| This content was originally published in Feedinfo Review's Autumn 2022 edition: New Thinking on Big Questions. Read the whole issue here. |
Organic acids and their derivatives can play an important role in gastrointestinal health in swine and poultry, and new information about their effects is being uncovered. Their antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activity is valuable for farmers in the absence of antibiotic growth promoters and in supporting a reduction in use of antibiotics for all purposes.
As Eastman’s Segment Marketing Manager for Animal Nutrition, Joao Barroso, explained to Feedinfo during a recent catch-up, the glycerol monoesters of these acids, or monoglycerides, have many benefits compared to free organic acids, including a higher potency against bacteria and pH-independent activity that can deliver their beneficial effects further down the GI (gastrointestinal) tract. Therefore, Eastman believes they should form part of an effective gut health strategy.
Below, Mr. Barroso and Luke Barnard, Eastman’s European Team Lead for Application Development and Technical Services, share the company’s ambitions for monoglycerides and organic acids in monogastric nutrition and talk us through the supporting science.
[Feedinfo] How is Eastman approaching the concept of gut health in animal nutrition differently than other players? What sets the company apart?
[Joao Barroso] We strongly believe organic acids and organic acid derivatives play a critical role in gut health and are focusing on providing robust solutions with these products. We have developed proprietary blends of organic acids and esterified organic acids to exploit the synergies between the different components and maximise the effect in the animal, focusing on key industry challenges such as weaning diarrhoea. We also have blends with plant bio-actives that provide additional benefits for specific needs.
We have a sophisticated production facility in Ávila, Spain, and significant formulation expertise, enabling us to offer great flexibility in the end application of our products. This allows us to further fine-tune our proven formulations and concepts to specific customer needs, both in solid and liquid forms, through feed and via drinking water applications.
We are focusing our investment on developing an in-depth understanding of the mode of action of our products. Using our network of research collaborations as well as in-house expertise we have been able to explore interesting parameters, from gene expression to histology, inflammation and stress markers and microbiology.
Furthermore, Eastman is vertically integrated, thus assuring security of supply in a marketplace full of uncertainty.
[Feedinfo] So, what should a robust organic acid strategy look like, and why should monoglycerides form part of this?
[Luke Barnard] Everything begins with the quality of the ingredients, good formulation strategy and excellent management. Once this is in place, organic acids can help, starting with ensuring raw material hygiene. This use of organic acid blends is prevalent in the market, and our Eastman AcitraTM and KeitexTM product lines are popular solutions here.
Inside the animal, organic acids are an effective way to acidify and tackle microbial challenges in the early part of the GI tract. To elicit their protective effect, they need to be in their undissociated form: this is where the pKA (dissociation constant) is lower than the pH of the environment. For most organic acids this only occurs in the acidic parts of the GI tract (i.e., in the early part). This is a fundamental step to reduce bacterial load of the feed and reduce the pH to help the animal digest nutrients, such as proteins.
Further down the GI tract, where the pH is higher, organic acids will be in their dissociated form, where their activity will be reduced. Monoglycerides are glycerol monoesters of organic acids, meaning that a glycerol molecule is covalently bound to an organic acid. As a result, no dissociation occurs, and they are not dependent on pH for their activity, meaning the monoglycerides can elicit their activity further into the GI tract. This chemical structure also means that monoglycerides interact directly with the cell membrane of bacterial cells which is different to the mode of action of organic acids. For the medium chain fatty acids, we see that the monoglycerides are more effective microbial modulators compared to straight organic acids as evidenced by differences in the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values between organic acids and monoglycerides.
Monoglycerides of different organic acids are present in the market and are proven to have many beneficial effects inside the animal, from microbial inhibition to managing the stress response of the animal, depending on the organic acid monoglyceride used.
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By utilising monoglycerides and organic acids simultaneously we can have beneficial effects throughout the GI tract of the animal. The synergies between these different molecules have been harnessed in our Eastman Entero-Nova™ product line.
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[Feedinfo] However, not all monoglycerides are created equal. What should be kept in mind when considering their application in formulations?
[Luke Barnard] As alluded to earlier, different monoglycerides have different effects. This depends on the chain length of the organic acid that has been esterified. Typically, we see differences in the activity of the short-chain monoglycerides and medium-chain monoglycerides. Monobutyrin is a special case, with interesting effects on stress markers and inflammatory markers documented in our own research.
Even within the medium chain fatty acid esters, when looking at the MIC values of monoglycerides of different chain lengths (C6-C10 vs. C12) different effects on gram-positive vs. gram-negative bacteria can be seen, with C6-C10 monoglycerides having greater impact on gram-negative and C12 having greater impact on gram-positive strains. This is thought to be due to the way the different monoglyceride chain lengths interact with the different bacterial membranes.
It is important to look at combinations of monoesters for maximum benefit. This is corroborated by a study by Batovska et. al. (2009) demonstrating the synergy between different monoglycerides on minimum inhibitory concentrations of different bacteria. There is still so much to discover about the effects of monoglycerides, which is what makes the field so exciting. However, with what we have already discovered we have been able to build some proprietary blends (Eastman Entero-NovaTM product line) which have been shown to be effective at supporting the growth of production animals.
[Feedinfo] A healthy gut can result in improved animal performance. What findings can you share with us on the impact that the inclusion of monoglycerides can have on performance indicators, like feed conversion or weight gain?
[Luke Barnard] Several published studies have demonstrated the power of monoglycerides on microbial management, as well as the benefits in managing inflammation and stress responses. As expected, these benefits also translate into improved animal performance. What is perhaps even more impressive is how the application of monoglycerides can maintain performance in the absence of compounds that have been historically common in animal diets, such as antibiotics and zinc oxide.
In one trial published by Zißler et al. (2017), it was shown that there was no significant difference between weaning pigs supplemented with zinc oxide and colistin and those supplemented with a proprietary blend of monoglycerides (Eastman Entero-NovaTM Bond 400) on either body weight gain or feed conversion ratio.
As pressure increases on producers to find new ways of feeding animals without the “old tools”, monoglycerides and their combinations are emerging as an interesting part of the solution.
[Feedinfo] With the acquisition of 3F, you now have one of the broadest ranges of monoglycerides and of organic acids. How are you helping customers navigate these portfolios successfully?
[Joao Barroso] Our wide range of available monoglycerides represent a major cornerstone of our offering. This broader selection allows us to really help our customers address their specific challenges and achieve their goals.
Our approach places the customer at the centre of our offering and considers their distinct set of needs, feeding strategies and limitations.
So, whether it is to tackle pathogen pressure or to improve general gut health, our dedicated technical service team can formulate the concept that best fits a customer’s individual challenges by combining various organic acid derivatives with different modes of action.
We believe monoglycerides and organic acids can play a critical role in every swine and poultry producer’s gut health toolbox.
Published in association with Eastman