CHESTERFIELD, MO (May 29, 2024) – Rajeev Murthy has joined NOVUS as the new senior director & managing director of Asia Pacific. Murthy will shape and steer the intelligent nutrition company’s strategy in this vital market.
“Rajeev comes to NOVUS with more than 25 years of industry experience,” says Sr. Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer Ed Galo. “Along with his positive track record for driving commercial success, employee engagement and talent development, we are confident in his ability to elevate our presence and enhance our strategic initiatives across the Asia Pacific region.”
Originally from Bangalore, India, Rajeev Murthy says luck brought him to the animal agriculture industry, but he’s made it his life’s career “for the difference one can make in improving access to healthy and safe protein.”
When it comes to supporting poultry, swine, and dairy producers in Asia Pacific, Murthy says customer profitability is key.
“For poultry, driving profitable growth while being mindful of changing customer needs where sustainability and antibiotic use are concerned is important,” he says. “For swine, we need to investigate ways to return to a profitable operation in a world that is still impacted by challenges resulting from African Swine Fever. With dairy, we can show how to drive efficiency in the operation.”
As part of NOVUS’ goals to deliver solutions closer to the customer, Murthy will be based out of the company’s office in Bangkok, Thailand.
Before joining NOVUS, Murthy held regional leadership roles at dsm-firmenich in its Animal Nutrition & Health business unit, and Eli Lilly & Company in the Elanco Animal Health division. He also served as CEO of the feed business for Godrej Agrovet Ltd., an Indian livestock and agribusiness company.
NOVUS is the intelligent nutrition company providing solutions for the global animal agriculture industry. The company’s portfolio includes bis-chelated organic trace minerals, enzymes, eubiotics and methionine solutions along with a network of experts worldwide to provide guidance on management best practices.
For information on how NOVUS is supporting producers, nutritionists and feed mills in Asia Pacific, visit novusint.com.
Feed efficiency is one of the main factors used for the improvement of chicken production. In addition, feed efficiency has an important economic impact on the competitiveness of the poultry sector. Another important feature in modern broiler farms is the correct management of diseases for maintaining productivity and economic viability.
Dr. Koushik De, Technical Services Director- SCA Novus International (Author)
The challenge of increased feed efficiency and potential health risks becomes essential to the survival of the intensive broiler production. The ban or limited use of antibiotic growth promoter in some regions of the world has forced the investigation of alternative products which can modulate the intestinal flora beyond the stomach barrier, obtaining comparable growth performance in the animal. Organic acids as well as aromatic compounds have been widely used as antimicrobials in food safety and as feed additives. An important quantity of studies in which the efficacy of organic acids in improving feed efficiency and growth have been clearly showed (Khan and Iqbal, 2016; Huyghebaert et al., 2011). The limiting factor in the use and efficacy of these compounds is the need to reach the intestine in order to exert their antibacterial activity, without being absorbed too rapidly after leaving the stomach.
Which organic acid to choose?
For feed decontamination, formic acid is given as the best antimicrobial organic acid. It is not the best choice for an intestinal microorganism target. The pKa value of formic acid is lower than 4; it is a small molecule and quickly metabolised. Benzoic acid has a pKa value of 4.2 and the phenolic part is an efficient damaging agent for the bacteria cell. Benzoic acid is a solid molecule and also less corrosive and safer to handle compared to formic, propionic or lactic acids. Figure 1 shows the minimum inhibitory concentrations of benzoic acid on different bacteria (not published data). As it is the general case for organic acids, gram-negative (i.e. E. coli, Salmonella) are much more inhibited than gram-positive bacteria.
Figure 1 – Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC in ppm) of benzoic acid against microorganisms isolated from animals.
Amongst the gram-positive bacteria, the “beneficial bacteria” (i.e. Lactobacillus spp.) is less sensitive to the antibacterial effects of benzoic acid. It has already been reported that benzoic acid plays an important role lowering numbers of many pathogenic bacteria as Campylobacter jejuni, Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella enterica (Giannenas et al, 2010).
