (EE; ID 920.39), crude fibre, and nitrogen-free extract using the standard procedures of the AOAC ( 1995 ). Calcium and phosphorus levels were determined following a modified method described by Talapatra et al. ( 1940 ). Feed formulations were prepared in accordance with the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS, 2007 ) guidelines. Experimental rations were developed based on the analyzed crude protein values and standard metabolizable energy requirements. These rations were then reanalyzed in the laboratory for their proximate composition using the same AOAC methods. Statistical analysis Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS software (version 20.0). A generalized linear model ANOVA was applied to compare multiple groups, and Duncan’s multiple range test was used to determine significant differences among the control and treatment groups. The procedures followed were in accordance with the methodology described by Snedecor and Cochran ( 1994 ). Results The chemical composition of the feed ingredients used for basal diet preparation and compounded feed offered to the birds are presented in Table 1 . The percentage composition of experimental diet is depicted in Table 2 . Table 1 Chemical composition of feed ingredients used in experiment (% on DM basis) Ingredients DM OM CP EE CF TA AIA NFE Ca P Yellow maize 91.18 97.11 9.79 4.19 2.26 2.89 1.16 80.87 0.11 0.43 Soyabean meal 91.66 94.02 46.04 0.46 5.61 5.98 1.19 41.91 0.36 0.64 Wheat bran 90.53 95.54 14.19 2.41 10.47 4.46 1.14 68.47 0.39 1.13 De-oiled rice bran 92.24 93.43 13.11 1.09 13.65 6.57 4.86 65.58 0.09 0.87 DM, dry matter; OM, organic matter; CP, crude protein; EE, ether extract; CF, crude fibre; TA, total ash; AIA, acid insoluble ash; NFE, nitrogen free extract; Ca, calcium; P, phosphorus. Table 2 Percentage composition of experimental diets Ingredients Layer phase-I Yellow maize 33.00 Soya bean meal 24.00 Wheat bran 20.00 De-oiled rice bran 9.00 Vegetable oil 3.00 Common salt 0.40 Di-calcium Phosphate 1.00 Calcite powder 8.00 DL-Methionine 0.20 Lysine 0.40 Mineral mixture* 0.50 Premix* 0.50 Total 100 Calculated value CP (%) 18.10 ME (kcal/kg) 2565.00 CF (%) 8.36 Ca (%) 3.15 Av. P (%) 0.64 Lysine (%) 0.73 Methionine (%) 0.34 CP, crude protein; ME, metabolizable energy; CF, crude fibre; Ca, calcium; Av. P, available phosphorus. *Composition of mineral mixture and premix: Vitamin A (7,00,000 I.U.), Vitamin D 3 (70,000 I.U.), Vitamin E (250 mg), Nicotinamide (1000 mg), Vitamin B 1 (2 mg), Vitamin B 2 (4 mg), Niacin (60 mg), Pantothenic acid (10 mg), Cyanocobalamin (10 µg), Choline (500 mg), Cobalt (150 mg), Copper (1200 mg), Iodine (325 mg), Iron (1500 mg), Potassium (100 mg), Magnesium (6000 mg), Manganese (1500 mg), Selenium (10 mg), Sodium (5.9 mg), Sulfur (0.72%), Zinc (9600 mg), Calcium (25.5%) and Phosphorus (12.75%). Performance parameters The effects of different dietary treatments on performance parameters including feed intake, body weight, egg production, egg weight, feed conversion ratio (FCR), and hen-day egg production are summarized in Table 3 . The average daily feed intake per laying hen was 112.50 g, with no significant variation among the groups throughout the 24-week experimental period, as all birds were provided with a fixed quantity of feed. Initial body weights (g) of laying hens did not differ significantly among groups (p > 0.05), ranging from 1792.00 to 1988.50 g. However, final body weights showed significant improvement (p = 0.020), with the T4 group achieving the highest gain (8.79%) over the control, followed by T5 (6.52%) and T1 (5.36%). Weekly egg production differed significantly across treatments (p = 0.029). The T6 group recorded the highest increase (15.14%) compared to the control, followed by T3 (14.85%), T4 (13.73%), T2 (12.63%), T5 (9.34%), and T1 (5.04%). Similarly, total egg production was significantly affected (p < 0.001), with the T6 group again leading (15.15% higher than control), followed by T3 (14.86%), T4 (13.74%), T2 (12.64%), T5 (9.35%), and T1 (5.05%). Egg weight also showed significant differences (p = 0.020), with the T3 group producing the heaviest eggs (14.22% higher than control), followed by T4 (14.17%), T6 (14.05%), T2 (11.57%), T5 (10.32%), and T1 (4.73%). Feed conversion ratio was significantly improved across treatments (p = 0.016), with the T3 group showing the greatest enhancement (12.13%), followed by T6 (11.84%), T4 (11.51%), T2 (10.69%), T5 (8.77%), and T1 (4.55%). Hen-day egg production (%) also varied significantly among groups (p = 0.029), with the highest increase observed in the T6 group (15.14% above control), followed by T3 (14.85%), T4 (13.72%), T2 (12.63%), T5 (9.35%), and T1 (5.04%). Table 3 Effects of varying level of phytase and xylanase supplementation on body weight changes, egg production, hen-day egg production, egg weight, FCR and Haugh unit in laying hens Attributes Control T 1 T 2 T 3 T 4 T 5 T 6 SEM p-value Performance parameters Initial body weight / bird (g) 1792.00 1873.75 1847.50 1851.25 1988.50 1952.40 1815.75 70.47 0.091 Final body weight / bird (g) 1916.71 a 2019.46 b 1994.79 ab 2005.88 ab 2085.13 b 2041.59 b 2008.16 ab 41.29 0.020 Weekly egg production (nos.) 28.91 a 30.37 ab 32.56 b 33.20 b 32.88 b 31.61 ab 33.28 b 1.39 0.029 Total egg production/ group (nos.) 3469.20 a 3643.60 b 3907.20 d 3984.40 d 3945.40 d 3793.20 c 3994.20 d 41.77 < 0.001 Weekly egg weight (g) 1551.50 a 1624.84 ab 1731.02 b 1772.09 b 1771.31 b 1711.61 b 1769.47 b 68.94 0.020 Feed conversion ratio 4.17 b 3.98 ab 3.73 a 3.67 a 3.69 a 3.81 a 3.68 a 0.151 0.016 Hen-day egg production (%) 51.62 a 54.22 ab 58.14 b 59.29 b 58.70 b 56.44 ab 59.43 b 2.49 0.029 Egg quality characteristics Egg weight (g) 56.76 56.62 55.49 56.09 55.05 56.29 55.51 0.84 0.355 Egg shell weight (g) 5.93 6.12 6.06 6.04 6.01 5.98 6.04 0.098 0.628 Egg shell thickness (mm) 0.384 0.382 0.376 0.398 0.398 0.366 0.368 0.018 0.431 Egg yolk weight (g) 16.65 16.71 16.73 16.69 16.46 16.82 16.51 0.292 0.893 Egg yolk colour 5.23 5.28 5.23 5.23 5.28 5.55 5.77 0.215 0.121 Egg albumen weight (g) 34.18 33.80 32.71 33.37 32.59 33.50 32.96 0.62 0.147 Height of albumen (mm) 6.62 6.67 6.53 7.02 6.71 6.87 6.61 0.209 0.286 Haug unit 81.69 82.16 81.52 84.67 83.08 83.22 82.31 1.29 0.236 Nutrient retention Dry matter (%) 79.19 79.50 79.71 79.79 79.68 79.91 79.96 0.84 0.972 Crude protein (%) 50.27 a 51.37 ab 52.14 abc 53.72 bc 54.05 bc 54.64 c 54.75 c 1.37 0.034 Ether extract (%) 56.38 57.22 57.08 57.51 57.75 57.53 57.99 1.93 0.986 Crude fibre (%) 47.96 a 50.48 ab 50.81 ab 52.37 ab 53.88 b 54.09 b 54.40 b 1.98 0.049 Calcium (%) 48.05 50.92 51.63 51.90 51.86 52.44 53.21 2.31 0.451 Phosphorus (%) 42.13 43.96 44.81 44.84 44.97 45.42 46.12 1.41 0.208 a,b,c,d Means different superscript in a row differ significantly. T1, 400 FTU/kg phytase group; T2, 1200 FTU/kg phytase group; T3, 1000 XU/kg xylanase group; T4, 3000 XU/kg xylanase group; T5, 400 FTU/kg phytase + 1000 XU/kg xylanase group; T6, 1200 FTU/kg phytase + 3000 XU/kg xylanase group. The production economics were influenced by the supplementation of phytase and xylanase, either individually or in combination at varying concentrations. The feed cost per kilogram of egg mass (in Indian Rupees) was lowest in the T3 group (INR 121.64), followed by T4 (INR 122.16), T6 (INR 122.63), T2 (INR 124.60), T5 (INR 126.24), and T1 (INR 132.57). The highest feed cost per kilogram of egg mass was recorded in the control group at INR 138.73. Egg quality characteristics Egg weight across the treatment groups ranged from 53.18 g in the T6 group to 54.06 g in the T5 group, with no significant differences observed (p > 0.05) due to phytase and xylanase supplementation, whether used individually or in combination at varying concentrations. Similarly, other egg quality parameters including eggshell weight (g), shell thickness (mm), yolk weight (g), yolk color, albumen weight (g), albumen height (mm), and Haugh unit were not significantly affected (p > 0.05) by the dietary treatments and remained comparable among all groups, as shown in Table 3 . Nutrient retention The effect of dietary treatments on dry matter digestibility in Vanaraja laying hens was found to be non-significant (p > 0.05), with comparable values across all groups (Table 3 ). However, crude protein digestibility showed a significant improvement (p = 0.034), with the highest increase observed in the T6 group (8.91% above control), followed by T5 (8.69%), T4 (7.52%), T3 (6.86%), T2 (3.72%), and T1 (2.19%). Ether extract digestibility did not differ significantly among the groups (p > 0.05). In contrast, crude fibre digestibility was significantly enhanced (p = 0.049), with T6 showing the greatest increase (13.43%) compared to the control, followed by T5 (12.78%), T4 (12.34%), T3 (9.20%), T2 (5.94%), and T1 (5.25%). Calcium retention percentage showed no significant variation (p = 0.451); however, a moderate improvement was noted in the T6 group (10.74%), followed by T5 (9.14%), T3 (8.01%), T4 (7.93%), T2 (7.45%), and T1 (5.97%) compared to the control. Similarly, phosphorus retention was not significantly affected (p = 0.208), though T6 again showed the highest increase (9.47%), followed by T5 (7.80%), T4 (6.74%), T3 (6.43%), T2 (6.36%), and T1 (4.34%). Discussions In the present study, two exogenous enzymes phytase and xylanase were supplemented either individually or in combination at varying concentrations in a wheat bran-based basal diet and administered to dual-purpose laying hens over a 24-week period. Various performance parameters and egg quality traits were recorded throughout the experimental duration. Performance parameters No significant variation in feed intake was observed among the treatment groups throughout the experimental period, as all birds were provided with a fixed quantity of feed. This controlled feeding approach was adopted because ad libitum feeding is generally not recommended during the laying phase. The findings of the present study align with those reported by Ponnuvel et al. ( 2015 ), who observed no significant effect on feed intake with phytase supplementation at 500 and 1000 U/kg. Similarly, Taylor et al. ( 2018 ) found that phytase supplementation at 300 or 1500 FTU/kg did not significantly influence feed intake. Abdollahi et al. ( 2021 ) also reported no significant effect on feed intake when 100 mg/kg of xylanase was added to layer diets containing 3% or 6% wheat bran. Thus, the results of the current study are consistent with previous research findings. Final body weight gains were significantly improved in the groups supplemented with xylanase and phytase, whether used individually or in combination at different concentrations, compared to the control. This increase in body weight may be attributed to the enzymatic action on the feed, which likely enhanced nutrient digestibility, absorption, and overall availability to the hens. Silversides et al. ( 2006 ) reported that phytase (0, 300, 500, and 700 U/kg) and xylanase (0 or 2,000 U/kg) supplementation in diets with varying phosphorus levels affected body weight only under specific conditions. They found that phytase significantly improved body weight in diets with reduced phosphorus and no added xylanase; however, this effect was not observed when xylanase was also included. Similarly, El-Shikha et al. ( 2013 ) reported no significant effect on body weight with 300 FTU/kg phytase supplementation. Taylor et al. ( 2018 ) also found that phytase at 300 or 1500 FTU/kg did not significantly influence body weight. Thus, the findings of the present study are in partial agreement with previous research, suggesting that the effects of enzyme supplementation on body weight can vary depending on the enzyme type, dosage, and dietary composition used in the experiment. The egg production was significantly increased in xylanase and phytase alone and in combination of both at higher concentration as well in respect of control. The increment in egg production might be the result of enzymatic action in nutrient metabolism which further enhanced body physiology due to better nutrient balance in hens, which improves egg production. Hassanien and Sanaa ( 2011 ) found that supplementation of three levels of phytase (500, 750 and 1000 FTU/ kg of feed) increased egg production but the difference was not significant. Ponnuvel et al. ( 2015 ) noticed that supplementation of 500 and 1000 U/kg phytase significantly improved egg production when compared with control. Shet et al. ( 2018 ) reported that supplementation phytase (250 FTU/kg, 500 FTU/kg) and different levels of NPP (0.24%, 0.16%) showed non-significant differences in egg production during 23 to 31 weeks and showed significant drop in egg production during 32 to 40 weeks. Lima et al. ( 2019 ) revealed that supplementation