Feed & Additive Magazine Issue 3 April 2021

ISSUE FOCUS 42 FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE April 2021 THE THIRD GENERATION OF FIBERS Since decades nutritionists all over the world are using dietary fibers in animal nutrition to optimize performance. In the early years of the 21st century the industry started to focus more on the prebiotic aspects of certain fiber and sugar combinations. This is what is called the second generation of fibers. Agrimprove went one step further and developed a third generation of functional fiber fractions with direct effects on intestinal efficacy by reducing the damaging effects of pathogenic bacteria and toxins. This contributes to improved performance and health. Vitafibra is already proving its value as part in different concepts all over the globe. M ore than 2000 years ago, Hippocrates -the father of modern medicine- suggested that “all disease begins in the gut”. Even though science has proven that this statement is not 100% correct, evidence shows that many chronical, metabolic, hormonal and even neurological diseases do have a very strong link with the intestine. Keeping the intestine in good condition is therefore of utmost importance as well for ourselves as for our animals in order to increase resilience. Keeping this in mind Agrimprove developed an exclusive product called Vitafibra, a unique selection of well-defined fiber fractions that optimize gut health by safeguarding it from disruptive agents. THE ROLE OF FIBERS IN GUT HEALTH Since decades nutritionists all over the world are using fibers in animal nutrition to regulate gut health. These dietary fibers can influence passage time in the stomach and the satiety feeling of the animals, and can also alter the viscosity of the feed next to other applications. In the nineties, together with the increasing knowledge on the microbiota, the industry started to focus more on the prebiotic aspects of certain fiber and sugar combinations. Beta-glucans, MOS, FOS, XOS and more recently GOS products show nice effects on modulating the microbiota through positively stimulating the growth of some of the fa- vorable bacteria groups. By feeding the good endog- enous bacteria, gut health improves and indirectly makes animals healthier. A new generation of fiber molecules goes beyond the regular fiber approaches. These functional fibers are not focusing on the physical aspects of feed, nor will they stimulate growth of favorable bacteria. By counteracting pathogens like bacteria and their tox- ic metabolites such as endotoxins, these specific fi- Kobe Lannoo Category Manager Pigs Agrimprove