Typically Benzoic acid is an organic acid that modify the intracellular pH of gut bacteria and shifts gut bacterial profile by creating an environment that minimize the proliferation of pathogenic bacteria (yousaf et al., 2016). Despite benefits of organic acids, a major constraint associated with organic acids is their rapid metabolism and absorption in the proximal parts of the gastrointestinal tract, which results in low concentrations in the distal parts. Thus, the mode of action for the bacteriostatic and bactericidal activities of free organic acids are questionable (Hume et al., 1993; Thompson and Hinton, 1997; Ricke, 2003; Van Immerseel et al., 2006; Goodarzi Boroojeni et al., 2014b).
Target release by encapsulation:
To reach antimicrobial concentrations in the distal intestine of poultry, it would be necessary to increase the level of organic acids dramatically in the feed, causing decreased feed intakes. Therefore, different attempts have been made to protect organic acids from dissociation and absorption in the proximal intestine by microencapsulating the active compounds in a matrix which would lead to releasing the active compounds in the distal parts of the gut (Yousaf et al, 2016). Novus has used a patented technology called Novus Premium Blend consisting of a protective vegetable fat matrix embedding the active substances which allows benzoic acid to be released slowly throughout the intestinal tract and modulating the gut microbiota.
AVIMATRIX® is a blend of nature identical flavoring compounds and preservatives processed by Novus Premium Blend Technology with a high Benzoic acid concentration. It has a stabilizing effect on gut microflora which offers cost effective performance enhancement. This encapsulation through Premium Blend Technology has shown the control release of Active Ingredients (AI) in the intestinal tract when compare with free Benzoic acid.
AVIMATRIX® has been shown to stimulates growth of Lactobacillus in the GIT, which increase lactate production. Lactate, as substrate, promotes growth of Clostridium clusters XIVa and IV. Clostridium cluster XIVa includes many known butyrate-producing bacteria. Butyrate is a preferred energy source for colonic epithelial cells and reported to improve growth performance, intestinal digestive and absorptive capacity. Clostridium cluster XIVa been reported to down-regulate bacteria virulence and gut inflammation.
L. reuteri stimulates the development of longer villi and significantly deeper crypts, specifically in the ileal region of the gut of young chicks. This enhanced ileal mucosal development caused by L. reuteri occurred in turkeys as well, and the effect was retained until the birds reached market age. AVIMATRIX® also has been shown to increase the ratio of Lactobacilli vs Escherichia spp throughout the intestinal tract and thereby positively alters the microbial balance of the GIT.
Conclusion:
Supplementing broiler diets with a protected benzoic acid (AVIMATRIX®) embedded in vegetable fat can positively impact the intestinal microflora by reducing coliform and clostridia counts in the gut and subsequently improve footpad health and litter condition. Because of effectuating an overall better gut health condition, this protected benzoic acid increases final bird weight and feed efficiency resulting in a considerable return on investment. The efficacy and consistency of results showed by the application of this product are related to both the mode of action of the active compound (benzoic acid) against intestinal pathogenic bacteria and its protection technology, which allows the active substances to be released throughout the entire bird’s intestinal tract. Thus, together with a proper farm management, this protected benzoic acid can be a powerful, cost-effective solution to manage intestinal health challenges and animal welfare ensuring a profitable poultry production.
The efficient conversion of feed into its basic components for optimal nutrient absorption is vital for both broiler and broiler breeder production and welfare. Gut health, an intricate and complex area combining nutrition, microbiology, immunology, and physiology, has a key role to play. When gut health is compromised, digestion and nutrient absorption are affected which, in turn, can have a detrimental effect on feed conversion leading to economic loss and a greater susceptibility to disease.
Dr. Koushik De, Technical Services Director- SCA Novus International
The industry has made huge efforts in recent years to develop solutions focusing on gut health. This is not only due to a direct link to improved feed efficiency and profitability, animal welfare or food safety, but also due to changes in consumer preferences and regulatory requirements.
When it comes to poultry gut health, coccidiosis and necrotic enteritis are major economic challenges, particularly when present in a subclinical form where symptoms may not be observable. Due to epithelial damage and inflammation, these subclinical infections reduce feed efficiency and result in an opportunity for potential pathogens.