of endo-1,4-β-xylanase and 6-phytase, significantly improved the egg production with enzyme supplementation. The finding of present study was partial agreement with the above observation reported by different researchers and observation was variable with the concentration and types of enzyme supplements. Egg production was significantly higher in the groups supplemented with xylanase and phytase, either alone or in combination at higher concentrations, compared to the control group. This increase in egg production could be attributed to the enzymatic action on nutrient metabolism, which likely enhanced the hens' overall physiology by improving nutrient balance, thereby boosting egg production. Hassanien and Sanaa ( 2011 ) reported that supplementation with three levels of phytase (500, 750, and 1000 FTU/kg) increased egg production, although the differences were not statistically significant. Ponnuvel et al. ( 2015 ) observed that phytase supplementation at 500 and 1000 U/kg significantly improved egg production compared to the control. Shet et al. ( 2018 ) found that supplementation with phytase (250 FTU/kg, 500 FTU/kg) and varying levels of non-phytate phosphorus (NPP) (0.24%, 0.16%) did not significantly affect egg production during weeks 23–31 but resulted in a significant decline during weeks 32–40. Lima et al. ( 2019 ) demonstrated that the supplementation of endo-1,4-β-xylanase and 6-phytase significantly improved egg production. The findings of the present study are in partial agreement with the observations of these previous studies, with results varying depending on the concentration and types of enzyme supplements used. Weekly egg weight was significantly higher in the groups supplemented with xylanase and phytase, either alone or in combination at higher concentrations, compared to the control group. This increase in egg weight may be attributed to the higher number of eggs produced in these treatment groups, which could be linked to the enzymatic action on nutrient metabolism, leading to improved nutrient availability for the laying hens. Taylor et al. ( 2018 ) found that phytase supplementation at 300 or 1500 FTU/kg increased egg mass at both levels of phytase. Similarly, Lima et al. ( 2019 ) reported that supplementation with endo-1,4-β-xylanase and 6-phytase significantly improved egg mass. Abdollahi et al. ( 2021 ) also observed that supplementation of 100 mg xylanase/kg in layer feed containing 3% or 6% wheat bran led to an increase in egg mass. The present findings are consistent with these previous studies, suggesting that weekly egg weight is influenced by the number of eggs produced, which is dependent on the concentration and type of enzyme supplementation in the different treatment groups. The feed conversion ratio (FCR) was significantly improved in the xylanase-supplemented group compared to the phytase group. Additionally, the combination of both enzymes at higher concentrations also resulted in a significantly better FCR compared to the control group. This improvement in feed efficiency is likely due to the enzymatic action on nutrient metabolism, which enhanced nutrient availability for both egg production and overall body physiology in laying hens. Ponnuvel et al. ( 2015 ) reported that supplementation with 500 and 1000 units/kg of phytase significantly improved FCR in phytase-supplemented diets compared to the control. Taylor et al. ( 2018 ) found that the combination of phytase (300 or 1500 FTU/kg) and xylanase (12000 BXU/kg) influenced feed efficiency, with xylanase improving feed efficiency when phytase was supplemented at 300 FTU/kg. However, Abdollahi et al. ( 2021 ) observed that the addition of 100 mg of xylanase per kg to layer feed containing 6% wheat bran had no significant effect on FCR. The findings of the present study are consistent with those reported by various researchers worldwide, with observations varying depending on the concentration and types of enzymes used in the different treatment groups. Hen-day egg production percentage was significantly improved in laying hens with supplementation of phytase and xylanase, either individually or in combination at varying concentrations across the treatment groups. Notably, the highest improvement in hen-day egg production was observed in the group receiving the combination of higher levels of xylanase and phytase, followed by the xylanase-only group. This could be attributed to the enhanced enzymatic activity in the gut, which improved the utilization of non-starch polysaccharides (NSPs) in the feed, particularly those containing wheat bran, thereby enhancing nutrient availability for egg production. The improvement in hen-day egg production reflects better overall laying performance, where enzyme supplementation (phytase and xylanase) positively impacted the performance of the laying hens. Silversides et al. ( 2006 ) found that supplementation of phytase (0, 300, 500, and 700 U/kg) and xylanase (0 or 2,000 U/kg) to diets with both adequate and reduced phosphorus content had no significant effect on hen-day egg production. In contrast, Lei et al. ( 2011 ) reported that 300 FTU/kg phytase supplementation restored hen-day egg production. Hasan and Zeynep ( 2016 ) observed significant increases in hen-day egg production with 250 FTU/kg and 500 FTU/kg phytase supplementation. Similarly, Taylor et al. ( 2018 ) noted that supplementation with phytase (300 or 1500 FTU/kg) significantly improved hen-day egg production, irrespective of the phytase level. Abdollahi et al. ( 2021 ) also reported significant improvement in hen-day egg production with the addition of 100 mg of xylanase/kg to layer feed containing 6% wheat bran. Thus, the present findings are consistent with several global studies, though variations in results can be attributed to differences in enzyme concentrations and types used in the different treatment groups. Egg quality parameters No significant changes were observed in egg weight (g), egg shell weight (g), shell thickness (mm), or yolk color among the treatment groups. Thus, the dietary supplementation of phytase and xylanase, either alone or in combination at different concentrations, did not significantly influence egg weight in laying hens. Yildiz et al. ( 2010 ) found that supplementation with 1000 and 5000 U of phytase in a basal diet did not significantly affect egg shell weight or thickness. El-Shikha et al. ( 2013 ) also reported that supplementation with 300 FTU/kg phytase had no significant effect on egg weight. Similarly, Taylor et al. ( 2018 ) observed that supplementation with phytase (300 or 1500 FTU/kg) and xylanase (12000 BXU/kg), either alone or in combination, did not significantly influence egg weight, shell weight, yolk color, or shell thickness. Likewise, Shet et al. ( 2018 ) found that supplementation with either 250 FTU/kg or 500 FTU/kg of laboratory-produced or commercial phytase did not significantly affect egg weight, shell weight, or shell thickness. Lima et al. ( 2019 ) reported that supplementation with endo-1,4-β-xylanase and 6-phytase did not affect shell weight or yolk color. Abdollahi et al. ( 2021 ) found that supplementation of 100 mg of xylanase per kg to layer feed containing 3% or 6% wheat bran had no impact on egg weight, shell weight, or shell thickness. Additionally, Nguyen et al. ( 2021 ) reported that supplementation with 12,000 BXU/kg exogenous xylanase in a wheat grain-based diet did not significantly influence egg weight or yolk color. Therefore, the present findings align with the observations of various researchers worldwide. No significant changes were observed in egg yolk weight, albumen weight, albumen height, or Haugh unit among the treatment groups. These egg quality traits were not notably influenced by the dietary supplementation of phytase and xylanase, either alone or in combination at different concentrations, in laying hens. However, a slight improvement in the Haugh unit was observed in the groups supplemented with phytase and xylanase, either individually or in combination, suggesting a better impact on egg quality in comparison to the control group. Kannan et al. ( 2011 ) found that supplementation of 300, 600, 900, and 1200 IU/kg phytase in layer chicken diets with available phosphorus ranging from 0.20–0.30% did not lead to any significant differences in the Haugh unit. Similarly, Englmaierova et al. ( 2015 ) observed that different levels of phytase supplementation (0, 150, 250, and 350 FTU/kg feed) had no effect on the Haugh unit. Hasan and Zeynep ( 2016 ) reported that supplementation with 250 FTU/kg or 500 FTU/kg phytase increased yolk and albumen weights, but the Haugh unit remained unchanged. Taylor et al. ( 2018 ) found that phytase (300 or 1500 FTU/kg) and xylanase (12000 BXU/kg), either alone or in combination, did not significantly influence the Haugh unit. Lima et al. ( 2019 ) revealed that supplementation with endo-1,4-β-xylanase and 6-phytase decreased relative yolk weight but increased relative albumen weight. Abdollahi et al. ( 2021 ) reported that supplementation of 100 mg of xylanase per kg to layer feed containing 3% or 6% wheat bran had no effect on albumen height or the Haugh unit. The present findings align with these observations, confirming the variable effects on egg quality traits. Nguyen et al. ( 2021 ) also reported that supplementation of 12,000 BXU/kg exogenous xylanase in wheat-based diets decreased yolk weight at 32 weeks of age. Thus, the results of this study are partially consistent with the findings of various researchers as mentioned above. Nutrient retention There were non-significant changes observed in the digestibility of dry matter, ether extract, calcium, and phosphorus. However, crude protein and crude fibre digestibility were significantly improved in the groups supplemented with phytase and xylanase, either alone or in combination. The highest retention was observed in the combination group with higher enzyme concentrations, compared to the control. This improvement in digestibility may be attributed to the enzymatic action, which enhanced the utilization of feed nutrients in laying hens. Esmaeilipour et al. ( 2011 ) found that supplementation of xylanase (200 mg/kg) did not affect ether extract and phosphorus retention but significantly improved crude protein retention. Zhang et al. ( 2014 ) observed that supplementation of xylanase (3200 U/g) did not significantly influence dry matter and ether extract digestibility but significantly increased crude protein digestibility. Liu and Kim ( 2017 ) reported that supplementation of xylanase (1875, 3750, and 5625 XU/kg) did not significantly influence calcium and phosphorus retention. Taylor et al. ( 2018 ) supplemented phytase (300 or 1500 FTU/kg) and xylanase (12000 BXU/kg) in layer feed and observed that xylanase supplementation, in the absence of phytase, reduced calcium digestibility but increased phosphorus digestibility. Abdollahi et al. ( 2021 ) reported that supplementation of 100 mg of xylanase per kg to layer feed containing 3% or 6% wheat bran significantly increased dry matter and protein digestibility. Anwar et al. ( 2023 ) found that supplementation of xylanase (500 XU) and phytase (500 FTU) significantly enhanced the digestibility of dry matter, ether extract, crude protein, and crude fibre. The findings of the present study are partially consistent with these observations. Calcium and phosphorus retention were moderately improved in the phytase and xylanase supplemented groups, either alone or in combination, with the highest retention in the combination group with higher enzyme concentrations, which likely resulted from the improved digestibility of feed nutrients, further enhancing nutrient availability for laying hens. Conclusions The results of the present study indicated that the overall performance, including egg production, egg weight, feed conversion efficiency, hen-day egg production, and nutrient utilization, was improved in dual-type laying hens fed a wheat bran-based diet supplemented with a combination of phytase (1200 FTU) and xylanase (3000 XU) per kg of feed. This combination not only enhanced performance but also reduced production costs without negatively impacting egg quality parameters. Declarations Acknowledgements The authors wish to express their sincere gratitude to the Vice Chancellor of Bihar Animal Sciences University, Patna, India, for providing the essential facilities and financial support to carry out this experiment. Funding: This work was supported by Bihar Animal Sciences University, Patna, India. Statement of Animal Rights: This animal study was approved by the ethics committee of Bihar Animal Sciences University, India (IAEC/BVC/2024/23) and was conducted in accordance with the established ethical standards. Conflicts of interest: The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest relevant to the content of this paper. Availability of data and material: Not applicable Code availability: Not applicable Authors’ contributions: AR, KK, and SK conceived and designed research. AR, KK, DK and RRKS conducted experiments. PKS and SK contributed reagents or new analytical tools. AR, KK and SK analysed data. KK, PK and AR wrote the manuscript. All authors read and approved the manuscript. Ethics approval: This manuscript does not contain clinical studies or patient data. Consent to participate: Not applicable Consent for publication: Not applicable References Abdollahi A, Karimi A, Sadeghi AA, Bedford MR, Ashengroph M. 2021. The effects of the fiber source and xylanase supplementation on production, egg quality, digestibility, and intestinal morphology in the aged laying hen. Poultry Science, 100, 3, 100936. Anwar U, Riaz M, Farooq KM, Mustafa R, Farooq U, Ashraf M, Rahman MAU. 2023. Impact of exogenous xylanase and phytase, individually or in combination, on performance, digesta viscosity and carcass characteristics in broiler birds fed wheat-based diets. Animals , 13, 2, 278. AOAC. 1995. Methods of Analysis. 