Amino acid and energy digestibility of conventional corn dried distillers grains with solubles, high protein distillers dried grains, and corn fermented protein, and impacts on turkey poult growth performance and intestinal characteristics

Amino acids (AA) are an expensive nutritional components of poultry diets. Distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) is the primary co-product produced by the dry grind bioethanol industry, although new technologies are being implemented to produce high protein distillers dried grains (HP-DDG) and corn fermented protein (CFP), but data on their nutritive value in poultry are lacking. Two experiments (EXP) were conducted to determine the energy and AA digestibility of DDGS, HP-DDG, and CFP in poults in addition to a feeding trial to evaluate increasing dietary levels of HP-DDG and CFP on growth performance and intestinal characteristics. In EXP 1, 6 different DDGS sources were evaluated using poults to determine their nitrogen-corrected apparent metabolizable energy (AMEn) concentrations, and cecectomized roosters were used to determine their standardized ileal (SID) AA digestibility (SID-AA). In EXP 2, AMEn and SID-AA for HP-DDG and CFP were determined in young poults, and a feeding trial was conducted to evaluate growth performance and intestinal morphology and permeability of poults fed diets containing 7.5 and 15% HP-DDG or CFP from 1 to 32 d of age. In EXP 1, the AMEn concentration among the DDGS samples ranged from 2,530 to 3,573 kcal/kg DM but was not different (P = 0.57) among the samples, with an average SID for LYS of 66.6%. In EXP 2, different (P = 0.001) AMEn concentrations for HP-DDG and CFP were observed (3,114 and 3,760 kcal/kg DM, respectively), with the SID for LYS being 66.55 and 77.00% for HP-DDG and CFP, respectively. Including HP-DDG or CFP into the diet at 7.5 and 15% had no effect (P > 0.05) on growth, feed intake, or feed conversion. Neither co-product nor its inclusion rate affected intestinal morphology and permeability (P > 0.05). Overall, DDGS, HP-DDG, and CFP are excellent sources of AMEn and digestible AA, with dietary inclusion rates of up to 15% of HP-DDG or CFP having no impact on growth or intestinal characteristics.

Distillers dried grains with soluble and enzyme inclusion in the diet effects broilers performance, intestinal health, and microbiota composition

This study tested the effect of distillers dried grains with soluble (DDGS) inclusion in a broiler diet, with or without supplementation of exogenous enzymes, on the microbiota composition, intestinal health, diet digestibility and performance. A total of 288 one-day-old chickens was assigned to 6 treatments (8 replicate of 6 birds each) according to a completely randomized design with a 3 × 2 factorial scheme with 3 DDGS levels (0, 7 and 14%) and 2 inclusions of exogenous enzymes (with or without a multicarbohydrase complex + phytase [MCPC]). The results exhibited that DDGS inclusion up to 14% did not impair broilers performance up to 28 d, however, DDGS-fed animals exhibited significant improvement with the MCPC supplementation. No effects of the enzymes in the ileal digestibility were found at 21 d. DDGS inclusion in the diet affected dry matter and gross energy digestibility. Broilers fed diets with MCPC were found to have less intestinal histological alteration thus better gut health. No effect of DDGS, enzyme or interaction of those were observed for intestinal permeability and in the serum inflammatory biomarker (calprotectin) at 7 and 28 d. The increase of DDGS percentage in the diet reduced the diversity of the ileal microbiota but increased the cecal microbiota diversity. The inclusion of DDGS showed positive effects on microbiota composition due to a reduction of Proteobacteria phylum in the ileum at 28d and a reduction in the presence of Enterococcaceae family in the ileum at 14 and 28d. The inclusion of MCPC complex might promote beneficial changes in the ileal and cecal microbiota due reduce of Proteobacteria, Bacillaceae and Enterobacteriaceae. The supplementation of xylanase, β-glucanase, arabinofuranosidase and phytase to a DDGS diet improves performance and intestinal health allowing the use of these subproduct in the poultry nutrition.

Prediction of fumonisins B1 and B2 in corn distiller's dried grains with solubles through near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy

BACKGROUND

Distiller's dried grains with solubles (DDGS) are coproducts of the biofuel industries that use corn as raw material. This cereal is commonly contaminated by mycotoxins, including fumonisins (FBs), which can pose a serious health threat to humans and animals. Corn DDGS are typically used as a protein-rich animal feed. As mycotoxins from the original cereal grains become concentrated in DDGS, mycotoxicological monitoring is highly required before their use as ingredient in the industry.

RESULTS

This work aimed to develop a methodology for predicting fumonisins B₁ (FB₁ ) and B₂ (FB₂ ) in corn DDGS using near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) technology associated with chemometric methods. One hundred and ninety corn DDGS samples originating from Brazilian ethanol plants and feed mills were included in this assessment. Two datasets were created: one for calibration (132 samples) and another for external validation (58 samples). Partial least squares regression and a cross-validation approach were applied to build the models. Liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry was used as the reference methodology. Calibration results of correlation coefficient and residual prediction deviation for FB₁ and FB₂ were, respectively, 0.90 and 0.88; and 2.16 and 2.06.