Poultry trials challenged with Eimeria and Clostridium perfringens showed that NEXT ENHANCE® 150 feed additive – an encapsulated, highly concentrated blend of thymol with carvacrol – promotes healthy intestinal microbial flora, as well as supports gut barrier function, inflammation processes and immunity. NEXT ENHANCE® 150 has a positive effect in the reduction of coccidial faecal oocyst shedding and minimize damage to intestinal epithelium in infected birds . Use of NEXT ENHANCE® 150 for reduction in coccidial oocysts in excreta could lead to the development of new strategy for the prevention of avian coccidiosis.
Oocyst shedding/ gram feces
Coated essential oil blend – protected for better performance:
Where essential oils are concerned, thymol and carvacrol are scientifically well-documented compounds. Due to their phenolic structure (having a cyclic ring with a hydroxyl group attached) they are recognized as efficient compounds showing a variety of beneficial effects in the gut. NEXT ENHANCE® 150 (NE150) is a highly concentrated blend containing thymol and carvacrol protected by a unique coating. This ensures that the active ingredients are stable during pelleting and can ultimately result in a controlled release to the lower parts of the intestinal tract.
Multi-faceted approach:
Thymol and carvacrol are highly effective against a wide range of potential pathogens. In a variety of studies, NE150 has demonstrated its potential to establish a healthy microbial composition by promoting higher lactic acid-producing bacteria and reduce pathogenic species. An example of the antimicrobial effects in broilers is shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1: Reduction in caecal C. perfringens & Enterobacteriaceae 8 days post-challenge with Eimeria
In the study, an Eimeria challenge model was used, which typically increases the levels of C. perfringens. It is well known that C. perfringens is the causative agent for necrotic enteritis but requires other predisposing factors to become clinical or subclinical. The invasion of intestinal cells by the Eimeria parasite is seen as the major predisposing factor because it creates tissue damage and leakage of plasma proteins used by C. perfringens. Broilers, receiving NE150 showed lower levels of C. perfringens as well as lower levels of Enterobacteriaceae, a large family of pathogens including E. Coli or Salmonella. As a result, NE150 is shown to lower the risk of a bacterial overgrowth, which is key in the development of necrotic enteritis.
Biomarkers can be used to study the effect of protected thymol and carvacrol on intestinal integrity and gut barrier function. The stability of the tight junctions (a unique connection between cells), for example is linked to the amount of occludin, which increases the physical barrier function of the intestine. Under challenge conditions and during inflammation processes, occludin is known to be downregulated. A broiler study with C. perfringens challenge showed lower levels of occludin, which increased with the addition of NE150. This lowers the risk of pathogen translocation, or the uncontrolled transfer of different molecules from the lumen into the bloodstream. It has also been shown that broilers receiving NE150 under Eimeria or C. perfringens challenges showed significantly lower serum endotoxin levels, indicating improved mucosal barrier integrity. Adding NE150 to the ration has also shown increased villus height to crypt depth ratio, another well recognized marker for intestinal health. Macroscopic intestinal lesions are another relevant indicator of gut health. In Eimeria and C. perfringens challenge studies, these lesions were significantly reduced with NE150. Fewer intestinal lesions can result in a lower inflammation processes and can directly translate to performance improvements.
During a host-pathogenic infection, pro-inflammatory cytokines are released to activate the immune system. However, the inflammation needs to be controlled as a prolonged and persistent activation of pro-inflammatory cytokines can result in mucosal damage as well as impact the stability of tight junctions. The inflammation also consumes a lot of energy, which impacts performance. NE150 is shown to downregulate pro-inflammatory cytokines, which helps to protect intestinal barrier function and save energy. Conclusively, thymol and carvacrol lower the risk of performance depression and intestinal damage caused by inflammation.
