Weaning is a major physiological and immunological crisis for piglets. This abrupt transition from sow’s milk to solid feeds causes a combination of stressors. For example, the small intestine undergoes severe villus atrophy, with villus height reducing by up to 75% within 24 hours. The tight junctions between gut cells weaken, increasing intestinal permeability. This allows toxins and pathogens to pass into the blood stream, triggering inflammation that diverts energy and nutrients away from the growth.
Soybean meal is good source of protein but contains trypsin inhibitors and other anti-nutritional factors, resulting the impaired digestion and the inflammation. It also contains large, complex proteins that are hard for weaned piglets to break down with their immature digestive systems. Nextide is the blend of soybean meal fermented by bacillus spp. bacteria (BF-SBM), functional amino acids and nucleotide. BF-SBM can reduce trypsin inhibitors to near zero and break down the major antigenic proteins (Figure 1). In BF-SBM, the complex protein is pre-digested into smaller peptides and free amino acids, which are much easier and faster for the piglet to absorb (Figure 2).
Figure 1. The effect of BF-SBM on protein-based anti-nutritional factors
Figure 2. The effect of BF-SBM on peptide (< 30 kDa) production (%)
Recently CJ conducted a 28 days of trial in Vietnam and results were published in Journal of Animal science (2024). The standard, positive control diet was formulated including 3% fish meal and 2% plasma protein. The negative control was not including animal proteins. The other four treatments used 5% Nxtide to replace 3% fish meal, 3% fish meal and 1% plasma protein, 2% plasma protein or 3% fish meal and 2% plasma protein, respectively. Adding 5% Nextide to replace 3% fish meal and 2% plasma protein significantly increased the daylit weight gain (Figure 3) probably due to increased villus height and reduced diarrhea rate (Figure 4).
Figure 3. The effect of Nextide on the body weight gain (g/d/head)
Figure 4. The effect of Nextide on Villus height (µm) and Diarrhea rate (%)
A study compiled by our Redox Animal Nutritionists.
Post-weaning diarrhoea (PWD) is an infectious disease that causes significant productive and economic losses in pig industry. It often requires antimicrobial use, resulting in the risk of antimicrobial resistance. Zinc oxide (ZnO) used in a range of 1500-3000 ppm is also an effective treatment to prevent PWD. However, the high dose of ZnO was banned in the EU in 2022 due to environmental risk of soil pollution. Some protective ZnO could reduce the effective dosage to 1000 ppm, but it still can not meet the EU’s requirements.
The main causative agent of PWD is enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) and the high dose of ZnO is effectively controlling ETEC overgrowth during the postweaning period. Although the exact mechanism of action of the high dose of ZnO is not completely understood, it is generally accepted that the high dose of ZnO could stabilize the gut microbiome to avoid its dysbiosis.
It is clear now that bile acids and bile salt hydrolase (BSH) are fundamental to maintaining the stability and composition of the gut microbiota. Bile acids have direct antimicrobial effect (Figure 1) and also act as signalling molecules to increase the production of antimicrobial peptides. However, when bile acids are hydrolysed by BSH, their antimicrobial activity is significantly reduced. Antibiotics and the high dose of ZnO usually suppress this BSH activity to allow bile acids to remain active longer and control pathogens.
Figure 1. The effect of conjugated bile acids on the growth of some pathogens
Gutluk is developed by CJ Bio via machine learning technology to screen key ingredients as BSH inhibitors (BSHI). The optimal combination of Epicatechins+VitaminK+Tributyrin achieved the best result on anti-inflammation effects (Figure 2). Thus, Gutluk could be an alternative to prevent PWD while antibiotics and the high dose of ZnO were removed in weaned piglet diets. A recent 28 day trial conducted in Korea confirmed this.
The standard, negative control diet was formulated without antibiotics and the high dose of ZnO (NC). The second and the third treatment consisted of the NC supplemented with 0.2% Colistin (antibiotics, PC1) and 2000 ppm ZnO (PC2), respectively. Other three treatments consisted of NC supplemented with 0.05%, 0.1% and 0.2% GutlukTM, respectively.
