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African Journal of Pig Farming ISSN 2375-0731 Vol. 6 (9), pp. 001-006, September, 2018. Available online at 
www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals 

 

Author(s) retain the copyright of this article. 

 
 

Full Length Research Paper 

 

Growing pigs fed cassava peel based diet 

supplemented with or without Farmazyme
®
 3000 

 

proenx: Effect on growth, carcass and blood  

parameters 

 
A. O. K. Adesehinwa1*, O. O. Obi1, B. A. Makanjuola1, O. O. Oluwole1 and M. A. Adesina2

 
 

1
Swine Research Unit, Livestock Improvement Programme, Institute of Agricultural Research and Training, 

Obafemi Awolowo University, P.M.B. 5029, Moor Plantation, Ibadan. Nigeria. 
2
National Agricultural 

Extension and Research Liaison Services, South West Zonal Office, Moor Plantation, Ibadan. Nigeria. 

 
Accepted 21 March, 2018 

 
36 growing pigs (average initial weight of 22.74 ± 0.88 kg) were allotted to three dietary treatment groups of 
30%maize-based control diet and 30%cassava-peel-based diet supplemented with or without Farmazyme 3000 
proenx. Each treatment had three replicates of 4 pigs/replicate (12 pigs/treatment) in a complete randomized 
design. The pigs were allowed AD LIBITUM access to the diets and water throughout the 42-day duration of the 
trial. The replacement of the 30% maize in the control diet with cassava peel resulted in increased bulkiness and 
crude fiber contents of the cassava peel-based diets, hence, lowered energy content. There was also a reduction 
in the dry matter intake of the pigs and the cost of feed per kg intake by 19.6 and 23.5% for the cassava peel 
based diet with and without Farmazyme inclusion, respectively. The replacement of the maize content of the 
control diet with cassava peel resulted in 23 to 24% reduction in the cost of feed per kg live weight gain of the 
growing pigs. Farmazyme resulted in enhanced utilization (P < 0.05) of the cassava peel-based diet in terms of 
the daily and overall weight gains as well as the serum total protein, albumin, urea and cholesterol. While the 
heamoglobin and red blood cell (RBC) of the pigs were significantly positively influenced by the inclusion of the 
enzyme, it had no effect on the packed cell volume (PCV). The blood minerals (Na, Ca, Cl and P), relative organ 
weights and dressing percentage of the pigs were neither affected by the cassava peel replacement nor the 
enzyme inclusion but for the kidney, where lower values were obtained both for the control and Farmazyme 
supplemented cassava peel-based diets. It could therefore be concluded that, inclusion of Farmazyme 3000 
proenx enhanced utilization of the cassava peel-based diet thereby, resulting in performance results comparable 
to pigs fed the maize-based control diet. 

 
Key words: Cassava peels, growing pigs, non-starch polysaccharides, exogenous enzyme, pig feeding. 

 
INTRODUCTION 

 
Cereal grains supply the bulk of livestock feed, especially 
for poultry and pigs. However, in developing countries like 
Nigeria, cereal grains are in high demand for human  
 

 
*Corresponding author. E-mail: aokadesehinwa@yahoo.com. 
 
Abbreviations: RBC, Red blood cells; PCV, packed cell 
volume; WBC, white blood cell. 

 
 
 

 
uses and the production has never been adequate to 
meet the need of the increasing population, consequently, 
there is little or no excess grain for livestock feed. When 
available, it is always very expensive. For instance, in the 
year 2005, the price of maize rose from about #30 to #70 
per kilogramme (approx. $0.25 to $0.50). This continuous 
increase in the cost of conventional ingredients used in 
compounding livestock feed has necessitated intensive 
research into cheap alternative source of energy yielding 



 
 
 

 

unconventional ingredients. Since the monogastric live-
stock industry constitutes the largest consumer of comer-
cial livestock feeds in Africa, it is imperative to find 
alternative feed resources to the expensive energy 
ingredients like the cereals.  