CONCLUSION

Values of the external validation dataset were compared and no statistical difference was found between groups, indicating a satisfactory predictive ability and confirming the potential of NIRS to predict fumonisins in corn DDGS. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Functional properties of Rhizopus oryzae strains isolated from agricultural soils as a potential probiotic for broiler feed fermentation

The most crucial and expensive fragment in the broiler chicken production industry is the feed. Because of the rising demand, finding a cheap and effective feed is an urgent necessity. Fermentation of broiler feed by probiotic fungal starters can enhance the nutrient's availability and digestibility while preventing pathogenic growth. In this study different Rhizopus spp. have been isolated from agricultural soils around Izmir, Turkey, and tested for their probiotic potential and fermentative capacity. The isolated Rhizopus strains first underwent microscopical fluorescent investigation to exclude endofungal bacterial presence, then, those without endofungal bacteria (totally 82) were tested for antimicrobial activity counter bacterial and fungal pathogens. The ones with wide-spectrum antimicrobial activity (totally 10) were tested for gastrointestinal tolerance and antioxidant ability. Upon phenotypic and genotypic identification, the 10 isolates were found to belong to Rhizopus oryzae species. While all 10 strains showed variable gastrointestinal tolerance and antioxidant activities, three of them (92/1, 236/2, and 284) had relatively high antioxidant activity. Upon fermentative capacity assay, compared to unfermented commercial feed, there was a general decrease in crude fiber content by 56% after fermentation by 92/1 isolate for 4 days and 236/2 isolate for 2 days. The highest increase in crude protein content (by 14.5%) occurred after a 4-day fermentation period by 236/2 isolate. The highest increase in metabolizable energy was 8.64%, by the 284 isolate after 2 days of fermentation. In conclusion, the three strains showed good probiotic properties and fermentative capacities hence can be beneficial for the poultry industry.

Occurrence and concentration of mycotoxins in maize dried distillers’ grains produced in Brazil

The presence of mycotoxins in dried distillers’ grains with solubles (DDGS), a by-product of bioethanol production from maize, has been a matter of concern due to the increasing global utilisation of this ingredient in animal feed. In this study, 186 samples of maize DDGS produced in Brazil were analysed for the presence of major mycotoxins: aflatoxins (B1, B2, G1, and G2), fumonisins (B1 and B2), zearalenone (ZEN), deoxynivalenol (DON) and ochratoxin A (OTA). Samples were provided by the local industry between January 2017 and October 2020, and mycotoxins were quantified by LC-MS/MS. More than 98% of the analysed samples were contaminated with mycotoxins, from which 59.9% had a single mycotoxin, 29.9% two mycotoxins, and 9.1% more than two mycotoxins. The most prevalent metabolites were fumonisin B1 and B2, being detected in 98.8% (mean 3,207 μg/kg) and 97.6% (mean 1,243 μg/kg) of the samples, respectively; aflatoxin B1 had the third highest positivity, with 32.3% (mean 1.47 μg/kg), followed by ZEN, with 18.01% (mean 18.2 μg/kg), DON, with 12.9% (mean 59.6 μg/kg), and OTA was not detected. Co-occurrence of total aflatoxins (AFT = aflatoxin B1+B2+G1+G2) and total fumonisins (FBT = fumonisin B1+B2) was observed in 32.07% of the samples analysed for these mycotoxins. Co-occurrence of AFT and ZEN was found in 7.84% of the samples analysed for such mycotoxins, while FBT and DON co-occurred at 13.01%. AFT, FBT, DON and ZEN co-occurred in only one sample (0.84%). Except for FBT, a considerable number of samples presented the evaluated mycotoxins below their respective limit of quantification (LOQ) with percentages of 67.61% for AFT, 81.99% for ZEN, 87.07% for DON and 100% for OTA. Since the production of bioethanol and its by-products is growing worldwide, including in Brazil, mycotoxicological monitoring of maize DDGS is crucial to identify the effects of mycotoxins occurrence in animal feed formulated with this ingredient.

Technical and economic potentials of the unconventional extruded dried Arabic bread wastes in broilers diets

Food waste is one of the major global challenges that have adverse socioeconomic and environmental impacts. Therefore, studying food waste utilization potentials and minimizing its negative consequences becomes imperative. This study aims to assess the technical and economic potentials of substituting corn with unconventional extruded dried Arabic Bread waste (EDABW) in broilers’ diets, in terms of broilers’ performance, carcass characteristic, economic net returns, and income over feed cost (IOFC). One hundred eighty unsexed one-day-old broiler birds of Ross breed were distributed randomly in six treatments (0, 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100% EDABW group) of isocaloric and isonitrogenous diets in a completely randomized design with six replicated (5 chicks/replicate). The investigated traits were broilers’ performance (live body weight, total feed intake, total feed conversion ratio, and total weight gain. Other traits such as carcass weight, abdominal fat, edible offal (liver, heart, and gizzard), eviscerated (breast muscles, drum and thigh muscles, and wings) were weighed and expressed based on a live body weight. Results showed that the 20% replacement level of corn with EDABW generated the highest increase in the live body weight and the eviscerated carcass at about 4.24% g and 4.90%, respectively. On the other hand, the economic analysis showed potential reductions in the broilers’ diet cost and the total broilers' production cost as the levels of corn substitution with by unconventional EDABW increased. The reductions were estimated at 5.1%, 6.3%, 8.4%, 9.3%, and 9.9% at substitution levels of 20%, 40%, 60%, 80%, and 100%, respectively as compared to the control diet. The results also showed a potential increase in the net economic returns of broiler meat as the increase in substitution levels ranged between 3.5–06.8% and 4.3–8.3% as compared to the control diets using the average retail and wholesale prices of broiler meats, respectively. In addition, the maximum IOFC was estimated potentially at a 20% substitution level of corn with EDABW. Conclusively, the study results show promising technical and economic potentials for unconventional EDABW in broilers’ diets that could lead to a thriving industry of unconventional broilers’ diets with high net economic returns and maximum IOFC.