Table 6.

Effects of hulless barley and β-glucanase on cecal short chain fatty acids of laying hens at 43 wk.

Parameter	0% HB1			73% HB			SEM	Probability
	0% BGase	0.01% BGase	0.1% BGase	0% BGase	0.01% BGase	0.1% BGase		HB	BGase	HB × BGase
SCFA (µmol/g of wet ileal content)
Total SCFA	322.3	317.4	323.1	342.9	330.9	304.8	4.25	0.531	0.197	0.138
Acetic acid	194.3ab	185.3ab	194.9ab	209.2a	193.7ab	178.2b	2.59	0.658	0.029	0.024
Propionic acid	71.6	66.5	69.7	74.1	68.9	64.6	0.86	0.953	0.009	0.099
Butyric acid	33.1	31.6	32.4	34.4	33.4	30.2	0.44	0.736	0.072	0.134
Isobutyric acid	9.9a	9.9a	10.4a	5.8b	10.2a	9.6a	0.38	0.027	0.014	0.024
Valeric acid	3.2	9.7	6.9	5.5	10.1	8.7	0.54	0.126	<0.001	0.684
Isovaleric acid	8.0	9.8	5.9	10.1	10.1	9.5	0.41	0.012	0.072	0.234
Caproic acid	1.8	4.2	2.6	3.6	4.3	3.7	0.24	0.031	0.018	0.322
Molar percentage of total SCFA
Acetic acid	60.3ab	58.3b	60.3ab	61.1a	58.4b	58.4b	0.24	0.409	<0.001	0.022
Propionic acid	22.2	20.9	21.6	21.6	20.8	21.2	0.09	0.031	<0.001	0.540
Butyric acid	10.2	9.9	10.0	10.0	10.0	9.9	0.11	0.253	0.057	0.138
Isobutyric acid	3.0a	3.1a	3.2a	1.5b	3.1a	3.1a	0.03	0.005	0.002	0.001
Valeric acid	0.9	3.0	2.1	1.5	3.0	2.8	0.16	0.114	<0.001	0.480
Isovaleric acid	2.4ab	3.1a	1.8b	2.9ab	3.0a	3.1a	0.12	0.013	0.097	0.050
Caproic acid	0.5	1.3	0.7	1.0	1.3	1.2	0.07	0.033	0.008	0.276

^a-bMeans within a row not sharing a common superscript are significantly different (P ≤ 0.05).

¹Abbreviations: BGase, β-glucanase; HB, hulless barley; SEM, pooled standard error of mean (n = 12 birds per treatment).