Cassava (Manihot esculenta) is an all-season crop of 
the humid tropics and ranks among the top 10 food crops 
in the world (Oyebimpe et al., 2006). It is the highest 
supplier of carbohydrates among staple crops (FAO, 
1995). Annual production estimate in Nigeria was 34 
million tonnes in 2002 (FAO, 2002). Cassava roots con-
tain 30 to 40% dry matter, more than most roots and 
tubers. This depends on factors such as variety, soil type, 
moisture, climatic conditions and the age of the root at 
harvest. Starch and sugar are the predominant com-
ponents of the dry matter, approximately 90%, with starch 
being the most important (FAO, 2002). Although, the 
crude protein content of cassava root is 2 to 4% in dry 
matter, the true protein content is less than half this 
amount due to the fact that 50% of the nitrogen in the 
roots is in the form of non-protein-nitrogen. Furthermore, 
the available true protein is deficient in the sulphur-
containing amino acids. The roots contain significant 
amounts of vitamins, particularly vitamin C, thiamine, 
riboflavin and niacin (FAO, 2002). Cassava products 
have been in use for a long time as an energy source in 
place of cereal grains for livestock (Eruvbetine et al., 
2003).  

Cassava peels continue to constitute waste in the 
cassava processing industry. It accounts for 10 to 13% of 
the tuber by weight (Oyebimpe et al., 2006). This is in 
spite of the potential of the by-product as an animal 
feedstuff (Iyayi and Losel, 2001). Tewe and lyayi (1995) 
reported that, among the roots produced in Nigeria, 
cassava from which cassava peel is obtained constitute 
20% of total tubers produced annually. Cassava peel 
meal could serve as a cheap source of energy for farm 
animals but should be fortified with additional protein 
source because of its low protein level (Obioha and 
Anikwe, 1982).  

Considerable evidence has emerged for long of the 
possibility of using processed cassava peel as an energy 
source for pigs and poultry (Longe et al., 1977; Tewe, 
1981; Iyayi, 1986). Higher inclusion of the by-product in 
monogastric feed or formulation of diets with cassava 
peels, as sole energy source is limited because of its 
fibrous nature. Fakolade (1977) and Arowora et al. (1999) 
have reported the occurrence of high amounts of non-
starch polysaccharides (NSPs) in cassava peels. 
Degradation of these carbohydrate compounds to simple 
sugars will further increase the energy value of cassava 
peels, hence, the need for the addition of exogenous 
enzymes when utilized in replacing cereals in diets for 
monogastric animals (Adesehinwa, 2004). The aim of this 
study therefore, is to determine the effect of cassava peel 
supplemented with or without Farmazyme 3000 proenx 
as a replacement for maize in the diets of growing pigs 

 
 
 
 

 

on the growth, some carcass traits, serological and hea-
matological indices of growing pigs. 
 

 
MATERIALS AND METHODS 

 
The utilization of cassava peel based diet supplemented with or 
without Farmazyme 3000 proenx (protease, fungal xylanase, fungal β-
gluconase, endo β-gluconase, α-amylase, β-gluconase (pH 7.5-
30°C), β-gluconase (pH 5-30°C), hemicellulase, pentozanase, 
pectinase) for growing pigs was investigated using 36 growing pigs, 
with average initial weight of 22.74 ± 0.88. The pigs were allotted to 
three dietary treatment groups of (1) 30% maize-based control diet,  
(2) 30% cassava-peel-based diet without Farmazyme inclusion and 
(3) 30% cassava-peel-based diet supplemented with Farm-azyme 
3000 proenx, as shown in Table 1. Cassava peels of mixed 
varieties were obtained within 24 h after peeling from a cassava 
processing industry in Ibadan, Nigeria. They were then sun dried for 
5 days under intensive sunshine to constant weight and ground in a 
hammer mill before being incorporated in the experimental diets. 
The maize content of the maize-based control diet was totally 
replaced with cassava peel on weight for weight basis in the two 
treatment diets. Each treatment had 12 pigs, comprising three 
replicates (with four pigs per replicate) in a complete randomized 
design. The pigs were allowed ad libitum access to the diets and 
water served in concrete feeding and watering troughs, respec-
tively. The growth and economy of production were monitored 
throughout the 42-day duration of the trial. 
 

At the end of the trial, two pigs were randomly selected from each 
replicate for bleeding. 10 ml of blood was obtained from the jugular 
vein of each of the pigs into two sample bottles for serological, 
heamatological and blood mineral analyses (Kaneko, 1989) using a 
sterilized needle and syringe. Some carcass and organ weights 
were also taken from two pigs randomly selected per replicate for 
this purpose. The pigs were starved of feed for 16 h, weighed and 
slaughtered. The slaughtered pigs were properly bled, cleaned and 
eviscerated before dissecting into parts and weighed.  
All the data obtained were subjected to analysis of variance and 
where statistical significance was observed, the means were sepa-
rated using the Duncan’s multiple range (DMR) test. The SAS 
computer software package (SAS, 1999) was used for all statistical 
analysis. 
 
