Performance and profitability are often the primary reasons for utilizing feed enzymes, as the direct result of enhanced feed digestion is the increased availability of nutrients like phosphorous, carbohydrates and amino acids and, therefore, an increase in available energy as well. However, feed enzymes also allow for the use of a broader range of feedstuffs that can offer flexibility in the formulation of the diet by using non-conventional sources or alternative raw materials.
Kyle McKinney Global Program Director Alltech Enzyme Management Platform
Enzymes, which are essential for life, serve a wide range of functions and are especially important to the feed industry, thanks to their ability to break down nutrients. Enzymes are naturally occurring catalysts that speed up the rate of most chemical reactions that take place within cells. Enzymes typically appear in the form of secondary or tertiary (i.e., three-dimensional) structures. In some instances, multiple tertiary units join together to increase specificity and/or allow for detailed regulatory control of the catalytic reaction. This unique structure can be negatively affected by environmental conditions, such as variations in temperature and pH, which will keep the enzyme from being fully effective.
Enzymes play a key role in the animal’s digestive process. Although digestive enzymes are produced by the animal itself — or by naturally occurring microbial organisms in the animal’s digestive system — producers have also used exogenous feed enzymes for nutrient utilization and improved performance in animal feed for many years. Using poultry as an example, feed substrates and enzymes can generally be thought of in three ways: first, naturally produced/endogenous enzymes in the digestive tract for the in-situ liberation of nutrients from feed components, such as starches, proteins and lipids; second, exogenous enzymes not native to the animal’s digestive system that act on recalcitrant substrates that are not easily digested but that could potentially be utilized as nutrients, such as the glucose in cellulose; and third, exogenous enzymes not produced by the animal’s digestive system that could act on difficult-to-digest substrates, as well as where there are anti-nutritive effects, due to compounds such as β-glucans, xylans and phytate.
Performance and profitability are often the primary reasons for utilizing feed enzymes, as the direct result of enhanced feed digestion is the increased availability of nutrients like phosphorous, carbohydrates and amino acids and, therefore, an increase in available energy as well. However, feed enzymes also allow for the use of a broader range of feedstuffs that can offer flexibility in the formulation of the diet by using non-conventional sources or alternative raw materials. These alternative sources are a direct result of the growing demand for corn and wheat. The increased demand for grains has also increased their value, leading feed producers to look for alternative feedstuffs to reduce costs. Non-conventional dietary sources, however, might not be as readily digestible, because the animal may lack the necessary endogenous digestive enzymes and, therefore, will glean less nutrition from the feed. The utilization of exogenous enzymes to make the feed more digestible increases the nutritional value of these non-conventional feed sources for the animal.
“Over the past 20 years, the use of exogenous enzymes in the animal feed sector has grown and developed dramatically. The global market for feed enzymes is estimated to be more than US$1 billion and is expected to grow by another 8% over the next five years.”
Over the past 20 years, the use of exogenous enzymes in the animal feed sector has grown and developed dramatically. The global market for feed enzymes is estimated to be more than US$1 billion and is expected to grow by another 8% over the next five years. Phytase currently holds the largest market share; however, the use of proteases and NSP enzymes, such as xylanase, has accelerated to such an extent that they are now included in over 57% of monogastric diets. The poultry industry has been the largest user of feed enzymes, followed by the swine and aquaculture industries.
Ravindran (2013) and Barletta (2011) noted that early research studying enzymes in poultry diets was already taking place in the 1920s. The R&D evolution continued through the 50s and 60s, when barley diets were commonly fed, and the research showed that enzymes improved poultry animal performance. During the 80s and 90s, a better understanding of NSPs in fiber and their impact on animal performance became a focus of the research, and the use of xylanase also became prevalent. During the late 90s, the use of phytase became standard practice. Currently, in terms of the feed penetration of phytase and carbohydrase enzymes such as xylanase, the feed-enzyme sector is a mature market. The benefits of providing exogenous enzymes in the feed include the degradation of anti-nutritional factors, the enabled use of lower-cost feed ingredients, and improved feed conversion and animal performance — but in order to get the most out of your animal’s diet, it is important that you choose the right feed enzyme to meet your needs.