Figure 2. The effect of Gutluk composition on anti-inflammation function.
Weaned piglets fed diets without antibiotics and the high dose of ZnO showed poor growth rate (Figure 3)and significantly high rate of diarrhea (Figure 4). There was no significant difference among Gutluk supplementation groups but adding 0.2% Gutluk treatment achieved the best result, comparable to the high dose of ZnO treatment.
Figure 3. The effect of supplemental Gutluk on piglets growth performance (g/d)
Figure 4. The effect of supplemental Gutluk on piglets diarrhea rate (%)
The modern broiler chicken performance is mainly driven by the digestible lysine levels. Based on the recent study conducted by the University of Sydney, increasing 3% digestible lysine level will improve chicken body weight by 175 grams within 42 days. It will also increase the feed cost by 15, 17, 13, and 13 AUD per MT feed, in the starter, grower, finisher, and withdrawal period, respectively.
Exogenous protease supplementation in broiler chicken diets have primarily been attributed to improvements in protein and amino acids digestibility. Therefore, nutritionists are likely to know if adding the exogenous protease could save some amino acids and quantify its amino acids digestibility. In particular, after non-starch polysaccharides enzymes and phytase have been widely accepted in the feed formulation, there is still the room for the protease to further improve the amino acids digestibility.
In the University of Sydney, a study with three treatments was conducted. Standard, positive control (PC) diets were formulated to meet or exceed the 2019 Aviagen Ross 308 nutrition specifications and negative control (NC) diets were formulated with a 5% reduction in both crude protein and digestible essential amino acids. A third treatment group consisted of the NC supplemented with the exogenous protease. All diets contained 1000 FTU phytase and 4000 U of xylanase.
Overall broiler growth to 35 days post-hatch exceeded the Ross 2019 male performance objectives by 10.6% for weight gain (2580 versus 2333 g) and was superior by 5.66% in FCR (1.401 versus 1.485). The body weight gain (1-35 days) result was show in Figure 1. It is clearly shown that adding the exogenous protease can not compensate 5% amino acids reduction but can save 2.7% amino acids. Therefore, adding the VTR’s exogenous protease to diets containing phytase and xylanase can still increase 158 grams per bird within 42 days and save the cost more than 10 AUD/MT feed.
Fig 1. Bodyweight gain in male Ross 308 broilers from 1-35 days post-hatch (P = 0.018).
Fig 2. The body weight gain in response to increased digestible lysine levels.
Nucleotides are organic molecules that serve as the building blocks of nucleic acids such as DNA and RNA. They are essential for energy transfer and cell signalling. Fish meal and yeast products are full of nucleotides. Traditionally, nucleotides are not considered to be an essential nutrient because they can be produced endogenously under normal conditions via a salvage pathway.
However, in shrimp diets containing higher plant ingredients, the endogenous production of nucleotides may be insufficient to fulfill its demand in certain conditions such as infection, stress, or during rapid growth. Therefore, synthetic nucleotides such as AMP, IMP and GMP are usually supplemented to improve energy metabolism.
Nucleotides can improve hepatopancreas function and spare energy needed for de novo synthesis, redirecting it toward growth. Shrimp fed 0.2% nucleotides usually show 10-15% higher weight gain.
Nucleotides can stimulate Toll-like receptors and activate pro-inflammatory cytokines to enhance disease resistance. In Vibrio challenging situation, adding 0.2% nucleotides reduced the mortality by 30%.
Nucleotides supplementation could support gill regeneration during ammonia/ osmotic stress. Adding 0.1% nucleotides was reported to achieve 50% higher survival rate after salinity swings.
In a recent trial conducted in Thailand, adding 0.5 g/kg nucleotides containing IMP, AMP, and GMP improved the body weight gain of Pacific white shrimp by 19% (1.73 g vs 2.06 g). The survival rate was increased by 6% (83.33% vs 89.58%)
A study compiled by our Redox Animal Nutritionists.
