ISSUE FOCUS 20 FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE February 2023 "Overall, it can be stated that nutritional emulsifiers have a great potential to improve health and performance in the swine industry. Benefits are related to the emulsification activity and thereby improving fat digestibility and energy efficiency. Nutritional emulsifiers offer a valid strategy to reformulate sow diets and to support piglets in the post-weaning stress period.” Health and performance of animals depend greatly on their diets and digestive system. Regarding diets, the used raw materials and the needed dietary nutrients are to be considered. It is also important to take into account the use of the nutrients in the metabolism of animals, for maintenance and production. Moreover, in the current agricultural world, sustainability is of great importance to minimize the environmental impact. One of the principles of sustainability, defined by the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization), is improvement of the efficiency in the use of resources. Nutrients’ digestibility and absorption are therefore key parameters to take into account when formulating a balanced ration for optimized performance, feed efficiency and sustainability. Several feed additives can support digestibility of key nutrients such as fat and energy. In this article, the functioning and benefits of using nutritional emulsifiers will be discussed. Nutritional emulsifiers are widely used in various species, including fattening pigs, but the application in sows and piglets is relatively new. New results in sows and piglets highlight the efficacy of nutritional emulsifiers. Especially during lactation, nutritional emulsifiers could be interesting due to the possible transfer of nutrients via the colostrum and milk, which benefit piglets in the long run. FAT METABOLISM AND NUTRITIONAL EMULSIFIERS Fats and oils are important energy sources in feed formulation. That’s why it is important to study the role of these ingredients in the metabolism of the animal, in order to optimize energy efficiency and animal production. In the digestive tract, fat globules are emulsified by bile salts which are excreted by the gall bladder. These bile salts form smaller fat droplets which will be further digested by lipases, enzymes catalyzing the hydrolysis of fats. The digestion of fats and oils will lead to the formation of free fatty acids and monoglycerides. Bile salts will again help with the emulsification of these fatty acids, creating micelles. Micelles are easier absorbed through the intestinal epithelial cell layer. Bile salts, so-called natural emulsifiers, are key components to improve fat digestibility as they help to create a higher amount of smaller droplets, increasing the surface of action and efficiency of the lipases. NUTRITIONAL SOLUTION IMPROVING DIGESTIBILITY OF SOWS AND PIGLETS Aurélie Montagnon Central Technical Manager Orffa Additives BV.
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