Optimized Doses of Axtra® PHY GOLD: An Enzyme-Based Strategy for Managing Feed Cost Volatility

Feed efficiency, cost control and sustainability are central to modern animal production. As input costs continue to fluctuate and margins tighten, nutritionists are under increasing pressure to maintain performance while managing formulation costs.

Volatility in ingredient prices — particularly inorganic phosphorus sources, amino acids and key grains — has long been a challenge. Recent price increases have intensified this pressure, making it more difficult to balance cost and performance in feed formulation. As a result, strategies that improve nutrient utilization and reduce reliance on external inputs are becoming increasingly important.

One such strategy is the utilization of a high-performing phytase enzyme such as Axtra® PHY GOLD at increased doses, optimized according to the diet being fed and amount of substrate present, with full matrix implementation to capture feed cost savings from minerals (P and Ca), energy, amino acids and trace minerals.

This animal nutrition strategy focuses on optimizing the dose to unlock more value from nutrients already present in feed ingredients and help stabilize costs while supporting consistent performance.

Studies have demonstrated that increasing the dose of Axtra® PHY GOLD not only improves growth and feed conversion in poultry and swine, but also exponentially enhances phytate breakdown, unlocking greater phosphorus and nutrient availability and resulting in greater feed cost savings.

Understanding Phytate and Its Impact on Nutrient Availability

Phytate (IP6) is the main storage form of phosphorus in plant-based raw materials, but its strong binding to nutrients like calcium, amino acids and trace minerals makes it poorly digestible for monogastric animals. It reduces overall nutrient availability and contributes to anti-nutritional effects in the digestive tract, ultimately impacting growth performance and feed efficiency.

A phytase enzyme acts by hydrolyzing phytate, releasing both phosphorus and the nutrients bound to it. The extent of this release depends on how quickly and completely phytate is broken down, which is strongly influenced by enzyme dose and activity.

The Science Behind Optimized Phytase Doses

Axtra® PHY GOLD is engineered for rapid and complete phytate hydrolysis across a broad pH range, even under commercial pelleting conditions.

Its pH profile means that it can act quickly in the upper gut of the animal to break down phytate, helping prevent the binding to other nutrients and its anti-nutritional effects. The result is an enhanced release of phosphorus, calcium, amino acids and energy, helping to enable IP-free diets and reduce environmental footprint of animal production.

What Changes at Higher Phytase Inclusion Levels?

The move from standard to higher phytase dosing is associated with a clear shift in phytate degradation dynamics.  A pivotal study² evaluated the effect of increasing Axtra® PHY GOLD dose (0, 500, 1,000, 2,000, 4,000 FTU/kg) on phytate degradation in broilers fed diets with varied phytate levels. The findings demonstrated:  

• Exponential increase in phytate hydrolysis: Increasing phytase enzyme dose from 0 to 4,000 FTU/kg exponentially increased the apparent ileal digestibility (AID) of IP6 and the sum of IP3-6 up to 100% (an increase of 69 percentage points for IP6 and 78 points for IP3-6 compared to 0 FTU/kg).
• Complete breakdown at higher doses: At 2,000 and 4,000 FTU/kg, IP6 disappearance exceeded 94% across all phytate levels, with minimal accumulation of lower IP-esters (IP5, IP4, IP3).
• Dietary phytate level matters: The magnitude of improvement in digestible phosphorus was greater in diets with higher phytate content, but the optimal dose for maximizing P-release may differ depending on substrate availability.
• Superior nutrient utilization: Higher phytase enzyme dosing increases nutrient availability, which supports robust growth, improved skeletal development and better feed conversion ratios in both swine and poultry.
• A similar study in piglets³ showed increasing phytase dose to 4,000 units/kg feed resulted in IP6 digestibility of 75.6% and a cumulative IP3-6 digestibility of 96.4% in diets with a phytate level of 0.24%, demonstrating that the benefits of higher doses are not limited to poultry. 

From Nutrient Release to Measurable Performance

Improved phytate degradation translates directly into better nutrient availability. As more phosphorus, calcium, amino acids and energy are released, animals can utilize the full nutritional value of the diet. 

In poultry, moving to optimized phytase enzyme doses for broilers shows clear economic benefits in trials. Research² has shown that moving from 1,000 to 2,000 FTU delivers measurable value for producers. Figures from Q4 2025 show: 

• Average improvement of 46.2g in body weight
• 1.5-point improvement in FCR
• Net profit increase per bird, with ROI up to 30.4:1
• Feed cost savings of $0.11 per bird and carcass value gain of $0.077 per bird.

Similar benefits are observed in swine, allowing producers to maintain performance in terms of growth and bone mineralization in diets with reduced or no added trace minerals. This, too, leads to feed cost savings.  

Applying an optimized phytase enzyme dose with a matrix that accounts for these additional nutrients can increase projected feed cost savings by more than 5x compared to just utilizing the P and Ca matrix alone.  