 
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 
 
Effect on growth and feed conversion 
 

Proximate composition of test ingredient (cassava peel) 
used and the formulated experimental diets is as shown 
in Table 2. The replacement of the 30% maize in the 
control diet with cassava peel resulted in increased bulk 
and crude fiber contents of the cassava peel-based diets 
(Table 2) hence, a lowered energy content is expected. 
The increased bulk could be said to be responsible for 
the reduction in the dry matter intake of the pigs fed the 
cassava peel based diet with and without Farmazyme® 
supplementation in line with the earlier findings of 
Adesehinwa et al. (2008a) inspite of the lowered energy 
content. There was a significantly (P < 0.05) lower 
quantity of feed consumed in the cassava peel-based diet 
treatments. Even though the gains and feed conversion 
of pigs observed in the cassava peel-based diets were 



  
 
 

 
Table 1. Gross and proximate composition of diets fed to growing 
experimental pigs.  

 
 Ingredient Maize-based Cassava peel-based 

 Maize 30.00 0.00 

 Cassava peel meal 0.00 30.00 

 Palm kernel cake 30.00 30.00 

 Wheat bran 18.00 18.00 

 Groundnut cake 15.00 15.00 

 Fishmeal 2.00 2.00 

 Bone meal 3.00 3.00 

 Oyster shell 1.25 1.25 

 Salt 0.50 0.50 

 Vit-Min premix* 0.25 0.25 
 

*Pfizer Agricare Grower Premix supplied the following per kg diet: Vit. A 

10,000,000 IU; Vit. D3 2,000,000 IU; Vit. E 8,000 IU; Vit K 2,000 mg; Vit B1 

2,000 mg; Vit. B2 5,500 mg; Vit. B6 1,200 mg; Vit. B12 12 mg; Biotin 30 mg; 
folic acid 600 mg; Niacin 10,000 mg; pantothenic acid 7,000 mg; choline 
chloride 500,000 mg; Vit. C 10,000 mg; iron 60,000 mg; Mn 80,000 mg; Cu 
8,00 mg; Zn 50,000 mg; Iodine 2,000 mg; cobalt 450 mg; selenium 100 mg; 
Mg 100,000 mg; anti oxidant 6,000 mg. 

 

 
Table 2. Proximate composition of test ingredient and experimental diets (%).  

 
 Component Maize-based diet Cassava peel -based diet Cassava peel 

 Dry matter 89.50 88.96 89.24 

 Crude protein 18.20 17.33 3.15 

 Crude fiber 5.50 9.89 33.96 

 Ether extract 4.67 3.61 0.34 

 Ash 6.57 7.13 1.44 
 

 
Table 3. Performance characteristics and economy of gain of growing pigs fed diets with or without Farmazyme 
3000 proenx inclusion.  

 
 

Parameter 
 Cassava peel-based  SEM 

 

 

Maize-based Without enzyme With enzyme (±) 
 

  
 

 Average initial weight (kg) 22.50 22.78 22.94 0.88 
 

 Average final weight (kg) 39.28 37.17 39.44 1.13 
 

 Average total weight gain (kg) 16.78
a
 14.39

b
 16.50

ab
 0.36 

 

 Average daily dry matter intake (kg) 1.63
a
 1.42

b
 1.49

b
 0.02 

 

 Average daily weight gain (kg) 0.40
a
 0.35

b
 0.39

ab
 0.36 

 

 Feed conversion (Feed : Gain) 4.51 4.65 4.20 0.13 
 

 Av cost of feed consumed/day (N) 46.16
a
 30.81

b
 34.03

b
 0.02 

 

 Av cost of feed per gain (N) 115.40
a
 88.03

b
 87.26

b
 0.05 

 

 
a,b, Means along the same row with different superscripts are significantly (P < 0.05) different from each other. 

 

 

to produce direct benefits of increase in body weight gain 
as a result of improved feed efficiency (Adesehinwa, 
2008b). The final weights of the pigs were com-parable 
across the groups over the 42-day duration of the study, 
as shown in Table 3.  

