AMENA Insights: Science sheds light on power of multi-component protease
October 25, 2023
Big advantages to transform success for poultry and swine farmers in Latin America & globally
Puerto Vallarta, MEXICO – A new opportunity for poultry and swine farmers to dramatically improve production and sustainability at reduced cost was featured at the Mexican Association of Animal Nutrition Specialists (AMENA) conference in Puerto Vallarta.
Research presented at the conference showed that supplementing diets with multi-component protease (MCP) offers strong advantages to produce more from less feed – transforming performance, health and profitability.
The findings showcase a major opportunity not only for Latin America production but for poultry and swine farmers globally, says Dr. Jorge Perez Palencia, Research Associate at South Dakota State University. “Our findings reinforce that it makes sense to supplement monogastric diets with protease. But even more importantly, for the best results, it is critical to use a multi-component protease.”
The potential for animal agriculture is significant, he says. “MCP provides a solution to address the rising cost of feed, which today is one of the biggest challenges for livestock farmers, the feed industry and animal nutrition worldwide.”
Feed can account for up to 70 percent of total production expenses, he notes. In recent years the cost of feed has peaked further due to a range of factors including supply challenges, market volatility and – particularly for developing markets such as Latin America – more limited economical choices in protein sourcing.
In Latin America, many farms have not yet started supplementing with any protease, let alone MCP, he notes. “If we can increase adoption of not only protease supplementation but specifically MCP supplementation, this will allow Latin America farmers to quickly improve the economics of production.”
The research results presented by Palencia at AMENA makes a strong case not only for protease supplementation but for the specific type of MCP available today that can be most effective.
The SDSU research was conducted in collaboration with CBS Bio Platforms, a leading science-based and innovation-focused company in the animal feed industry.
The MCP studies were conducted utilizing the latest generation MCP from CBS, commercially available as ProSparity. CBS has long partnered with leading research institutions – including SDSU and others – to promote student development and advance industry and farmer knowledge on novel feed technologies.
“The MCP used in our studies represents the latest science for this technology,” says Palencia. “It is designed with protease enzyme strains chosen based on their specificity to the substrates that need to be addressed across both common and alternative protein options.”
Research has shown that dietary proteins are diverse, he notes. “This is why a broad-spectrum MCP is required to get a full breakdown and utilization by the animals.” The MCP evaluated in the research also works well in conjunction with other enzymes, for example phytase and NSPase.
Among the recent research results cited, Palencia discussed a Free Amino Nitrogen (FAN) assay that evaluated MCP impact on protein hydrolysis. The study found a substantial increase of amino acids and small peptides (FAN) as an indicator for protein hydrolysis (digestion) – confirming and estimated strong MCP efficacy over a wide range of feedstuffs.
Specific tests of efficacy with soybean meal, feather meal, and corn DDGS all showed significantly higher activity with the ProSparity MCP compared to three different single-component protease products. Researchers concluded MCP has efficacy to improve protein digestibility and growth performance in monogastric animals.
In addition, further research shows MCP can also aid in Trypsin Inhibitor (TI) inactivation. Exposure to TI, which can undermine feed quality and animal health, is a risk when utilizing alternative soybean ingredients.
“Our results showed MCP has potential to significantly help with this issue, as specific proteases in the solution show ability to enzymatically inactivate TIs,” Testing across different feedstuffs showed significantly higher TI inactivation activity with the ProSparity MCP compared to the single-component protease products.
Lastly, Palancia reviewed a number of landmark poultry and swine studies from recent years that have confirmed MCP advantages for a range of production systems and feeding strategies. Benefits confirmed ranged across feed efficiency, digestibility, and animal health, with MCP out-performing control and single-component protease options.
“Across studies, we have found that supplementing MCP consistently improved poultry and swine production performance,” says Palencia. He also noted the beneficial effects of MCP supplementation extended beyond performance to animal health, via improvements in nutrient availability and antioxidant capacity along with factors influencing improved gut health and reduced immune-drag.
“Our review of the science shows MCP is a formidable tool to help farmers produce more with less feed, while taking poultry and swine production to the next level.”
Farmers and industry can contact CBS directly for more detailed data and technical information. More information on CBS Feed Science Platforms (FSPs) is available at fsp.cbsbioplatforms.com and complete CBS Bio Platforms information is available at www.cbsbioplatforms.com.
