SPECIAL STORY 50 FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE March 2023 “The major cost of feed formulations is energy. Hence, from an economic point of view, enhancing the energy efficiency of these raw materials is of great importance. Fats and oils are important energy sources in animal diets due to their high energy value and energy density. The amount of energy that animals can receive from dietary fat mainly depends on the digestibility of the fat. Fat digestibility is considerably reduced when emulsifying molecules like bile salts are absent.” The recent increase in feed prices has prompted scientists to find an effective strategy to reduce feed costs without compromising the performance and health of animals. It is well documented that young animals have physiological limitations in absorbing fat because of low levels of natural lipase production and a low rate of bile salt production. The incomplete fat digestibility has consequently led to a greater requirement for energy sources, resulting in a hike in feed prices. The major cost of feed formulations is energy. Hence, from an economic point of view, enhancing the energy efficiency of these raw materials is of great importance. Fats and oils are important energy sources in animal diets due to their high energy value and energy density (Figure 1). The amount of energy that animals can receive from dietary fat mainly depends on the digestibility of the fat. Fat digestibility is considerably reduced when emulsifying molecules like bile salts are absent. Studies are focused on ways to improve fat digestibility to overcome the issue of inefficient energy utilization by monogastric animals. A particular strategy that is recently being considered by nutritionists for efficient energy utilization is the use of exogenous surfactants, often called “emulsifiers”, which have been effectively digested by lipase. Emulsifiers stabilize a mixture of two substance that do not combine well together, such as oil and water, and stop the coalescence of the globules in the dispersed phase. Thus, lipid has to be emulsified first. The emulsified small fat droplets are formed to increase the contact area for the lipase enzyme, which is produced by the pancreas to aid in the breakdown of fat. The natural or synthetic emulsifiers are used to improve fat digestibility and enhance energy efficiency, thereby reducing feed costs. Emulsifiers can facilitate the digestion and absorption of lipids because they can well disperse the oil droplets in the emulsion. Based on the hydrophilic-lipophilic balance principle, an emulsion type is selected systematically, and the right mix ROLE AND FUNCTIONS OF EMULSIFIER AS A FEED ADDITIVE IN POULTRY AND PIGS In Ho Kim Department of Animal Resources and Science Dankook University, Cheonan, Republic of Korea
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