As with poultry, there are clear performance benefits when optimizing phytase doses. Comparisons between 500 FTU and 1,000 FTU dosing indicate:  

• Average improvement of 10% bodyweight for piglets and 4.6% for grower/finishers
• 5.5% improvement in FCR for piglets and 2.9% for grower/finishers

These responses reflect improved utilization of nutrients already present in the diet rather than reliance on additional supplementation.

Supporting More Flexible Feed Formulation

Feed formulation is increasingly influenced by ingredient availability and cost variability. More diverse raw materials, including by-products and mixed grains, often bring higher phytate levels and greater variability in nutrient availability.

Optimized phytase doses provide a way to manage this variability. By improving phytate breakdown across different substrates, phytase supports more consistent nutrient release even in complex formulations.

Trials used mixed-grain diets with reduced available phosphorus, calcium and energy, demonstrating that optimized doses of Axtra® PHY GOLD can maintain or improve performance even in more challenging, cost-effective formulations.

This allows nutritionists to formulate more cost-effective diets while maintaining expected performance outcomes.

Sustainable Production and Environmental Impact

The benefits of using higher doses of Axtra® PHY GOLD go beyond performance and feed cost savings; they also include environmental benefits.

• Reduced inorganic phosphate use: Optimized doses of Axtra® PHY GOLD enable phosphate-free or low-phosphate diets, reducing reliance on finite mineral resources.^4,5
• Lower phosphorus excretion: Improved nutrient digestibility means less phosphorus is excreted, supporting environmental compliance and sustainability goals.¹

Practical Considerations for Implementation

Moving to an optimized dose of Axtra® PHY GOLD is a proven, science-backed strategy for swine and poultry producers seeking to maximize performance, reduce feed costs and support sustainable production.

The exponential increase in phytate breakdown at higher doses unlocks greater phosphorus and nutrient availability, supporting both sustainability and profitability.  

The latest research and field trials confirm: more gain, less feed and higher profits are within reach.

Here are practical steps for nutritionists:

• Start with 1,000 FTU/kg as a baseline. Consider increasing the dose to 2,000 FTU/kg or higher for performance and economic gains, optimizing the dose according to the diet being fed and the amount of phytate present.
• Monitor feed cost savings, carcass yield and ROI to justify higher phytase enzyme inclusion.
• Adjust matrix values in formulation to reflect improved nutrient release.
• Validate results with in-house trials and monitor key indicators such as bone mineralization, growth and Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR).

Improving Efficiency Through Better Nutrient Use

For producers facing volatile mineral and grain costs, optimized phytase dosing with higher doses of Axtra® PHY GOLD can offer a practical way and a data-supported strategy for improving feed efficiency to extract more value from the diet already being fed.

By enabling near-complete phytate breakdown at higher inclusion levels, it allows producers to unlock more value from existing feed ingredients. In the context of ongoing raw material price volatility, this approach provides a practical way to stabilize costs while maintaining performance.

For swine and poultry systems alike, the shift towards higher phytase inclusion reflects a broader move towards more efficient nutrient use and more resilient feed strategies.

Common Questions About Optimized Doses of Axtra® PHY GOLD

References 

1. Dersjant-Li Y, Abdollahi MR, Bello A, Waller K, Marchal L, Ravindran V. Effects of a novel consensus bacterial 6-phytase variant on the apparent ileal digestibility of amino acids, total tract phosphorus retention, and tibia ash in young broilers. J Anim Sci. 2022 Feb 1;100(2):skac037. doi: 10.1093/jas/skac037. PMID: 35137139; PMCID: PMC8903141. 
2. Y. Dersjant-Li, T. Christensen, S. Knudsen, A. Bello, M. Toghyani, S. Y. Liu, P. H. Selle & L. Marchal (2022) Effect of increasing dose level of a novel consensus bacterial 6-phytase variant on phytate degradation in broilers fed diets containing varied phytate levels, British Poultry Science, 63:3, 395-405, DOI: 10.1080/00071668.2021.2000586. 
3. Velayudhan, D. E., Christensen, T., Knudsen, S., Marchal, J. L. M., Dersjant-Li, Y., & Stein, H. H. (2022). Effects of a novel consensus bacterial 6-phytase variant on inositol hexa-phosphate degradation profile in growing pigs. Animal-Science Proceedings, 13(2), 180. Article P75. 
4. Marchal, L., Bello, A., Sobotik, E. B., Archer, G., & Dersjant-Li, Y. (2021). A novel consensus bacterial 6-phytase variant completely replaced inorganic phosphate in broiler diets, maintaining growth performance and bone quality: Data from two independent trials. Poultry Science, 100(3), 100962. 
5. Velayudhan, D. E., Gracia, M. I., Casabuena Rincón, O., Marchal, L., & Dersjant-Li, Y. (2021). Effects of a novel consensus bacterial 6-phytase variant in grower pigs fed corn-soybean meal-based diets formulated with a full nutrient matrix and no added inorganic phosphorus. Journal of Animal Science, 99(7), skab176.