16th edn, Vol. 1. Association of official analytical chemists, Washington, DC. Baker JT, Duarte ME, Holanda DM, Kim SW. 2021. Friend or foe impacts of dietary xylans, xylooligosaccharides, and xylanases on intestinal health and growth performance of monogastric animals. Animals, 11, 3, 609. BIS. 2007. Indian standard, poultry feeds specifications, IS-1374. Bureau of Indian Standards. 9, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, Manak Bhawan, New Delhi, India. Coon CN. 2002. Feeding egg type replacement pullet. D.D. Bell et al. (eds.), Commercial chicken meat and egg production. In: Bell D.D., Weaver W.D. (eds). Springer Science Business Media, New York-2002. Pp. 267-285. El-Sabrout K, Khalifah A, Mishra B. 2023. Application of botanical products as nutraceutical feed additives for improving poultry health and production. Veterinary World, 16, 2, 369–379. El-Shikha TB, Attia AI, Soliman MM, Mahrose KHM. 2013. Effect of microbial phytase supplementation on the productive performance of laying hens fed different levels of dietary calcium and available phosphorus. Zagazig Journal of Agricultural Research, 40, 81-95. Englmaierova M, Skrivan M, Skrivanova E, Bubancova I, Cermak L, Vlckova J. 2015. Effects of a low-phosphorus diet and exogenous phytase on performance, egg quality, and bacterial colonisation and digestibility of minerals in the digestive tract of laying hens. Czech Journal of Animal Science, 60, 12, 542-549. Esmaeilipour O, Shivazad M, Moravej H, Aminzadeh S, Rezaian M, Van Krimpen MM. 2011. Effects of xylanase and citric acid on the performance, nutrient retention, and characteristics of gastrointestinal tract of broilers fed low-phosphorus wheat-based diets. Poultry Science, 90, 9, 1975-1982. Hasan A, Zeynep CO. 2016. Effects of phytase supplementation on the performance and egg quality of free-range layers. International Journal of Current Research, 8, 12, 44142-44147. Hassanien HHM, Sanaa HME. 2011. Comparison difference levels of phytase enzyme supplementation on laying hen performance, egg quality and some blood parameters. Asian Journal of Poultry Science, 5, 2, 77-85. Haugh H. 1937. The haugh unit for measuring egg quality. The U.S. Egg and Poultry Magazine, 43, 552-555. Kannan D, Edwin SC, Amutha R, Shamsudeen P, Rajendran K. 2011. Egg quality and eggshell quality characters of commercial chicken layers by the dietary inclusion of enzyme phytase. Tamil Nadu Journal of Veterinary and Animal Science, 7, 3, 117- 122. Kraler M, Schedle K, Schwarz C, Domig KJ, Pichler M, Oppeneder A, Wetscherek W, Pruckler M, Pignitter M, Pirker KF, Somoza V, Heine D, Kneifel W. 2015. Fermented and extruded wheat bran in piglet diets: Impact on performance, intestinal morphology, microbial metabolites in chyme and blood lipid radicals. Archive of Animal Nutrition, 69, 5, 378–398. Lei QB, Shi LX, Zhang KY, Ding XM, Bai SP, Liu YG. 2011. Effect of reduced energy, protein and entire substitution of inorganic phosphorus by phytase on performance and bone mineralisation of laying hens. British Poultry Science, 52, 2, 202-213. Lima D, Costa FGP, Vieira DV, Cardoso AS, Lima GS, Cavalcante DT, Kaneko IN. 2019. Xylanase, glucanase, and phytase in the diet of light laying hens. Journal of Applied Poultry Research, 28, 4, 1150-1155. Liu W, Kim I. 2017. Effects of dietary xylanase supplementation on performance and functional digestive parameters in broilers fed wheat-based diets. Poultry Science, 96, 3, 566-573. Nguyen XH, Nguyen HT, Morgan NK. 2021. Dietary soluble non-starch polysaccharide level and xylanase supplementation influence performance, egg quality and nutrient utilization in laying hens fed wheat-based diets. Animal Nutrition, 7, 2, 512-520. Pirgozliev V, Oduguwa O, Acamovic T, Bedford M. 2008. Effects of dietary phytase on performance and nutrient metabolism in chickens. British Poultry Science, 49, 144-154. Ponnuvel P, Narayankutty K, Jalaludeen A, Anitha P. 2015. Effect of phytase supplementation in low energy-protein diet on the production performance of layer chicken. Indian Journal of Veterinary Sciences and Biotechnology, 10, 3, 25-27. Schramm V, Durau J, Barrilli L, Sorbara J, Cowieson A, Felix A, Maiorka A. 2017. Interaction between xylanase and phytase on the digestibility of corn and a corn/soy diet for broiler chickens. Poultry Science, 96, 1204-1211. Selle PH, Cowieson AJ, Ravindran V. 2009. Consequences of calcium interactions with phytate and phytase for poultry and pigs. Livestock Science, 124, 1-3, 126-141. Shet D, Ghosh J, Ajith S, Awachat VB, Elangovan AV. 2018. Efficacy of dietary phytase supplementation on laying performance and expression of osteopontin and calbindin genes in eggshell gland. Animal Nutrition, 4, 1, 52-58. Silversides FG, Scott TA, Korver DR, Afsharmanesh M, Hruby M. 2006. A study on the interaction of xylanase and phytase enzymes in wheat-based diets fed to commercial white and brown egg laying hens. Poultry Science, 85, 2, 297-305. Snedecor GW, Cochran WG. 1994. Statistical Methods. 9th edn. The Iowa, State University Press, Ames, Iowa. SPSS. 2011. Statistical Packages for Social Sciences Version 20.0. SPSS, Chicago, IL, USA. Talapatra SK, Roy SC, Sen KC. 1940. The analysis of mineral constituents in biological materials. I. Estimation of phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, sodium and potassium in food stuffs. Indian Journal of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry, 10, 243- 58. Taylor AE, Bedford MR, Pace SC, Miller HM. 2018. The effects of phytase and xylanase supplementation on performance and egg quality in laying hens. British Poultry Science, 59, 5, 554-561. Tiwari UP, Chen H, Kim SW, Jha R. 2018. Supplemental effect of xylanase and mannanase on nutrient digestibility and gut health of nursery pigs studied using both in-vivo and in-vitro models. Animal Feed Science and Technology, 245, 77-90. Vieira BS, Barbosa SAPV, Tavares JMN, Beloli LGC, De Mello Silva GM, Neto HRL, Junior JGC, Correa GSS. 2016. Phytase and protease supplementation for laying hens in peak egg production. Semina: Ciencias Agrarias, 37, 4285-4294. Wanzenbock E, Apprich S, Tirpanalan O, Zitz U, Kracher D, Schedle K, Kneifel W. 2017. Wheat bran biodegradation by edible Pleurotus fungi - A sustainable perspective for food and feed. Lebensmittel-Wissenschaft & Technologie, 86, 86, 123-131. Yildiz AO, Olgun O, Cufadar Y. 2010. The effect of manganese and phytase in the diet for laying hens on performance traits and eggshell quality. Journal of Animal and Veterinary Advances, 9, 32-36. Zhang L, Xu J, Lei L, Jiang Y, Gao F, Zhou GH. 2014. Effects of xylanase supplementation on growth performance, nutrient digestibility and non-starch polysaccharide degradation in different sections of the gastrointestinal tract of broilers fed wheat-based diets. Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences, 27, 6, 855. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-6499996","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":452888116,"identity":"39e6b4b0-40ab-4f55-bdb7-630a6a54682b","order_by":0,"name":"Aditya Raj","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Bihar Veterinary College","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Aditya","middleName":"","lastName":"Raj","suffix":""},{"id":452888117,"identity":"8a84aed9-ec1d-4ead-a75b-fce0e9154e2f","order_by":1,"name":"Kaushalendra Kumar","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA8klEQVRIiWNgGAWjYDCCA2xgkoGPGUglVAAJZuYG4rSwgbWcAWlhJFYLiGJsA5P4tfDdPpb4mefPHXk2dh6zDw/n1UbztwO1/KjYhlOL5Lm0w9K8bc8M25h5jGckbjueO+MwYwNjz5nbOLUYnGFvkOZtOMzYxsyWzJC47VgukN3AzNiGV0vzb54/h+0hWuYcy51PWAvbMWketsOJbczMhxkSG2pyNxDSInmGLc1ybtvhZLCWhGMHcjcCtRzE5xe+M2zGN978OWzbz3+wmfFHTV3uvPOHDz74UYFbCzo4DCYPEK0eCOpIUTwKRsEoGAUjBAAAIyhbloyQCJkAAAAASUVORK5CYII=","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0549-6896","institution":"Bihar Veterinary College","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Kaushalendra","middleName":"","lastName":"Kumar","suffix":""},{"id":452888118,"identity":"af9bd6b1-00dc-4684-baa9-d66774adebcf","order_by":2,"name":"Sanjay Kumar","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Bihar Veterinary College","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Sanjay","middleName":"","lastName":"Kumar","suffix":""},{"id":452888119,"identity":"35f9d208-cb7b-4781-a25b-c089c5dbefa9","order_by":3,"name":"Pankaj Kumar Singh","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Bihar Veterinary College","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Pankaj","middleName":"Kumar","lastName":"Singh","suffix":""},{"id":452888120,"identity":"71b72000-17b5-499a-9fc2-456f55b9d6ae","order_by":4,"name":"Surabhi Kumari","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Bihar Veterinary College","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Surabhi","middleName":"","lastName":"Kumari","suffix":""},{"id":452888121,"identity":"5dea5601-5ca8-4587-97fd-fbb0e2eae9b3","order_by":5,"name":"Dharmendra Kumar","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Bihar Veterinary College","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Dharmendra","middleName":"","lastName":"Kumar","suffix":""},{"id":452888122,"identity":"cb259841-b79c-40b2-a906-dbbeb9881cb5","order_by":6,"name":"Pramod Kumar","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Bihar Veterinary College","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Pramod","middleName":"","lastName":"Kumar","suffix":""},{"id":452888123,"identity":"c16e3d03-83f4-4f9e-9234-5c3bdcef1e93","order_by":7,"name":"Ravi Ranjan Kumar Sinha","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Bihar Veterinary College","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Ravi","middleName":"Ranjan Kumar","lastName":"Sinha","suffix":""},{"id":452888124,"identity":"159aa7a4-42ba-42fa-9daf-b7fb5d2186a3","order_by":8,"name":"Sankhanath Koley","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Bihar Veterinary College","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Sankhanath","middleName":"","lastName":"Koley","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-04-22 03:54:36","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6499996/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6499996/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":82466203,"identity":"66df6dc6-503c-408a-a39d-9bd3915e98f7","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-05-11 16:43:44","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":892681,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6499996/v1/3bfab274-5f5c-4e02-8c5b-1ff39b801700.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"","formattedTitle":"Effects of exogenous enzyme supplementation in wheat bran-based diets on production efficiency, egg quality, and nutrient utilization in dual-purpose hens reared under tropical conditions","fulltext":[{"header":"Introduction","content":"\u003cp\u003ePoultry includes a large category of domesticated food animals reared for meat or eggs for human populations around the globe. It provides nutritional security by minimizing the protein and calorie deficiency of human population throughout the world specially in developing countries. Poultry production has evolved from a simple household farming to a full-fledged industry as demand for poultry products has grown. Feed has great economic importance on poultry production, as it contributes about 60\u0026ndash;70% of total cost of production (Coon, 2002). Cereals and vegetable protein sources form the major ingredients in poultry rations. According to Baker et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e) around 30% of the composition of the main plant-based feedstuffs used in poultry ration containing non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) and phytate-P generally accounts approximately 70% of the total phosphorous in grains/seeds and their byproducts (Vieira et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR31\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2016\u003c/span\u003e). NSP in cereals is a part of the cell wall structure and in vegetable proteins, especially legumes, play a role as an energy storage material. Chicken having a simple stomach, which cannot digest complex nutrients like NSP and phytate phosphorous efficiently.