However in monogastrics, dietary barley is associated with an impaired coefficient of total tract apparent digestibility
(CTTAD) (O’Connell et al., 2006; Lynch et al., 2007c). Therefore it is desirable to impart the beneficial properties of -
glucans in barley to dietary wheat without the associated implications of diminished nutrient utilisation. The addition of
a purified source of cereal -glucans to a conventional wheat-based diet may stimulate dGIT and manure fermentation to
reduce concentrations of protein metabolites associated with manure ammonia and odour emissions. To verify this, dietary
supplementation with an appropriate enzyme composite containing -glucanase may elucidate whether induced intestinal
parameters are a response to exogenous -glucan supplementation or an additional fermentable component present in
native barley