ADVERTORIAL 52 FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE June 2025 In animal nutrition, antioxidant solutions against oxidative stress in feed have long been standard – but how they are used is evolving. Today, it is well understood where oxidative stress originates and how the body manages it through its own internal systems. This knowledge opens up new possibilities to apply antioxidant protection in a more targeted and earlier manner – concepts that, just a few years ago, were not yet available. With increasing performance demands, environmental stress and growing calls for sustainable production, it is no longer enough to simply “add an antioxidant”. Formulations are becoming more strategic. More biological. And more system-driven. Traditionally, antioxidants like vitamin E have been used to combat oxidative stress. They are well established, trusted – and widely expected. Some formulations go further and include polyphenols, carotenoids, or plant extracts. However, these secondary antioxidants primarily act once oxidative stress is already underway. They address symptoms – not the root cause. To protect animals from the inside out, we need to rethink where antioxidant defense begins. OXIDATIVE STRESS STARTS IN THE MITOCHONDRIA More than 90% of reactive oxygen species (ROS) are generated within mitochondria, the organelles responsible for energy production. These cellular "power plants" create ATP, but also oxidative byproducts — the biological sparks that, left unchecked, damage proteins, membranes, and DNA. And while external antioxidants can help reduce the effects of ROS, they don’t act at the origin. This is why the most efficient defense isn’t to add more antioxidants — it’s to support the animal’s own protective systems. THE THREE PILLARS OF ANTIOXIDANT DEFENSE A truly functional antioxidant approach supports the body across three layers: 1. Primary antioxidants These are enzymatic defenses such as superoxide FROM INGREDIENTS TO STRATEGY: RETHINKING ANTIOXIDANT DEFENSE Monika Leukert Product Manager, Antioxidative Solutions & Yeast Derivatives Lallemand Animal Nutrition “Primary antioxidants are enzymatic defenses such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and catalase (CAT). They act within the mitochondria, right at the point where ROS are produced. Their effectiveness depends not on external supplementation, but on the animal’s ability to produce them. This is where MELOFEED plays a key role. Derived from melon juice concentrate and protected by a unique coating, it stimulates the production of the primary antioxidant within the mitochondria.”
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