[Role of the digestive microflora and of the crystalline structure of starch in digestion and dietary efficiency in the chicken. Study of tropical tubers].

The influence of microflora in the utilization of starches, the X ray pattern which was of A or B type, was studied by balances and carcasses analysis with growing axenic or holoxenic chickens, put in isolators. Five tropical tubers were used : Manihot utilissima and Dioscorea dumetorum of A-type, Dioscorea cayenensis and alata and Canna edulis of B-type. They were introduced in isoenergetic (4,460 Kcal/g D.M.) and isoproteic (18 p. 100) diets. The A-type starches are entirely digested (95 p. 100) and the B-type are poorly digested (40-60 p. 100). The first ones induced a better growth than the second. The influence of digestive microflora changes with the two types of tubers used. With A-type starches the microflora lowered the feed intake, the growth and the energy and protein efficiency respectively--25 and--10 p. 100. When the diet included tubers with B-type starches, the low digestibility of starch and the low metabolisable energy in the diets induced poor growth and retentions. The results are discussed in relation with the starch breakdown into glucose, lactic acid and volatile fatty acids.