Gutluk is a natural animal growth promoter (AGP) alternative that regulates intestinal microbiota through inhibition of bile salt hydrolase (BSH). It is developed by CJ Bio via machine learning technology to screen key ingredients as BSH inhibitors (BSHI).
It is well known that enteric diseases are mostly caused by overgrowth of intestinal pathogens, leading to increased competition for nutrients and reduced productivity. AGP has been widely used to control the overgrowth of enteric pathogens and increase productivity. It is noticed that the use of AGP significantly reduced BSH activity that is protecting pathogens from bactericidal activity of bile salt. However, due to development of antibiotics resistance in farm animals, lots of AGP alternatives such as prebiotics, probiotics, organic acids, enzymes and plant extracts have been promoted, but only antibiotics and high dose of ZnO and CuSO4 have been shown to inhibit BSH. Compared with other AGP alternatives, Gutluk showed super bactericidal effect on Enterotoxigenic E.coli (ETEC), C.perfringens, and S. gallinarum (Table 1). In addition, Gutluk showed greater anti-inflammation and anti-oxidative effects than other AGP alternative (Figure 1).
Table 1. Bactericidal effect of Gutluk on strains of ETEC, C.perfringens, and S. gallinarum
| products | ETEC | C. perfringens | S.gallinarum |
| Gutluk | +++ | +++ | +++ |
| Comp.K | ++ | + | ++ |
| Comp.P | + | + | + |
Figure 1. Effect of Gutluk on anti-inflammation (IL-8 reduction) and anti-oxidative functions
In Indonesia, one commercial trial with 6000 Hy-line hens was conducted to show that after two weeks of adaption period (without Gutluk addition), adding 300 g Gutluk per MT feed significantly increased egg production (Figure 2), daily egg Mass was increased by 4.4% and feed conversion ratio was improved by 9 points. Thus, Gutluk is a natural product inhibiting BSH activity and effectively replaces AGP targeting to control intestinal pathogens and improve the egg production as well.
A study compiled by our Redox Animal Nutritionists.
In recent years, the reduced protein diets balanced with crystalline amino acids (AA) for broiler chickens have been developed due to economic, environmental and bird welfare advantage. However, this reduced protein diet quite often results in adipose fat accumulation and sometimes compromises chicken performance. In practice, reduced protein diets should be formulated by experienced nutritionists.
Ideal amino acids profile
In reduced protein diets, digestible lysine concentration should be the first limiting AA. Based on the ideal AA profile, other essential AA concentrations including Methionine, Threonine, Valine, Isoleucine and Arginine need to be increased accordingly while the dietary lysine concentration is increased. When the dietary lysine concentration is fixed, increasing any other essential AA will not improve chicken performance but depressed the liter quality due to increased N excretion. On the other hand, when any other essential AA is deficient, Lysine becomes surplus and increases carcass fat. Figure 1 clearly showed that in reduced protein diets, when dietary Arginine and Histidine are deficient, it is very likely resulting in fatty carcass. Therefore, in recent protein diets, digestible Arginine and Histidine to digestible lysine ratios were increased to be 115% and 40%, respectively.
Figure 1. Effect of essential AA on abdominal fat content in reduced protein diets
Methionine sources
In broiler chicken feed ingredients, Methionine is the first limiting AA and practically be overused in chicken production. Figure 2 clearly showed that compared with DL-methionine and DL-HMTBA, L-Methionine significantly reduced fat composition in breast meat.
Figure 2 Effect of Methionine from different sources
The optimal digestible Lysine to apparent metabolizable energy (AME)
In reduced protein diets, if dietary AA is not balanced based on the ideal AA profile, the extra energy is required to excrete surplus energy. In contrast, if dietary AA is balanced based on the ideal AA profile, surplus energy will be accumulated in chicken body. Figure 3 is shown that reducing 100 kcal/kg in reduced protein diet significantly reduced abdominal fat in chicken carcass. It is suggested that the optimal Digestible Lysine to AME in reduced protein diets will be 100, 90, and 80% in the starter, grower, and finisher periods, respectively.
