Feed & Additive Magazine Issue 3 April 2021

ISSUE FOCUS 54 FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE April 2021 mechanisms to indeed, improving nutrient digest- ibility with data to support matrix values to include in feed formulations. PLANT-BASED FEED ADDITIVES (PHYTOGENICS) Plants and plant extracts are highly complex con- taining hundreds of compounds, each compound can exert a different effect. Often, trying to fully un- derstand the mode of action is difficult and further- more, is it always necessary? After all, if a product is effective and safe and does the job, isn’t that enough? Issues can arise if more than one additive type is to be combined in feed. Do they have complementary modes of action, for example? Are they synergistic? Some plant combinations can interact antagonis- tically. Sometimes it can be useful to have a single component product, with a clear purpose and mode of action that is easier to fit into a production sys- tem with other products. Quillaja saponins are a good example of a single source, targeted phytogenic. SAPONINS - SIMPLE AND COMPLEX! The Soap Bark Tree ( Quillaja sap- onaria Molina) from Chile provides a sustainable source of saponins for use as a feed additive, either in the raw form (pulverised bark) or as a concentrated, water extract. Quil- laja is comprised of over 100 trit- erpenoid saponins (molecules that have a non-polar aglycone core attached to two monosaccharide moieties) that have a broad range of activity from immunomodula- tory to antifungal and antiproto- zoal. When used in the raw form, Quillaja also contains polyphenols, salts, and carbohydrates amongst other compounds. Quillaja saponins are used in many industries from soap and beverages to vaccine adjuvants; their application is diverse. Quillaja saponins are also very good at re- ducing ammonia emissions in livestock production systems and supporting gut health which is where our interest in them in poultry production lies. SAPONINS CAN HELP LOWER AMMONIA EMISSIONS Quillaja saponins have dual mode of action. They bind ammonia but they also interfere with the mi- crobial conversion of uric acid to ammonia that oc- curs in the faeces in the litter. Reducing ammonia in the litter helps improve litter quality with a conse- quent reduction in possible footpad burns. In in vitro assays, Quillaja saponins (Feed Sap 3.5, Plantae Labs) have been shown to bind ammonia, 0,0 0,2 0,4 0,6 0,8 1,0 Ammonia concentration (ppm) Control Quillaja (150ppm) 0 hours 48 h ours Fig 1a. In vitro reduction of ammonia after 48 hours following addition of Quillaja saponaria (Feed Sap 3.5) 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 Ammonia concentration (ppm) Days post supplementation Quillaja (150ppm) Control Fig 1b. A rapid reduction in daily ammonia concentration can be observed in the poultry shed following supplementation of Quillaja 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8