How to improve animal and feed performance with feed innovation
The concept of scientific innovation is critical for the future of protein production. Currently, the greatest needs in the feed industry are to improve animal performance characteristics (e.g., feed-to-weight-gain ratios, smart feed for more nutritious animal products); to minimize costs (e.g., less expensive base ingredients); and to maximize feed production efficiencies (e.g., ingredients and processes, including solid state fermentation [SSF], that allow for faster production). While traditional feedstuffs continue to be used at high rates, new and novel feedstuffs are now routinely implemented into animal diet formulations. A range of innovative applications are being used to optimize and assess the continued development of efficient and sustainable advances. New technologies, such as nutrigenomics, reveal the relationship between feed nutrients and gene expression. Nutrigenomics will allow the industry to identify feeds that can help animals reach their genetic potential by directly impacting the genes responsible for growth rate, meat quality and disease prevention.
Another technology that will allow for the prompt characterization of the nutritional value of raw feed materials is in vitro digestion modelling. These models, which can be used for both poultry and swine, provide real-time decision-making options to maximize feed usage while also improving animal production.
A third area of feed innovation involves providing supplemental feed that contains exogenous enzymes that aid in the digestion of potentially recalcitrant nutrient sources. These enzymes, which typically originate from microbes, must be produced economically to be suitable for use while remaining both efficient and stable. A proven means of production for exogenous digestive enzymes is solid state fermentation (SSF), which has been shown to improve feedstuffs through the growth of microorganisms directly on the feedstuff. The SSF process also allows for custom enzyme production, which enables the use of not only the typical feed components but also new feedstuffs by improving digestibility. Some feed enzymes break down fiber, thereby releasing nutrients that are typically unavailable to the animal, which helps further improve animal performance.
Feed industry innovations — such as SSF enzyme technology, along with in vitro digestion modelling — are key for the evaluation and further improvement of the performance of both the animal and the feed.
About Dr. Kyle McKinney Dr. Kyle McKinney leads the Alltech Enzyme Management global platform that is focused on feed efficiency. Animal performance is dependent on feed performance, and regardless of the type of diet, getting the most from the feed is vital for the success of an operation. A technology known as solid state fermentation allows for the use of alternative raw materials, increasing nutrient availability, maintaining gastrointestinal integrity and reducing feed cost. The platform drives enzyme technology to provide innovative solutions for producers. Previously, McKinney worked for three years in Costa Rica. The project focused on utilizing the Alltech Crop Science portfolio to control disease and reduce chemical applications. It has also allowed the team located there to establish a fermentation lab to evaluate more sustainable microbial solutions for disease control. He also worked with the Alltech applications research program for more than a decade and was part of Alltech’s Farm of the Future project from 2007 to 2008. Additionally, he and his team designed Alltech True Check™, an in vitro digestion system developed to evaluate diets and the impacts of feed technology in monogastric animals. McKinney received his bachelor’s degree in agricultural biotechnology from the University of Kentucky, his master’s degree in brewing and distilling fermentation technology from Heriot-Watt University in Scotland and his Ph.D. in agricultural biotechnology, which focused on the development of microbial fermentation systems to produce complex enzymes to improve monogastric feed and nutrition, from Harper Adams University.
The concept of scientific innovation is critical for the future of protein production. Currently, the greatest needs in the feed industry are to improve animal performance characteristics (e.g., feed-to-weight-gain ratios, smart feed for more nutritious animal products); to minimize costs (e.g., less expensive base ingredients); and to maximize feed production efficiencies (e.g., ingredients and processes, including solid state fermentation [SSF], that allow for faster production). While traditional feedstuffs continue to be used at high rates, new and novel feedstuffs are now routinely implemented into animal diet formulations. A range of innovative applications are being used to optimize and assess the continued development of efficient and sustainable advances. New technologies, such as nutrigenomics, reveal the relationship between feed nutrients and gene expression. Nutrigenomics will allow the industry to identify feeds that can help animals reach their genetic potential by directly impacting the genes responsible for growth rate, meat quality and disease prevention.
