Feed & Additive Magazine Issue 3 April 2021

ISSUE FOCUS FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE April 2021 55 reducing ammonia levels by up to 92% (Figure 1a). In real world, on farm testing, Quillaja has been demonstrated to be highly effective at lowering en- vironmental ammonia, irrespective of season. In two studies run over 4 months in winter and spring, am- monia levels in the laying shed were reduced by 57 to 63%; the reduction in ammonia can be observed quickly, sometimes within 5 days. The benefits of Quillaja also extend to bird perfor- mance, particularly when birds see enteric challeng- es from parasite such as Eimeria and recover. This has been observed where Eimeria infected birds fed Quillaja saponins demonstrate improved zootech- nical performance (11% better weight gain, 14% improved FCR) and 45% lower oocyst output and lower lesion scores versus infected controls. The benefits of Quillaja in these scenarios are un- surprising. Quillaja supports the bird immune sys- tem and modulates inflammatory responses while also disrupting the membranes of the invading Eimeria sporozoites, likely interfering with their ability to invade intestinal cells and ultimately cause disease. SUMMARY The poultry industry is under increased scrutiny by Regulatory authorities and consumers to play an active role in reducing its already low environmental footprint. Ammonia is a significant gaseous pollut- ant from growing and laying birds and there are nu- merous interventions the industry can take to lower ammonia output and improve nitrogen utilisation. Quillaja saponins offer a low cost, effective tool to help manage ammonia emissions in addition to sup- porting gut health, particularly during periods of in- testinal stress and pathogen challenge. a c b b 0,1 0,15 0,2 0,25 0,3 Weight gain (kg) Control Infected Control Salinomycin (60ppm) Quillaja (150ppm) Figure 2. Bird weight gain 7 days post Eimeria oral challenge / Columns with different letters are significantly different at P<0.05 About Dr Sebastian Decap Dr Sebastian Decap is the Technical Director of Plantae Labs, Chile, a company applying new technologies to the production of Quil- laja saponins to enhance efficacy and sustainability. He obtained his veterinary degree from Universidad de Chile and his MSc in Animal Science from Wageningen University, Netherlands. He has worked as a consultant and nutritionist for Chilean beef and dairy operations before moving into feed additives with Chile Botanicals. He stayed with the organisation as during their acquisition by Naturex and recent spin out into Plantae Labs, where he is responsible for managing R&D activities and developing the business in the agricultural space. About Dr David Harrington Dr David Harrington is the Managing Director at teamTWO Solutions. He obtained his BSc and MSc from Edinburgh University, UK, and his PhD from Newcastle University, UK researching avian immune responses to ectoparasite infections. During his early career he worked in the development and commercial support of swine and poultry vaccines. For the last 10 years he has worked with feed additives from probiotics and organic acids to phytogenics in both commercial/strategic and technical roles globally.