Enzymes play a crucial role in animals’ digestion of feed components. External enzymes added directly to animal feed act as supplements to the normal digestive enzymes found naturally in animals. The external enzymes help break down the raw feed materials present in animals’ digestive tracts, functioning as an extension of their own digestive systems. This is especially important for young monogastric animals whose digestive tracts have not fully matured.

Many cereals have a portion of energy content locked up in the form of non-starch polysaccharides (NSP), more commonly known as fiber. It is the energy that monogastric animals are unable to use. However, specific carbohydrases can be added to the feed to aid in breaking down NSP. By removing the NSP, the starch and protein molecules that have been masked by the cereal’s cell structure are free to be utilized by the animal, leading to more efficient energy and protein utilization.

In some cereals much of the NSP is soluble, causing high viscosity in the small intestines of monogastric animals. This in turn causes the animals’ digestion to become impaired. But by using selected microbial enzymes to help break down the NSP, viscosity in the animals’ intestines is lowered, enhancing the digestion of the animal feed.

Many vegetable protein sources, such as soybean meal, also contain NSP. As with cereal, the addition of selected microbial enzymes can be used to break down the NSP, making the protein more available to animals. Energy from the legumes can also be metabolized much more efficiently using the correct combination of carbohydrases and proteases. Thus, by adding external enzymes to animal feed, its utilization can often be enhanced.

With Dyadic’s novel ability to screen for and produce new proteins, innovative uses for enzymes in the animal feed industry are limitless. (More at Technology Platform)