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eTherefore, addition of exogenous enzymes such as xylanase and phytase can help to increase nutrient availability, which further improves intestinal health and microbiota of broiler chickens (Selle et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2009\u003c/span\u003e). Phytase catalyzes the hydrolysis of phytic acid to releases phosphorous, minerals, proteins, amino acids and starch, whereas, xylanase catalyses the beta-1,4-xylan bonds to provide more energy to the birds by acting on carbohydrate hydrolysis in the plant cell wall and releasing starch, lipids and proteins which are encapsulated within insoluble matrix (Tiwari et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR30\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e). These action, reduces the antinutritional properties of phytic acid and non-starch polysaccharides, which may improve the intestinal health of poultry birds. The use of phytase alone, on the other hand, may not have effects on the intestinal mucosa (Pirgozliev et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2008\u003c/span\u003e), but the association between phytase and xylanase may have an additive effect, since the efficiency of phytase added to the diet can be improved by the access to the substrate released by hydrolysis of the NSPs. Similarly, phytase insufficiency may reduce the action of xylanase on nutrients that may be bound to the phytate molecule (Schramm et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe search for alternatives to conventional poultry feed sources is becoming increasingly important in many countries to meet rising demand (El-Sabrout et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e). Wheat bran (WB), a byproduct of the milling industry, has attracted considerable interest due to its high dietary fiber content and positive effects on gut physiology. It also contains protein, starch, minerals, and bioactive compounds, with global production reaching up to 150\u0026nbsp;million tons annually (Wanzenbock et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR32\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e). Growing competition between human and animal food crops has encouraged the use of agricultural by-products like WB in animal feed (Kraler et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e). However, its application in poultry diets remains limited due to its high fiber content. To date, limited research has explored the combined use of phytase and xylanase enzymes in WB-enriched diets for laying hens. We hypothesized that supplementing wheat bran-based diets with phytase and xylanase would enhance laying hen performance while reducing production costs. Therefore, we evaluated the effects of these exogenous enzymes on the performance of Vanaraja laying hens in diets where wheat bran partially replaced corn.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Materials and methods","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec3\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eExperimental materials\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eFor the experiment, the exogenous enzymes such as phytase (ADPHOS\u0026trade;) and xylanase (BG-XYLAN\u0026trade;) was obtained from Advanced Bio-Agro Tech. Ltd. (ABTL), Pune, India.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eFeeding, management and dietary treatment\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe experiment was conducted for 24 weeks at Poultry Research and Training Centre, Bihar Animal Sciences University, Patna, India. A total of 280 hens were randomly allocated into seven groups (40 hens per group with five replicates of 8 hens each) and fed iso-nutritive diets: T0 (control), T1 (400 FTU/kg phytase), T2 (1200 FTU/kg phytase), T3 (1000 XU/kg xylanase), T4 (3000 XU/kg xylanase), T5 (400 FTU/kg phytase\u0026thinsp;+\u0026thinsp;1000 XU/kg xylanase), and T6 (1200 FTU/kg phytase\u0026thinsp;+\u0026thinsp;3000 XU/kg xylanase). Birds were housed on deep litter system (used dried saw dust of 3\u0026ndash;4 inch thick) and provided proper lightening and ventilation throughout the experiment. All the standard managemental practices were followed during experimental period including vaccination schedule. A fixed feed quantity and ad libitum water were provided for 24 weeks.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003ePerformance parameters and nutrient retention\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe growth performance, egg production, egg quality, and nutrient utilization were evaluated. Initial and final body weight of individual hens were recorded. Feed conversion ratio (FCR) was calculated as the amount of feed consumption and egg mass produced. Eggs were collected twice a day (morning and evening time) during the experimental period and divided by the total number of hens available in each replicate. Egg weight was recorded for production performance and egg quality trait study for entire experimental period. The average number of eggs was recorded for each dietary treatment group spanning from the beginning of the 22nd week to the end of the 46th week of age. Hen-day egg production (HDEP) was calculated by the number of hen-days in the period by totaling the number of hens alive on each day of the period. A metabolism trial lasting five days was carried out in a metabolic cage on one hen per replicate (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;35 hens across all groups) to observe the balance of major nutrients such as crude protein, ether extract, crude fibre, calcium and phosphorus.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eEgg quality characteristics\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor egg quality traits, one egg from each replicate were used for egg quality measures on fortnightly basis. Total 35 eggs per group were utilized for analyzing external and internal egg quality traits. Eggs were cleaned properly using cotton/tissue paper and weighed individually before examine the characteristics of the egg quality. Whole egg weight (g), shell weight (g), shell thickness (mm), yolk weight (g), yolk color, albumen weight (g), height of thick albumen (mm) and Haugh unit (HU) index was calculated on the basis of height (H) of thick albumen (mm) and weight W) of whole egg (g) as per given formula; HU\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;100 log (H\u0026ndash; 1.7 W\u003csup\u003e0.37\u003c/sup\u003e + 7.6), as per Haugh, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1937\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eLaboratory analysis\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe feed ingredients, compounded feed, feed residues, and excreta were analyzed for their dry matter (DM; ID 930.15), organic matter (OM), total ash and acid insoluble ash (ID 942.05), crude protein (CP; N \u0026times; 6.25, ID 954.01), ether extract (EE; ID 920.39), crude fibre, and nitrogen-free extract using the standard procedures of the AOAC (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1995\u003c/span\u003e). Calcium and phosphorus levels were determined following a modified method described by Talapatra et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR28\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1940\u003c/span\u003e). Feed formulations were prepared in accordance with the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2007\u003c/span\u003e) guidelines. Experimental rations were developed based on the analyzed crude protein values and standard metabolizable energy requirements. These rations were then reanalyzed in the laboratory for their proximate composition using the same AOAC methods.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec8\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eStatistical analysis\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eStatistical analyses were performed using SPSS software (version 20.0). A generalized linear model ANOVA was applied to compare multiple groups, and Duncan\u0026rsquo;s multiple range test was used to determine significant differences among the control and treatment groups. The procedures followed were in accordance with the methodology described by Snedecor and Cochran (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR26\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1994\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Results","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe chemical composition of the feed ingredients used for basal diet preparation and compounded feed offered to the birds are presented in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e. The percentage composition of experimental diet is depicted in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab1\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 1\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eChemical composition of feed ingredients used in experiment (% on DM basis)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"11\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c8\" colnum=\"8\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c9\" colnum=\"9\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c10\" colnum=\"10\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c11\" colnum=\"11\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eIngredients\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDM\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eOM\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCP\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eEE\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCF\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTA\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAIA\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNFE\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCa\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eP\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYellow maize\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e91.18\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e97.11\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9.79\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.19\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.26\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.89\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.16\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e80.87\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.11\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.43\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSoyabean meal\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e91.66\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e94.02\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e46.04\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.46\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5.61\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5.98\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.19\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e41.91\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.36\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.64\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eWheat bran\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e90.53\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e95.54\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e14.19\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.41\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e10.47\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.46\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.14\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e68.47\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.39\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.13\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDe-oiled rice bran\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e92.24\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e93.43\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e13.11\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.09\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e13.65\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6.57\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.86\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e65.58\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.09\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.87\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003ctfoot\u003e \u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd colspan=\"11\"\u003eDM, dry matter; OM, organic matter; CP, crude protein; EE, ether extract; CF, crude fibre; TA, total ash; AIA, acid insoluble ash; NFE, nitrogen free extract; Ca, calcium; P, phosphorus.