Diet digestibility and palatability and intestinal fermentative products in dogs fed yeast extract

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of yeast extract on the apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of nutrients, metabolisable energy (ME), and palatability of diet, and on intestinal fermentative products in dogs. In addition, we also evaluated the ATTD and ME of yeast extract in dogs. Four diets containing 0, 40, 80, and 120 g/kg of yeast extract were evaluated. Diet digestibility, faecal characteristics, and intestinal fermentative products were evaluated in 12 adult Beagle dogs distributed in a randomised block design, with two periods of 10 days each. Yeast extract digestibility was obtained by regression analysis. Sixteen adult dogs were used for the palatability test to compare the diets: 0 vs. 40 g/kg yeast extract. The yeast extract presented ATTD of dry matter = 77.3%, crude protein (CP) = 55.7%, acid-hydrolysed ether extract (AHEE) = 73.8%, and ME = 4947.3 kcal/kg. There was a linear reduction in ATTD of CP and AHEE in the diets with yeast extract inclusion (p