There was also a reduction of the cost of feed per kg by 

 
 

 

23.5 and 19.6%, respectively, as a result of the replace-
ment of the 30% maize in the control diet with cassava 
peel supplemented without or with Farmazyme inclusion 
(Table 3). The replacement of the maize content of the 
basal diet with cassava peel resulted in comparable feed: 
gain, but a significant (P < 0.05) reduction of 23 to 24% in 



 
 
 

 
Table 4. Some carcass traits and relative organ weights of growing pigs fed diets with or without 
Farmazyme 3000 proenx inclusion.  

 
 

Parameter 
 Cassava peel-based  

SEM (±) 
 

     

 

Maize-based Without enzyme With enzyme 
 

   
 

 Carcass     
 

 Slaughter weight (kg) 42.88 42.88 43.00 0.52 
 

 Cold carcass weight (kg) 30.11 30.02 29.44 0.10 
 

 Dressing percentage (%) 70.18 69.95 68.41 0.79 
 

 Internal organs (%)     
 

 Kidney 0.30
b
 0.39

a
 0.35

ab
 0.02 

 

 Liver 2.28 2.45 2.23 0.05 
 

 Heart 0.38 0.41 0.43 0.02 
 

 Spleen 0.22 0.16 0.14 0.02 
 

       

 
a,b, Means along the same row with different superscripts are significantly (P < 0.05) different from each 

other. 
 

 

the cost of feed/kg live weight gain (N) for the growing 
pigs fed the cassava peel-based diets (Table 3). Farm-
azyme® resulted in enhanced utilization (P < 0.05) of the 
cassava peel based diet in terms of the daily and overall 
weight gains. Dale (1997) reported addition of enzymes 
to diets to produce not only direct benefits of increased 
body weight gain and improved feed con-version but also 
reduction in feed costs. 
 

 

Effect on carcass and organ weights 

 

The results of some carcass traits and relative organ 
weights of the growing pigs fed diets supplemented with 
or without Farmazyme 3000 proenx is as shown in Table 
4. The dressing percentage of the pigs were com-parable 
across the groups showing that, the replacement of 
maize with cassava peel supplemented with or without 
the exogenous enzyme in the diets of growing pigs did 
not affect the resulting cold carcass weights of the pigs 
when slaughtered (Table 4). Addition of multi-enzyme, 
such as Farmazyme®, has been reported not to affect 
edible organ weights and carcass characteristics such as 
dressing percentages except for abdominal fat content 
which decreased with enzyme addition (Kilic et al., 2006). 
This was also in agreement with the findings of Johri 
(2004) and Torres et al. (2003) who also reported that, 
multi-enzyme addition did not affect carcass characte-
ristics of broilers used in their study. In the present study, 
the relative organ weights of the pigs were neither 
affected by the cassava peel replacement nor the 
enzyme inclusion; but for the kidney, where lower values 
were obtained with the pigs on the control diet, the results 
were comparable (P > 0.05) to those on the cassava 
peel-based diet without enzyme supplementation (Table 
4). 

 
 

 

Effect on serum metabolites, hematological 
parameters and blood minerals 

 

The inclusion of Farmazyme resulted in enhanced utili-
zation of the cassava peel-based diet in terms of 
increased daily and overall weight gains, comparable to 
those of pigs on the maize-based control diet (Table 3). 
This also resulted in comparable values of serum total 
protein, albumin and urea obtained for the two groups 
(Table 5). This indicated that the protein levels of the 
maize-based diet and the cassava peel based diet 
supplemented with Farmazyme® was able to support the 
protein reserves of the pigs across the groups. The urea 
levels of pigs fed the cassava peel-based diet supple-
mented with Farmazyme was also comparable (P > 0.05) 
to those of pigs on the maize-control but signifi-cantly 
lower (P < 0.05) compared with those of pigs fed with 
cassava peel-based diet without enzyme supple-
mentation (Table 5). 
 