\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tfoot\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab2\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 2\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePercentage composition of experimental diets\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"2\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eIngredients\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eLayer phase-I\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYellow maize\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e33.00\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSoya bean meal\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e24.00\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eWheat bran\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e20.00\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDe-oiled rice bran\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9.00\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eVegetable oil\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.00\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCommon salt\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.40\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDi-calcium Phosphate\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.00\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCalcite powder\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8.00\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDL-Methionine\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.20\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eLysine\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.40\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMineral mixture*\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.50\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePremix*\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.50\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTotal\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e100\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c2\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCalculated value\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCP (%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e18.10\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eME (kcal/kg)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2565.00\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCF (%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8.36\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCa (%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.15\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAv. P (%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.64\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eLysine (%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.73\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMethionine (%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.34\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003ctfoot\u003e \u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd colspan=\"2\"\u003eCP, crude protein; ME, metabolizable energy; CF, crude fibre; Ca, calcium; Av. P, available phosphorus.\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd colspan=\"2\"\u003e*Composition of mineral mixture and premix: Vitamin A (7,00,000 I.U.), Vitamin D\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e (70,000 I.U.), Vitamin E (250 mg), Nicotinamide (1000 mg), Vitamin B\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e (2 mg), Vitamin B\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e (4 mg), Niacin (60 mg), Pantothenic acid (10 mg), Cyanocobalamin (10 \u0026micro;g), Choline (500 mg), Cobalt (150 mg), Copper (1200 mg), Iodine (325 mg), Iron (1500 mg), Potassium (100 mg), Magnesium (6000 mg), Manganese (1500 mg), Selenium (10 mg), Sodium (5.9 mg), Sulfur (0.72%), Zinc (9600 mg), Calcium (25.5%) and Phosphorus (12.75%).\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tfoot\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003ePerformance parameters\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe effects of different dietary treatments on performance parameters including feed intake, body weight, egg production, egg weight, feed conversion ratio (FCR), and hen-day egg production are summarized in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e. The average daily feed intake per laying hen was 112.50 g, with no significant variation among the groups throughout the 24-week experimental period, as all birds were provided with a fixed quantity of feed. Initial body weights (g) of laying hens did not differ significantly among groups (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;0.05), ranging from 1792.00 to 1988.50 g. However, final body weights showed significant improvement (p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.020), with the T4 group achieving the highest gain (8.79%) over the control, followed by T5 (6.52%) and T1 (5.36%). Weekly egg production differed significantly across treatments (p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.029). The T6 group recorded the highest increase (15.14%) compared to the control, followed by T3 (14.85%), T4 (13.73%), T2 (12.63%), T5 (9.34%), and T1 (5.04%). Similarly, total egg production was significantly affected (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001), with the T6 group again leading (15.15% higher than control), followed by T3 (14.86%), T4 (13.74%), T2 (12.64%), T5 (9.35%), and T1 (5.05%). Egg weight also showed significant differences (p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.020), with the T3 group producing the heaviest eggs (14.22% higher than control), followed by T4 (14.17%), T6 (14.05%), T2 (11.57%), T5 (10.32%), and T1 (4.73%). Feed conversion ratio was significantly improved across treatments (p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.016), with the T3 group showing the greatest enhancement (12.13%), followed by T6 (11.84%), T4 (11.51%), T2 (10.69%), T5 (8.77%), and T1 (4.55%). Hen-day egg production (%) also varied significantly among groups (p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.029), with the highest increase observed in the T6 group (15.14% above control), followed by T3 (14.85%), T4 (13.72%), T2 (12.63%), T5 (9.35%), and T1 (5.04%).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab3\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 3\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eEffects of varying level of phytase and xylanase supplementation on body weight changes, egg production, hen-day egg production, egg weight, FCR and Haugh unit in laying hens\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"10\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c8\" colnum=\"8\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c9\" colnum=\"9\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c10\" colnum=\"10\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAttributes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eControl\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eT 1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eT 2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eT 3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eT 4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eT 5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eT 6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSEM\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ep-value\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"10\" nameend=\"c10\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePerformance parameters\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eInitial body weight / bird (g)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1792.00\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1873.75\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1847.50\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1851.25\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1988.50\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1952.40\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1815.75\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e70.47\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.091\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFinal body weight / bird (g)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1916.71\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2019.46\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1994.79\u003csup\u003eab\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2005.88\u003csup\u003eab\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2085.13\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2041.59\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2008.16\u003csup\u003eab\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e41.29\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.020\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eWeekly egg production (nos.)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e28.91 \u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e30.37 \u003csup\u003eab\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e32.56 \u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e33.20 \u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e32.88 \u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e31.61\u003csup\u003eab\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e33.28 \u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.39\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.029\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTotal egg production/ group (nos.)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3469.20\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3643.60\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3907.20\u003csup\u003ed\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3984.40\u003csup\u003ed\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3945.40\u003csup\u003ed\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3793.20\u003csup\u003ec\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3994.20\u003csup\u003ed\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e41.77\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eWeekly egg weight (g)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1551.50\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1624.84\u003csup\u003eab\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1731.02\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1772.09\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1771.31\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1711.61\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1769.47\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e68.94\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.020\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFeed conversion ratio\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.17\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.98\u003csup\u003eab\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.73\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.67\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.69\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.81\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.68\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.151\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.016\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHen-day egg production (%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e51.62\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e54.22\u003csup\u003eab\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e58.14\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e59.29\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e58.70\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e56.44\u003csup\u003eab\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e59.43\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.49\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.029\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"10\" nameend=\"c10\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eEgg quality characteristics\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eEgg weight (g)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e56.76\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e56.62\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e55.49\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e56.09\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e55.05\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e56.29\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e55.51\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.84\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.355\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eEgg shell weight (g)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5.93\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6.12\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6.06\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6.04\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6.01\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5.98\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6.04\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.098\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.628\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eEgg shell thickness (mm)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.384\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.382\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.376\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.398\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.398\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.366\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.368\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.018\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.431\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eEgg yolk weight (g)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e16.65\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e16.71\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e16.73\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e16.69\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e16.46\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e16.82\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e16.51\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.292\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.893\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eEgg yolk colour\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5.23\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5.28\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5.23\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5.23\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5.28\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5.55\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5.77\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.215\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.121\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eEgg albumen weight (g)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e34.18\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e33.80\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e32.71\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e33.37\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e32.59\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e33.50\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e32.96\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.62\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.147\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHeight of albumen (mm)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6.62\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6.67\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6.53\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e7.02\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6.71\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6.87\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6.61\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.209\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.286\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHaug unit\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e81.69\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e82.16\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e81.52\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e84.67\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e83.08\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e83.22\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e82.31\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.29\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.236\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"10\" nameend=\"c10\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNutrient retention\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDry matter (%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e79.19\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e79.50\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e79.71\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e79.79\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e79.68\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e79.91\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e79.96\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.84\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.972\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCrude protein (%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e50.27\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e51.37\u003csup\u003eab\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e52.14\u003csup\u003eabc\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e53.72\u003csup\u003ebc\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e54.05\u003csup\u003ebc\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e54.64\u003csup\u003ec\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e54.75\u003csup\u003ec\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.37\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.034\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eEther extract (%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e56.38\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e57.22\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e57.08\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e57.51\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e57.75\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e57.53\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e57.99\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.93\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.986\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCrude fibre (%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e47.96\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e50.48\u003csup\u003eab\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e50.81\u003csup\u003eab\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e52.37\u003csup\u003eab\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e53.88\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e54.09\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e54.40\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.98\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.049\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCalcium (%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e48.05\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e50.92\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e51.63\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e51.90\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e51.86\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e52.44\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e53.21\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.31\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.451\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePhosphorus (%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e42.13\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e43.96\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e44.81\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e44.84\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e44.97\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e45.42\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e46.12\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.41\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.208\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003ctfoot\u003e \u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd colspan=\"10\"\u003e\u003csup\u003ea,b,c,d\u003c/sup\u003e Means different superscript in a row differ significantly.\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd colspan=\"10\"\u003eT1, 400 FTU/kg phytase group; T2, 1200 FTU/kg phytase group; T3, 1000 XU/kg xylanase group; T4, 3000 XU/kg xylanase group; T5, 400 FTU/kg phytase\u0026thinsp;+\u0026thinsp;1000 XU/kg xylanase group; T6, 1200 FTU/kg phytase\u0026thinsp;+\u0026thinsp;3000 XU/kg xylanase group.\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tfoot\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe production economics were influenced by the supplementation of phytase and xylanase, either individually or in combination at varying concentrations. The feed cost per kilogram of egg mass (in Indian Rupees) was lowest in the T3 group (INR 121.64), followed by T4 (INR 122.16), T6 (INR 122.63), T2 (INR 124.60), T5 (INR 126.24), and T1 (INR 132.57). The highest feed cost per kilogram of egg mass was recorded in the control group at INR 138.73.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec11\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eEgg quality characteristics\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eEgg weight across the treatment groups ranged from 53.18 g in the T6 group to 54.06 g in the T5 group, with no significant differences observed (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;0.05) due to phytase and xylanase supplementation, whether used individually or in combination at varying concentrations. Similarly, other egg quality parameters including eggshell weight (g), shell thickness (mm), yolk weight (g), yolk color, albumen weight (g), albumen height (mm), and Haugh unit were not significantly affected (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;0.05) by the dietary treatments and remained comparable among all groups, as shown in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec12\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eNutrient retention\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe effect of dietary treatments on dry matter digestibility in Vanaraja laying hens was found to be non-significant (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;0.05), with comparable values across all groups (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e). However, crude protein digestibility showed a significant improvement (p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.034), with the highest increase observed in the T6 group (8.91% above control), followed by T5 (8.69%), T4 (7.52%), T3 (6.86%), T2 (3.72%), and T1 (2.19%). Ether extract digestibility did not differ significantly among the groups (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;0.05). In contrast, crude fibre digestibility was significantly enhanced (p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.049), with T6 showing the greatest increase (13.43%) compared to the control, followed by T5 (12.78%), T4 (12.34%), T3 (9.20%), T2 (5.94%), and T1 (5.25%). Calcium retention percentage showed no significant variation (p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.451); however, a moderate improvement was noted in the T6 group (10.74%), followed by T5 (9.14%), T3 (8.01%), T4 (7.93%), T2 (7.45%), and T1 (5.97%) compared to the control. Similarly, phosphorus retention was not significantly affected (p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.208), though T6 again showed the highest increase (9.47%), followed by T5 (7.80%), T4 (6.74%), T3 (6.43%), T2 (6.36%), and T1 (4.34%).