Feed & Additive Magazine Issue 4 May 2021

ARTICLE 56 FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE May 2021 Dr. Stephanie Ladirat R&D Director NUQO Feed Additives A nimals face every day various kind of stress: change of diet or raw material quality, hot temperature, diseases, handling and manipulations … Stress triggers the production of free reactive rad- icals in cells which oxidize lipids or proteins. These free radicals are normally regulated but under stress conditions, free radicals’ level can increase dramati- cally and results in significant damage to cell struc- tures and, to some extent, affect the performance and/or health of animal. A STRATEGIC APPROACH OF NATURAL ANTIOXIDANTS In order to avoid negative effects from oxidative stress, cells contain naturally present antioxidant mechanisms. In an ideal situation, a balance be- tween oxidation and antioxidant mechanisms is es- tablished safeguarding cell integrity and function. Antioxidant mechanisms are mitigating cell oxida- tive stress by neutralizing reactive radicals. In high- ly productive animals or during stressful periods, additional components with antioxidant capacity are often provided on top of the naturally present antioxidant mechanisms in the body to support health of animals. Many ingredients have shown in- teresting antioxidant effects. More precisely, sever- al groups of molecules have shown an effect to help balance oxidation and antioxidant mechanisms in the organism. Among these groups, different types of natural ingredients containing polyphenols have shown antioxidant effects. Polyphenols are natu- ral compounds present in plants with numerous biological activities. Several studies have explored the properties of polyphenols in anti-inflammation and oxidation, the mechanisms involved in signal- ing pathways activated upon oxidative stress, as well as the possible roles of polyphenols in specific disorders. Polyphenols are present in herbs, spices, stems, flowers, … and even seaweeds. They are the secondary metabolites of plants involved in defen- sive system. It is difficult to determine the best source of natural antioxidants: Environmental factors, such as the type of the soil, exposure of the light, rain- fall, culture methods, and fruit yield per tree, have a strong impact on final concentration and activity. In vitro methods are a good preliminary approach RESILIENT APPROACH TO REDUCE DAMAGES FROM STRESS AND SUPPORT PERFORMANCE “Antioxidants are an important defense mechanism against oxidative stress as they are able to neutralize reactive radicals. In highly productive animals or during stressful periods, on top of naturally present antioxidant mechanisms in the body, components with antioxidant capacity are often provided to support health of animals. Many ingredients have shown interesting antioxidant effects.”