Figure 3. Effect of higher digestible Lysine to AME ratio on abdominal fat contents in chicken carcass
Supplementation of β-Mannanase
Soybean meal, canola meal and faba beans contain β-Mannan about 0.8, 0.4 and 0.4%, respectively. Β-Mannan can provoke the activity of innate immune system which leads to unnecessary energy cost for broiler chickens. Therefore, adding the exogenous β-mannanase to the reduced protein diets could save some energy cost and reduce carcass fat. Figure 4 is shown that in the reduced AME diets, adding β-Mannanase could further reduce the abdominal fat contents.
Figure 4. Effect of β-Mannanase on the abdominal fat contents in high and low AME diets
Tannic acid is a specific form of tannin and a type of polyphenol. It is defined in AAFCO as 582.20 for a source of flavour. Quebracho extract is a big complex polymer of tannin (MGM-S), specially for ruminant animals.
MGM-S has been approved to inhibit the growth and activity of methanogenic archaea in the rumen, which are responsible for producing methane as a byproduct of fermentation. It can alter the composition and activity of microbial populations, stimulating saliva production, favouring the growth of bacteria that produce less methane and increasing the proportion of propionate. Therefore, it can prevent the accumulation of lactic acid in the rumen and improve rumen pH stability, working together with marine-sourced calcium carbonate to reduce the risk of rumen acidosis.
MGM-S has been investigated for its ability to reduce the incidence of frothy bloat, which can occur when cattle consume rapidly fermentable feeds, such as high-grain diets in feedlot. MGM can help to reduce the stability of foam in the rumen by binding dietary proteins and maintain a more stable rumen environment, preventing the formation of gas bubbles and reducing the risk of bloat.
MGM-S also shows its anthelmintic effects due to its ability to disrupt the physiology and life cycle of parasites such as nematodes and coccidia.
Freshly milked dairy collected on-farm. Feed supplements like MGM-S are helping improve both milk composition and rumen health in today’s herds.
Adding 70 g MGM-S per day per cow could produce 1.2% more fat and increase milk protein by 3.3%. Adding 0.15% MGM-S to beef cattle diets for 93 days with initial body weight at 180 kg, achieved daily weight gain 180 grams and FCR was improved by 6.72% (8.18 vs. 7.63).
A study compiled by our Redox Animal Nutritionists.
Phosphorus (P) is an essential and expensive mineral for pigs, crucial for bone development, energy metabolism, and various physiological processes. The phosphorus requirement for pigs is dependent upon:
(1) An adequate supply of P in an available form,
(2) A suitable ratio of available Ca and P in the diet, and
(3) The presence of adequate vitamin D.
Phosphorus in protein sources of animal origin is largely inorganic and has a high relative bioavailability (RBV). However, the RBV of P in meat and bone meal (MBM) is variable (67-90%). Phosphorus in inorganic supplements also varies in RBV (Table 1, Jondrevvill and Dourmad, 2006). The RBV of MCP and MDCP is strongly affected by citric acids solubility and ammonium citrate solubility, respectively. Usually, the water solubility for MCP and MDCP is required to be greater than 80% and 50%, respectively.
Table 1. RBV and the digestibility coefficient of different inorganic P sources
In cereal grains and oil seed meals, about 60-75% of P is organically bound in in the form of phytate. The exogenous phytase supplementation can result in major improvement in RBV of phytate P. The higher temperature during pelleting of diets can reduce or destroy phytase activity and thermal stable phytase is available now to resist up to 85 ˚C pelleting temperature (Table 2).
Table 2. VTR phytase activity and heat stability (North Carolina State University)
To limit the loss of activity, Phytase must be made resistant to digestive proteases. After 2 h in contact with pepsin, VTR phytase retained about 93% of their initial activity (Figure 1).