\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Discussions","content":"\u003cp\u003eIn the present study, two exogenous enzymes phytase and xylanase were supplemented either individually or in combination at varying concentrations in a wheat bran-based basal diet and administered to dual-purpose laying hens over a 24-week period. Various performance parameters and egg quality traits were recorded throughout the experimental duration.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec14\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003ePerformance parameters\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo significant variation in feed intake was observed among the treatment groups throughout the experimental period, as all birds were provided with a fixed quantity of feed. This controlled feeding approach was adopted because ad libitum feeding is generally not recommended during the laying phase. The findings of the present study align with those reported by Ponnuvel et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e), who observed no significant effect on feed intake with phytase supplementation at 500 and 1000 U/kg. Similarly, Taylor et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR29\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e) found that phytase supplementation at 300 or 1500 FTU/kg did not significantly influence feed intake. Abdollahi et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e) also reported no significant effect on feed intake when 100 mg/kg of xylanase was added to layer diets containing 3% or 6% wheat bran. Thus, the results of the current study are consistent with previous research findings.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFinal body weight gains were significantly improved in the groups supplemented with xylanase and phytase, whether used individually or in combination at different concentrations, compared to the control. This increase in body weight may be attributed to the enzymatic action on the feed, which likely enhanced nutrient digestibility, absorption, and overall availability to the hens. Silversides et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR25\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2006\u003c/span\u003e) reported that phytase (0, 300, 500, and 700 U/kg) and xylanase (0 or 2,000 U/kg) supplementation in diets with varying phosphorus levels affected body weight only under specific conditions. They found that phytase significantly improved body weight in diets with reduced phosphorus and no added xylanase; however, this effect was not observed when xylanase was also included. Similarly, El-Shikha et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2013\u003c/span\u003e) reported no significant effect on body weight with 300 FTU/kg phytase supplementation. Taylor et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR29\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e) also found that phytase at 300 or 1500 FTU/kg did not significantly influence body weight. Thus, the findings of the present study are in partial agreement with previous research, suggesting that the effects of enzyme supplementation on body weight can vary depending on the enzyme type, dosage, and dietary composition used in the experiment.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe egg production was significantly increased in xylanase and phytase alone and in combination of both at higher concentration as well in respect of control. The increment in egg production might be the result of enzymatic action in nutrient metabolism which further enhanced body physiology due to better nutrient balance in hens, which improves egg production. Hassanien and Sanaa (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2011\u003c/span\u003e) found that supplementation of three levels of phytase (500, 750 and 1000 FTU/ kg of feed) increased egg production but the difference was not significant. Ponnuvel et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e) noticed that supplementation of 500 and 1000 U/kg phytase significantly improved egg production when compared with control. Shet et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e) reported that supplementation phytase (250 FTU/kg, 500 FTU/kg) and different levels of NPP (0.24%, 0.16%) showed non-significant differences in egg production during 23 to 31 weeks and showed significant drop in egg production during 32 to 40 weeks. Lima et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e) revealed that supplementation of endo-1,4-β-xylanase and 6-phytase, significantly improved the egg production with enzyme supplementation. The finding of present study was partial agreement with the above observation reported by different researchers and observation was variable with the concentration and types of enzyme supplements.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eEgg production was significantly higher in the groups supplemented with xylanase and phytase, either alone or in combination at higher concentrations, compared to the control group. This increase in egg production could be attributed to the enzymatic action on nutrient metabolism, which likely enhanced the hens' overall physiology by improving nutrient balance, thereby boosting egg production. Hassanien and Sanaa (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2011\u003c/span\u003e) reported that supplementation with three levels of phytase (500, 750, and 1000 FTU/kg) increased egg production, although the differences were not statistically significant. Ponnuvel et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e) observed that phytase supplementation at 500 and 1000 U/kg significantly improved egg production compared to the control. Shet et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e) found that supplementation with phytase (250 FTU/kg, 500 FTU/kg) and varying levels of non-phytate phosphorus (NPP) (0.24%, 0.16%) did not significantly affect egg production during weeks 23\u0026ndash;31 but resulted in a significant decline during weeks 32\u0026ndash;40. Lima et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e) demonstrated that the supplementation of endo-1,4-β-xylanase and 6-phytase significantly improved egg production. The findings of the present study are in partial agreement with the observations of these previous studies, with results varying depending on the concentration and types of enzyme supplements used.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWeekly egg weight was significantly higher in the groups supplemented with xylanase and phytase, either alone or in combination at higher concentrations, compared to the control group. This increase in egg weight may be attributed to the higher number of eggs produced in these treatment groups, which could be linked to the enzymatic action on nutrient metabolism, leading to improved nutrient availability for the laying hens. Taylor et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR29\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e) found that phytase supplementation at 300 or 1500 FTU/kg increased egg mass at both levels of phytase. Similarly, Lima et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e) reported that supplementation with endo-1,4-β-xylanase and 6-phytase significantly improved egg mass. Abdollahi et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e) also observed that supplementation of 100 mg xylanase/kg in layer feed containing 3% or 6% wheat bran led to an increase in egg mass. The present findings are consistent with these previous studies, suggesting that weekly egg weight is influenced by the number of eggs produced, which is dependent on the concentration and type of enzyme supplementation in the different treatment groups.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe feed conversion ratio (FCR) was significantly improved in the xylanase-supplemented group compared to the phytase group. Additionally, the combination of both enzymes at higher concentrations also resulted in a significantly better FCR compared to the control group. This improvement in feed efficiency is likely due to the enzymatic action on nutrient metabolism, which enhanced nutrient availability for both egg production and overall body physiology in laying hens. Ponnuvel et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e) reported that supplementation with 500 and 1000 units/kg of phytase significantly improved FCR in phytase-supplemented diets compared to the control. Taylor et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR29\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e) found that the combination of phytase (300 or 1500 FTU/kg) and xylanase (12000 BXU/kg) influenced feed efficiency, with xylanase improving feed efficiency when phytase was supplemented at 300 FTU/kg. However, Abdollahi et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e) observed that the addition of 100 mg of xylanase per kg to layer feed containing 6% wheat bran had no significant effect on FCR. The findings of the present study are consistent with those reported by various researchers worldwide, with observations varying depending on the concentration and types of enzymes used in the different treatment groups.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eHen-day egg production percentage was significantly improved in laying hens with supplementation of phytase and xylanase, either individually or in combination at varying concentrations across the treatment groups. Notably, the highest improvement in hen-day egg production was observed in the group receiving the combination of higher levels of xylanase and phytase, followed by the xylanase-only group. This could be attributed to the enhanced enzymatic activity in the gut, which improved the utilization of non-starch polysaccharides (NSPs) in the feed, particularly those containing wheat bran, thereby enhancing nutrient availability for egg production. The improvement in hen-day egg production reflects better overall laying performance, where enzyme supplementation (phytase and xylanase) positively impacted the performance of the laying hens. Silversides et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR25\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2006\u003c/span\u003e) found that supplementation of phytase (0, 300, 500, and 700 U/kg) and xylanase (0 or 2,000 U/kg) to diets with both adequate and reduced phosphorus content had no significant effect on hen-day egg production. In contrast, Lei et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR16\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2011\u003c/span\u003e) reported that 300 FTU/kg phytase supplementation restored hen-day egg production. Hasan and Zeynep (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2016\u003c/span\u003e) observed significant increases in hen-day egg production with 250 FTU/kg and 500 FTU/kg phytase supplementation. Similarly, Taylor et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR29\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e) noted that supplementation with phytase (300 or 1500 FTU/kg) significantly improved hen-day egg production, irrespective of the phytase level. Abdollahi et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e) also reported significant improvement in hen-day egg production with the addition of 100 mg of xylanase/kg to layer feed containing 6% wheat bran. Thus, the present findings are consistent with several global studies, though variations in results can be attributed to differences in enzyme concentrations and types used in the different treatment groups.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec15\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eEgg quality parameters\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo significant changes were observed in egg weight (g), egg shell weight (g), shell thickness (mm), or yolk color among the treatment groups. Thus, the dietary supplementation of phytase and xylanase, either alone or in combination at different concentrations, did not significantly influence egg weight in laying hens. Yildiz et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR33\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2010\u003c/span\u003e) found that supplementation with 1000 and 5000 U of phytase in a basal diet did not significantly affect egg shell weight or thickness. El-Shikha et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2013\u003c/span\u003e) also reported that supplementation with 300 FTU/kg phytase had no significant effect on egg weight. Similarly, Taylor et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR29\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e) observed that supplementation with phytase (300 or 1500 FTU/kg) and xylanase (12000 BXU/kg), either alone or in combination, did not significantly influence egg weight, shell weight, yolk color, or shell thickness. Likewise, Shet et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e) found that supplementation with either 250 FTU/kg or 500 FTU/kg of laboratory-produced or commercial phytase did not significantly affect egg weight, shell weight, or shell thickness. Lima et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e) reported that supplementation with endo-1,4-β-xylanase and 6-phytase did not affect shell weight or yolk color. Abdollahi et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e) found that supplementation of 100 mg of xylanase per kg to layer feed containing 3% or 6% wheat bran had no impact on egg weight, shell weight, or shell thickness. Additionally, Nguyen et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e) reported that supplementation with 12,000 BXU/kg exogenous xylanase in a wheat grain-based diet did not significantly influence egg weight or yolk color. Therefore, the present findings align with the observations of various researchers worldwide.