Thymol and carvacrol are also known to have anti-oxidative capacities due to their chemical structure. To understand how NE150 could benefit broilers’ oxidative status, a study was done measuring various biomarkers, such as super oxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px). These enzymes are responsible for the conversion of reactive oxygen species (ROS) to harmless substances. ROS are a result of normal metabolism but are toxic to the organism and increase significantly during an infection or stress. It was shown that both enzymes increased (Figure 2) when NE150 was added to the diet. As a result, the malondialdehyde levels, a marker for lipid peroxidation, were significantly reduced in broilers. NE150 can therefore, directly and indirectly, help to maintain a balance between ROS and the defense system, which lowers the risk of tissue and cell damage as well as performance losses.
Figure 2: Improved antioxidant status
Consistent performance improvement
With its broad impact on gut health it is not surprising that broilers receiving NE150 show a consistent improvement in feed conversion ratio with an average of 3.7% when used at the recommended dosage rate. In addition, NE150 can be used in feeding programs to support the birds under coccidiosis, necrotic enteritis or gut health challenges to help alleviate negative effects on the animals.
This array of trials shows that producers can use NE150 in their strategy to improve feed conversion ratio, thereby reducing production cost efficiently and increasing the profitability of commercial broiler productions.
Enzymes increase nutrients available in feed ingredients. Since enzymes are substrate specific, the benefit of the enzyme in the diet is dependent on the mix of raw materials and the amount of substrate available.
Dr. Koushik De, Director-Technical Services, SCA Novus International
Assessment of added value of enzymes isn’t simple. The most accurate method is to use in vivo techniques with animals consuming semi-purified diets. Using this method, the direct effect of an enzyme can be understood for each raw material. As this method is expensive and not available to do it for everybody, the matrix approach based on nutrients contribution values given by the supplier has been widely adopted to evaluate an enzyme.
Using a set of nutrient matrix values for an enzyme is a practical approach and providing unique matrix values to a given enzyme ensures it can be applied simply to any kind of diet, regardless of the raw materials or the amount of substrate. This approach has been easy to adopt in practical formulations but has consistently demonstrated enzymes failing to meet expectations. These failures have been due to the lack of or an excess of substrate, and/or over-formulation.
When evaluating enzymes, a few concepts need to be made clear:
Substrate: the specific substance on which an enzyme act
Enzyme Effect: nutrients that a given enzyme will make available due to the direct enzymatic effect and the additional benefits accrued by the reduction of the substrate in the diet
Avoid over-formulation: enzymes need “nutritional space” to express and thus diets need to be near the deficiency point to make a good estimation of the enzyme’s potential.
Trials for evaluating enzymes
The test of an enzyme requires being aggressive in the formulation and pushing the limits. Under-performing chickens will help provide a better evaluation of the enzymes and understand how accurate the formulation is.
Challenge Model: In this model, the diet with significant reduction of nutrients, that the enzyme will liberate and make available to the birds, needs to be formulated. Different enzymes can then be added on top.
Table 1: Challenge Model-Protease-10% reduction of the CP & AA from the specifications.
Objectives of the trial:
“AA room” is created for enzymes to show their potential.
Each supplier has different recommendations of how proteases affect the feed. This trial allows simplifying the comparison.
Proteases can’t increase the AA digestibility 10% linearly. As a result, the AA ratio will be unbalanced and subsequently the performance of negative control as well as treatments will be lower than that of the control group.
The most aggressive protease will have the best performance compared to T2.
If any of the enzyme groups shows the same performance as the control group (T1), it signals some over formulation as no protease can increase 10% linearly on all the AA.
Response Model:
The model is a variation of the ‘Challenge model’ discussed in the previous section. In this model, two control diets will be used; the current diet (this group is optional if there aren’t enough treatments) and a diet group with anywhere between 5% to 10% lower AA specifications. The control 2 specifications will be used for the treatment groups. There will be a reformulation following the matrix value recommendation of each protease supplier.
Table 2: Response Model – Diet reformulation
Objectives of the trial:
Having T1 compared to T2 will assist in acknowledging any over-formulation or amino acid imbalance.
Having lower specifications in AA and CP creates enough space for the enzyme to express to potential.
This design allows each supplier to give their ideal recommendations.
If the enzyme recommendation is too aggressive, the enzyme group will clearly show lower performance than T2 as long as there is a gap of performance between T1 and T2.