High serum urea has been reported as an indicator of 
muscular wastage in animals (Adesehinwa, 2008). In 
spite of the high fiber content of the cassava peel-based 
diets (cassava being highly fibrous), the diets seemed to 
have been efficiently utilized similar to the maize-based, 
thereby, resulting in high tissue deposition (Adesehinwa, 
2007) in pigs fed with both diets compared with the 
cassava peel-based diet without enzyme supple-
mentation. The least cholesterol level was recorded for 
the enzyme supplemented diet, in line with the findings of 
Kilic et al. (2006), who reported that enzyme significantly 
(P < 0.05) influence fat deposition in broilers. It could be 
observed that, the urea levels were inversely proportional 
to the live weight gains of the growing pigs (Table 5).  

The hemoglobin and red blood cells (RBC) of the pigs 
were significantly (P < 0.05) increased by the inclusion of 
the enzyme, as the replacement of the maize content of 



  
 
 

 
Table 5. Hematological parameters, serum metabolites and blood minerals of growing pigs fed diets with or 
without Farmazyme 3000 proenx inclusion.  

 
 

Parameter 
 Cassava peel-based  

SEM (±)  

 

Maize-based Without enzyme With enzyme 
 

   
 

 Heamatology     
 

 Packed cell volume (PCV) % 42.95
a
 39.92

b
 40.95

b
 0.29 

 

 Heamoglobin (Hgb) g/dl 14.13
a
 12.37

c
 13.48

b
 0.12 

 

 Red blood cell (RBC) x10
6
/µl 7.17 

a
 5.97 

b
 6.95 

a
 0.07 

 

 White blood cell (WBC) x10
3
/µl 8.63 8.75 8.40 0.15 

 

 Serum metabolites     
 

 Total protein (g/dl) 6.95
a
 6.23

b
 6.77

a
 0.07 

 

 Albumin (g/dl) 3.13
a
 2.70

b
 2.98

a
 0.05 

 

 Urea (mg/dl) 12.65
b
 14.55

a
 13.07

b
 0.17 

 

 Creatinine (mg/dl) 1.57
a
 1.07 

b
 1.12

b
 0.05 

 

 Cholesterol (mg/dl) 124.15
a
 113.03

b
 102.65

c
 1.06 

 

 Glucose (mg/dl) 92.02 87.02 90.55 0.68 
 

 Minerals     
 

 Sodium (Na) MEq/l 144.27
a
 141.27

b
 142.40

ab
 0.38 

 

 Potassium (K) MEq/l 5.32 4.98 5.37 0.1 
 

 Calcium (Ca) mg/dl 10.18
a
 9.53

b
 10.37

a
 0.10 

 

 Chlorine (Cl) MEq/l 98.63
b
 101.92

a
 99.28

b
 0.30 

 

 Phosphorus (P) mg/dl 7.47
a
 6.62

b
 7.97

a
 0.14 

 

 
a,b,c = Means along the same row with different superscripts are significantly (P < 0.05) different from each other. 

 

 

the basal diet with cassava peel significantly reduced 
both parameters. The enzyme had no effect on the 
packed cell volume (PCV) of the pigs, hence, the PCV of 
the pigs on the maize-control diet were significantly 
higher than those on the cassava peel-based diets (Table 
5). The white blood cell (WBC) values observed in this 
study were not significantly influenced by both treatments 
(cassava peel and enzyme inclusion). The enzyme had 
significant effect (P < 0.05) on all the blood minerals 
measured in this study but for K, resulting in values 
comparable to those of pigs on the maize-based control 
dietary group (Table 5). 
 
 

Conclusions 

 

It could be concluded that, even though the replacement 
of maize with cassava peel had no adverse effect on the 
dressing percentage and other parameters in some 
instances, inclusion of Farmazyme 3000 proenx enhan-
ced utilization of the cassava peel-based diet better; 
resulting in better performance comparable to pigs fed 
with the maize-based control diet. The result of this study 
therefore indicates that, the cassava peel meal, which is 
economically cheaper than maize and regarded as waste 
in some areas of Nigeria can be used successfully to 
replace maize in conventional pig feed without any 
depression or adverse effect on the growth performance, 

 
 

 

health status and carcass characteristics. 
 
 
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 
 
The authors thank the Executive Director of the Institute 
of Agricultural Research and Training, Obafemi Awolowo 
University, Ibadan, for the funding of this work and 
General Manager, Farmavet International, Istanbul, 
Turkey, for providing the enzyme used in the study. We 
are also grateful to the staff of Swine Research Unit of 
the Livestock Improvement Programme for care of 
experimental animals. 
 
 
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