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo significant changes were observed in egg yolk weight, albumen weight, albumen height, or Haugh unit among the treatment groups. These egg quality traits were not notably influenced by the dietary supplementation of phytase and xylanase, either alone or in combination at different concentrations, in laying hens. However, a slight improvement in the Haugh unit was observed in the groups supplemented with phytase and xylanase, either individually or in combination, suggesting a better impact on egg quality in comparison to the control group. Kannan et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2011\u003c/span\u003e) found that supplementation of 300, 600, 900, and 1200 IU/kg phytase in layer chicken diets with available phosphorus ranging from 0.20\u0026ndash;0.30% did not lead to any significant differences in the Haugh unit. Similarly, Englmaierova et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e) observed that different levels of phytase supplementation (0, 150, 250, and 350 FTU/kg feed) had no effect on the Haugh unit. Hasan and Zeynep (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2016\u003c/span\u003e) reported that supplementation with 250 FTU/kg or 500 FTU/kg phytase increased yolk and albumen weights, but the Haugh unit remained unchanged. Taylor et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR29\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e) found that phytase (300 or 1500 FTU/kg) and xylanase (12000 BXU/kg), either alone or in combination, did not significantly influence the Haugh unit. Lima et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e) revealed that supplementation with endo-1,4-β-xylanase and 6-phytase decreased relative yolk weight but increased relative albumen weight. Abdollahi et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e) reported that supplementation of 100 mg of xylanase per kg to layer feed containing 3% or 6% wheat bran had no effect on albumen height or the Haugh unit. The present findings align with these observations, confirming the variable effects on egg quality traits. Nguyen et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e) also reported that supplementation of 12,000 BXU/kg exogenous xylanase in wheat-based diets decreased yolk weight at 32 weeks of age. Thus, the results of this study are partially consistent with the findings of various researchers as mentioned above.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec16\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eNutrient retention\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThere were non-significant changes observed in the digestibility of dry matter, ether extract, calcium, and phosphorus. However, crude protein and crude fibre digestibility were significantly improved in the groups supplemented with phytase and xylanase, either alone or in combination. The highest retention was observed in the combination group with higher enzyme concentrations, compared to the control. This improvement in digestibility may be attributed to the enzymatic action, which enhanced the utilization of feed nutrients in laying hens. Esmaeilipour et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2011\u003c/span\u003e) found that supplementation of xylanase (200 mg/kg) did not affect ether extract and phosphorus retention but significantly improved crude protein retention. Zhang et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR34\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2014\u003c/span\u003e) observed that supplementation of xylanase (3200 U/g) did not significantly influence dry matter and ether extract digestibility but significantly increased crude protein digestibility. Liu and Kim (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e) reported that supplementation of xylanase (1875, 3750, and 5625 XU/kg) did not significantly influence calcium and phosphorus retention. Taylor et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR29\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e) supplemented phytase (300 or 1500 FTU/kg) and xylanase (12000 BXU/kg) in layer feed and observed that xylanase supplementation, in the absence of phytase, reduced calcium digestibility but increased phosphorus digestibility. Abdollahi et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e) reported that supplementation of 100 mg of xylanase per kg to layer feed containing 3% or 6% wheat bran significantly increased dry matter and protein digestibility. Anwar et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e) found that supplementation of xylanase (500 XU) and phytase (500 FTU) significantly enhanced the digestibility of dry matter, ether extract, crude protein, and crude fibre. The findings of the present study are partially consistent with these observations. Calcium and phosphorus retention were moderately improved in the phytase and xylanase supplemented groups, either alone or in combination, with the highest retention in the combination group with higher enzyme concentrations, which likely resulted from the improved digestibility of feed nutrients, further enhancing nutrient availability for laying hens.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Conclusions","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe results of the present study indicated that the overall performance, including egg production, egg weight, feed conversion efficiency, hen-day egg production, and nutrient utilization, was improved in dual-type laying hens fed a wheat bran-based diet supplemented with a combination of phytase (1200 FTU) and xylanase (3000 XU) per kg of feed. This combination not only enhanced performance but also reduced production costs without negatively impacting egg quality parameters.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAcknowledgements\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe authors wish to express their sincere gratitude to the Vice Chancellor of Bihar Animal Sciences University, Patna, India, for providing the essential facilities and financial support to carry out this experiment.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFunding:\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003eThis work was supported by Bihar Animal Sciences University, Patna, India.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eStatement of Animal Rights:\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003eThis animal study was approved by the ethics committee of Bihar Animal Sciences University, India (IAEC/BVC/2024/23) and was conducted in accordance with the established ethical standards.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConflicts of interest:\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003eThe authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest relevant to the content of this paper.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAvailability of data and material:\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003eNot applicable\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCode availability:\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003eNot applicable\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthors\u0026rsquo; contributions:\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003eAR,\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003eKK, and SK conceived and designed research. AR, KK, DK and RRKS conducted experiments. PKS and SK contributed reagents or new analytical tools. AR, KK and SK analysed data. KK, PK and AR wrote the manuscript. All authors read and approved the manuscript.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEthics approval:\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003eThis manuscript does not contain clinical studies or patient data.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConsent to participate:\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003eNot applicable\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConsent for publication:\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003eNot applicable\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAbdollahi A, Karimi A, Sadeghi AA, Bedford MR, Ashengroph M. 2021. The effects of the fiber source and xylanase supplementation on production, egg quality, digestibility, and intestinal morphology in the aged laying hen. 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Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences, 27, 6, 855.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"egg quality, phytase, performance, Vanaraja laying hen, xylanase","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6499996/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6499996/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eA study was conducted to assess the effects of dietary supplementation with two exogenous enzymes - phytase, xylanase and their combinations on the performance and egg quality of Vanaraja (Indigenous dual-purpose) laying hens. A total of 280 hens were randomly allocated into seven groups (40 hens per group; five replicates of 8 hens each) and fed iso-nutritive diets: T0 (control), T1 (400 FTU/kg phytase), T2 (1200 FTU/kg phytase), T3 (1000 XU/kg xylanase), T4 (3000 XU/kg xylanase), T5 (400 FTU/kg phytase\u0026thinsp;+\u0026thinsp;1000 XU/kg xylanase), and T6 (1200 FTU/kg phytase\u0026thinsp;+\u0026thinsp;3000 XU/kg xylanase). A fixed feed quantity and ad libitum water were provided for 24 weeks. Growth performance, egg production, egg quality, and nutrient utilization were evaluated. Feed intake remained constant across groups due to the fixed feed allocation. Body weight gain was significantly (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05) higher in T4, followed by T5, T1, T6, T3, and T2 compared to control. Egg production was significantly higher in T6, followed by T3, T4, T2, T5, and T1. Egg weight was significantly higher in T3, followed by T4, T6, T2, T5, and T1. FCR was significantly improved in T3, followed by T6, T4, T2, T5, and T1. Hen-day egg production (%) was highest in T6, followed by T3, T4, T2, T5, and T1. Egg quality traits (egg weight, albumen height, yolk colour, yolk and albumen weight, shell weight and thickness, and Haugh unit index) showed no significant differences (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;0.05) among groups. Crude protein and crude fibre retention were significantly improved in T6 (8.91% and 13.48%, respectively). Calcium and phosphorus retention also increased significantly in T6 (10.74% and 9.47%, respectively). It was concluded that phytase and xylanase supplementation, individually or combined, enhanced performance and nutrient utilization without affecting egg quality in Vanaraja laying hens.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Effects of exogenous enzyme supplementation in wheat bran-based diets on production efficiency, egg quality, and nutrient utilization in dual-purpose hens reared under tropical conditions","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-05-11 16:19:37","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6499996/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"40af5053-6ddf-4480-b033-53089f932bc1","owner":[],"postedDate":"May 11th, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2025-05-11T16:19:39+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2025-05-11 16:19:37","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-6499996","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-6499996","identity":"rs-6499996","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}