Effect of carob (Ceratonia siliqua L.) seed in broiler chick diets on nutrient digestibility and intestinal viscosity

Inclusion of carob Ceratonia siliqua L seed at 60 (CS-60 diet) and 90 g/kg (CS-90 diet) in a reference diet markedly (P < 0.01) depressed nutrient utilisation in broiler chicks. The reduction in apparent digestibility of crude protein (CP) and crude fat was 12.7 and 20.9 % for the CS-60 diet, and 29.5 and 23.8 % for the CS-90 diet, respectively. The apparent metabolisable energy value followed a similar trend to crude fat digestibility. The viscosity of the jejunal digesta was drastically increased by inclusion of carob seed in the diet, and this might explain most of the results observed in this study.