Fibre degradation by pig microbiota

Rapeseed meal (RSM), a by-product from rapeseed oil production, is not only a suitable protein source for swine feed but also a potential energy source. RSM contains a high amount of cell wall polysaccharides, even higher when compared to soybean meal commonly used in the feed industry. A drawback of RSM is that the complex cell wall polysaccharides cannot be utilized by endogenous enzymes from monogastric animals, and also can only be partly fermented by the microbial community in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). Therefore, enzymatic and chemical treatment on RSM were performed to improve the recalcitrant fibre degradability of RSM in the thesis.