ISSUE FOCUS 38 FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE December 2022 extensively for over two decades both in human and animal nutrition, and the scientific foundation for their prebiotic effect is strong. In human nutrition, a recent systematic review with meta-analyses that applied the Cochrane methodology (considered the strongest methodology in the hierarchy of scientific evidence) and was based on intervention studies, confirmed the prebiotic effect of inulintype fructans sourced from the chicory root. In dogs and cats, studies have shown that the selective fermentation of chicory root fibres (inulin and oligofructose) by specific beneficial bacteria leads to an increase in SCFA production, and is linked with nutritional benefits for pets, that go beyond the gut. For instance, as part of their prebiotic effect and effect on digestive health, chicory root fibres support calcium and mineral absorption in dogs. Further research has shown that chicory root fibres can support blood sugar management in dogs as well as weight management in both, dogs and cats. ABSORPTION OF MINERALS AND BONE HEALTH The absorption of minerals is essential to an animal’s growth and bone strength. From their selective fermentation which produces SCFA, inulin-type fructans reduce the luminal pH and nurture the intestinal mucosa with butyrate, thereby allowing for additional calcium absorption in the lower gut (the colon). Studies with oligofructose have demonstrated increased mineral uptake in dogs, and among others calcium, therefore supporting bone health. SUPPORTING WEIGHT AND BLOOD SUGAR MANAGEMENT Being overweight or obese are common in companion animals, and according to a 2019 report from the UK’s Pet Food Manufacturers’ Association, 51% of dogs and 44% of cats in the UK are classified as such. As well as supporting a pet’s intestinal health, chicory root fibres also show positive effects related to weight management in pets and blood sugar management in dogs. First studies show that including Orafti® Inulin and Oligofructose in a pet’s diet can curb their appetite, improve satiety and hence decrease voluntary food intake. In doing so, chicory root fibres help to maintain the healthy condition of a pet’s body. Additionally, since inulin-type fructans are nondigestible carbohydrates and dietary fibre, they do not trigger a rise in postprandial blood glucose or insulin concentrations. Hence, they support blood sugar management in dogs. What’s more, studies in dogs have shown that feeding them with chicory prebiotics can allow for a lower blood sugar response after a meal and this benefit can extend to a subsequent meal taken hours later, even if that meal doesn’t include chicory root fibres; which is called the second meal effect. SUPPORT OF RENAL HEALTH IN CATS Cats are sensitive to kidney disorders as they age, and one indicator of a problem can be elevated levels of blood urea nitrogen. Typically, in healthy animals the liver produces urea to clean up the nitrogen from the blood, which then travels to the kidneys through the bloodstream, where it is then filtered and excreted in the urine. In ageing cats, this renal metabolism might become less effective and
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