Figure 1. The effect of pepsin on phytase activity.
A wide Ca-to-P ratio lowers P absorption and resulted in reduced growth and bone calcification. Ca and P requirements for maximizing bone strength are at least 0.1 percentage units higher than that maximal body weight gain. Although every 1-gram phytate P released by phytase could spare 1.33 grams Ca availability, a suggested ratio of total Ca to total P is between 1:1 and 1.25. It is noticed that the Ca in calcitic limestone is highly available, but Ca in dolomitic limestone is only 50 to 75% available.
An adequate vitamin D is necessary for proper metabolism of Ca and P, but a very high level of vitamin D can mobilize excessive amounts of Ca and P from bones.
A study compiled by our Redox Animal Nutritionists.
Glucose oxidase (GOD) is exogenously produced by specific fungi fermentation to oxidise β-D-Glucose into gluconic acid and hydrogen peroxide, consuming large amounts of oxygen.
GOD helps to extend shelf life of wet pet food, preventing rancid and spoilage caused by oxidation and microbial activity. In pet’s gut, it creates an environment that is less favourable for the growth of aerobic microorganisms including mycotoxins. Apart from gluconic acid, the hydrogen peroxides production could directly kill some virus, pathogens, and parasites. Therefore, it is considered as a new natural preservative and antioxidant.
As early as 1962, GOD was found in honey to produce gluconic acid and hydrogen peroxide, demonstrating its reputed wound-healing and antiseptic properties. GOD has been defined in the Association of American Feed Control officials (AAFCO) list as 70.3 and is widely used in food and animal production. As a naturally derived enzyme, GOD can be marked as clean-label ingredient, which is increasingly popular with pet owners seeking natural preservatives in pet food products.
In general, adding 2000 U/kg dry matter or 200 g/MT dry matter GOD to pet food could be used as a preservative and antioxidant.
A study compiled by our Redox Animal Nutritionists.
Low protein or reduced protein diets have been widely used in pig industry to save protein sources and reduce nitrogen excretion. In reduced protein diets, amino acids (AA) balance is crucial for pig’s performance not to be compromised.
Currently amino acids balance is achieved by the supplementation of crystalline L-Lysine, L-methionine, L-threonine, -L-tryptophan, L-Valine and L-Isoleucine based on the ideal protein profile. In practice, if only adding first 4 limiting amino acids to reduced protein diets, it may result in lower plasma valine, isoleucine, histidine, and arginine. Other amino acids such as lysine, methionine, threonine, tryptophan might become surplus and cannot be used by pigs (Figure 1). Histidine is the seventh limiting AA in typical diets fed to swine and may require supplementation in reduced protein diets (Figure 2). Among cereals, barley has the lowest histidine contends and therefore, barley-based diets may result in histidine deficiency.
Histidine is an integral component of a broad set of tissues including skin, bone, ligaments, and muscle. It is a component of haemoglobin and important constitute of dipeptides anserine and carnosine. High concentrations of carnosine and anserine have been found in the brain and muscles because of its high antioxidant activity. It also stimulates the digestive secretion of gastrin, a hormone that is essential for digestion of dietary protein. Histidine deficiency could induce a decrease in amino acids oxidation and a decrease protein turnover.
Recommended standardized ileal digestible (SID) histidine to lysine ratio for pigs at 7 to 11 kg body weight from NRC (2012) is 0.34, which was based on growth performance and plasma histidine concentration. Recently, Cheng et al (2023) indicated that SID histidine to lysine between 0.35 and 0.41 in diets fed to nursery pigs at 7 to 11 kg body weight enhanced intestinal health and maximized concentrations of histidine-containing proteins.
Figure 1 Plasma amino acids concentration in standard and reduced protein diets.
Figure 2. The effect of further adding Valine, isoleucine and histidine on daily weight gain
A study compiled by our Redox Animal Nutritionists.