27 October 2022 – As livestock farmers move away from the use of antibiotic growth promotors (AGPs) and adopt “no antibiotics ever” or “antibiotics free” production, the market has responded with a number of alternative strategies to help them protect the health and productivity of their herds and flocks.
However, according to Belgian oleochemicals company Oleon, this has resulted in a busy marketplace where some AGP alternatives might not be attracting that much attention and are unfortunately flying under the radar in certain regions of the world. Glycerol monolaurate, or monolaurin, it believes, is one of these solutions that could be of great help in the post-AGP era but has yet to be widely adopted. Although having proven antimicrobial properties, the company sees the industry as not always being familiar with the use and the potential benefit this ingredient can have on gut health and overall sustainability of animal production.
In this Industry Perspectives we are joined by the company’s Application Manager Karen Baert, who shares with us how Oleon’s Radiamuls® glycerol monolaurate range can help monogastric producers safeguard their animals against common bacteria of concern and support animal productivity and health. And with Belgium being home to one of its key glycerol monolaurate production sites, we also catch up with Oleon’s Global Supply Chain Director, James de Caluwé, on how the company is planning to navigate the European energy crisis and its plans for improving operational sustainability and energy efficiency in the future.
[Feedinfo] Can you tell us a bit more about glycerol monolaurate and its potential as an antimicrobial agent in monogastrics. What is the science here?
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[Karen Baert] Glycerol monolaurate, also called monolaurin, is an ester formed by the reaction of glycerol and lauric acid. Both raw materials are derived from vegetable oils making the product plant based. Over the past few years, there has been progress made in evaluating the performance of short and medium chain monoglycerides as functional ingredients. The antimicrobial activity of fatty acids and their esters is mainly linked to the disruption of phospholipid membrane surrounding membrane-enclosed pathogens, like bacteria and several viruses. The reason why monoglycerides are typically more biologically potent than their respective fatty acids is linked to the higher pKa-value and lower critical micelle concentration of monoglycerides. |
Monoglycerides remain non-ionic across physiologically relevant pH conditions while fatty acids are anionic at neutral pH and non-ionic in acidic pH.
In addition, monolaurin exhibits immunomodulatory properties by working both on the cell signalling pathways of immune cells and pro-inflammatory cytokine production by altering the dynamic ordered and disordered lipid regions in the T cell plasma membrane. The reduced loss of proteins and energy during these latter processes could be beneficially used for an increased growth.
[Feedinfo] So how common is its application currently? Is the industry adequately aware of its potential in the absence of AGPs? Or are you seeing a gap in that knowledge?
[Karen Baert] An increasing number of countries are putting legislative bans on growth-promoting antibiotics. However, monolaurin remains quite unknown in certain geographical regions due to a wide variety of AGP-alternatives being offered on the market. Nevertheless, it is a natural ingredient that can alone, or in combination with other AGP-alternatives, be a powerful partner in supporting an animal’s performance.
[Feedino] What can you share with us on the efficacy of Oleon’s Radiamuls® monolaurin products on common bacteria of concern in monogastrics, like Streptococcus suis, E. coli, Salmonella, Clostridium perfringens, etc.?
[Karen Baert] Oleon offers different grades of monolaurin with variable monoglycerides content. Results from MIC (minimum inhibitory concentration) testing show that monolaurin is very potent against gram-positive bacteria like Enterococcus hirae, Streptococcus suis, Clostridium perfringens and Staphylococcus aureus. We observed a trend that increasing levels of monoglycerides result in decreasing MIC results, indicating that the antibacterial properties are linked to the ratio of mono-, di-, and triglycerides present in the product.
Next to this, results from an initial broiler trial showed reduced mortality and pododermatitis, indicating that the overall health status of the chicken could be improved and adding to its potential as an AGP alternative.
[Feedinfo] Of course, Oleon is not the only player in monolaurin. So, what sets the company apart in this space? How does its offering stand out?
[Karen Baert] First of all Oleon has the technical knowledge and assets to produce the right quality of monolaurin. The product specific conditioning and post-treatment of the product delivers a monolaurin with excellent free flowing properties, an important quality requirement for further processing of the product.
Secondly, our global presence, with two GMP+ certified production sites in different geographical regions, enables us to shorten the supply chain towards our customers and react to short-term market needs.
[Feedinfo] Considering the energy crisis Europe is facing, and that one of your key monolaurin production sites is located in Belgium, what is Oleon investigating to lessen the potential impact on product price?
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[James de Caluwé] This question covers two separate issues: the risk of gas supply disruptions following the reduced supply of Russian gas and the increased price for energy. Considering that the production of monolaurin is a thermal process, access to a combustible energy source is vital. In the past Oleon used to rely on liquid fuels for this production process, but we have since switched all our production facilities over to natural gas due to the environmental concerns and negative impacts liquid fuels can have, such as soot, sulphur and nitroxide emissions. Being energy efficient is key to being environmentally conscious. And that means that any gas that is not used for non-production purposes, (e.g., office heating,.) offers the best way to for us to reduce our carbon footprint. |
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But this is not all we are aiming for. The level of efficiency we have achieved today is certainly not our final ambition as we want to reduce our CO2 emissions by 30% by 2030 compared to 2019, covering scope 1, 2 and 3 (Scope 1 being emissions generated by us at our production sites, Scope 2 being emissions generated offsite to power our production sites, and Scope 3 being emissions generated by our supply chains). This quest to reduce energy use requires out-of-the-box thinking. For example, Oleon is investing in enzyme-based chemical processes which will allow us to convert products at temperatures below 100°C, which is lower than our current conversion process.
Oleon is also capable of producing monolaurin at two of our production sites – inside and outside Europe. So, in case there is an acute supply risk of natural gas at any of our locations, we have the necessary flexibility to continue serving our key customers.
The second issue, regarding the cost, is continuously monitored. As Oleon is close to the energy market –through our shareholder Avril, the leading biodiesel producer in France – we are using every tool at our disposal to minimise our exposure. However, considering the length and severity of the current disruption in the energy market, Oleon will be affected like most actors in the industry. Oleon maintains an open and transparent line of communication with its customers regarding any price implications resulting from this crisis and are looking for ways to minimise the impact it has on them.
[Feedinfo] What about renewable energies? Is this something that you are thinking about for your production sites? And if so, are there any specific solutions you are investigating? And when are you looking to have these solutions implemented?
[James de Caluwé] Oleon is investigating the development of assets for renewable energy production. And this concerns the two main energy sources that are applicable to our business: electricity and gas.
We are currently collaborating with a specialised partner on the production of renewable electricity. This is a long-term commitment that allows, on the one hand, for our partner to generate the necessary return on the investment made in wind or solar, and on the other hand, gives Oleon exclusive access to renewable energy, further adding to our ambition to reduce CO2 emissions by 30%. We are looking to have this infrastructure in place by 2025.
In terms of green, renewable gas, the assets are much more limited. Nonetheless, we are moving forward with identifying a partner that can provide us with either biomethane or green hydrogen. This market is very exciting at the moment with a series of very promising initiatives.
When it comes to renewable energies, Oleon wants to be a frontrunner in this domain too and further strengthen our commitment to our core ethos of “A Natural Chemistry”.
Published in association with Oleon
