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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 22 November 2017
Canola meal (CM) is a suitable protein source in poultry diets, although it contains a number of antinutritive factors including non-starch polysaccharides and phytic acid. These factors can limit inclusion rate of canola meal in poultry diets (Kocher et al., 2000). The negative correlation between NSP levels and nutritive value of the diet has been demonstrated in poultry (Choct and Annison, 1990). In addition to reducing the availability of phosphorus to birds, phytates are also associated with a number of antinutritional effects, largely because they can chelate divalent cations and reduce protein availability (Ravindran et al., 1995). Successful use of enzymes in cereal-based diets has stimulated interest in the application of enzymes to target the vegetable protein components of poultry diets as well. The current study was, therefore, conducted to investigate the effects of a multi-enzyme on performance and serum thyroid hormone concentrations of broilers fed rations in which soybean meal was replaced by CM.