If the enzyme recommendation is conservative and the enzyme can deliver additional benefits it will be reflected in greater performance than T2 as long as there is a gap of performance between T1 and T2.
As global animal production has rapidly shifted towards reduced Antibiotic free, “Gut health” has become a popular expression and all-encompassing concept in the scientific community. The gastro-intestinal tract must provide a barrier function protecting against harmful environmental elements (e.g. toxins and pathogenic microbes), while simultaneously permitting appropriate nutrient absorption. Successful animal performance depends on the interplay between the intestine, microbiota, diet, and a multitude of environmental factors.
Dr. Koushik De, Director-Technical Services, SCA Novus International
The shift to antibiotic free production or better gut health often results in the increase of soybean meal inclusion as there are limited in the number of efficacious protein sources that successfully reduce soybean meal content. Soybean meal is the most widely used major protein source in poultry production across the world. However, SBM contains various anti-nutritional factors that may affect intestinal homeostasis and impair nutrient utilization in poultry. The main anti-nutritional factors in SBM, are trypsin inhibitors (TI), oligosaccharides, such as raffinose and stachyose, and the antigen Glycinin, β-conglycinin and Lectins. Diets that include high levels of soybean meal contain proportionally higher anti-nutritional factors and may pose the risk of impaired performance.
Chen et al. (2016) analyzed the content of TI and Urease Activity (UA) in more than 1000 samples of SBM from all over the world and observed a high degree of variability in the reported ANF values, both within the same country and amongst different origins.
The levels of trypsin inhibitor (TI) of solvent-extracted soybean meal samples from different countries and world areas.
Chen et. al., The Journal of the American Oil Chemists’ Society, 2020
The elevated variability and its potential negative impact on performance highlights the importance of knowing the content of anti-nutritional factors in SBM for poultry formulations.
In this article, we will review mainly the role of Trypsin Inhibitors (TI) in broilers.
Why Should we care about TI?
Trypsin and chymotrypsin are important digestive enzymes that are secreted by the pancreas as the inactive enzyme precursors trypsinogen and chymotrypsinogen. Trypsin activates itself via positive feedback and converts chymotrypsinogen and other inactive enzymes into their active forms. As Tis are protein in nature and one of the most anti nutritional components of SBM, they compete to bind to trypsin therefore affecting the digestion process. They have been correlated with rapid feed passage and decrease in digestibility of broilers with a relevant economic impact. The analysis is still more expensive, complex and time consuming for TI, for this reason, other parameters are commercially used as indirect SBM quality indicators, such as Urease activity and Protein solubility.
There are two types of TI present in Soya, Kunitz TI which is larger molecule & Bowman-Birk TI which is smaller molecule. But soyabean seed contain around 14% more Bowman Birk TI than Kunitz TI.
Consequence of TI for Soya Bean and bird performance:
Excessive quantities of TI in feed will cause pancreatic hypertrophy leading to poor growth and decreased performance (Pacheco et al. 2014; García-Rebollar et al. 2016; Rada et al. 2017). This pancreatic hypertrophy is a compensatory modulation by the body to offset the effect of ingested trypsin inhibitors (Liener 1981; Waldroup et al. 1985).
Linear increase in pancreas size with increasing TI content in SB
Erdaw et al., 2018: “Anti-nutrients Reduce Poultry Productivity: Influence of Trypsin Inhibitors on pancreas”
TI also affect the nutritive value of SBM. Because of loss of endogenous protein there is reduced digestion which affects the nitrogen balance, gut viscosity resulting into reduced live weight and negative impact on feed efficiency. Palliyeguru et al. (2011) demonstrated dietary soya TI elicited an increased severity of sub-clinical necrotic enteritis. When amino acid digestibility is compromised, the ileal ingesta will have a relatively high content of undigested amino acids that pass into the large intestine and cecal tonsils, where microbial fermentation will occur. C. perfringens, a pathogenic agent of necrotic enteritis, needs specific amino acids and peptides for its proliferation (Nakamura et al., 1968).
Using the Data from the simulation conducted by Havenstein et al.(2003) with “1957” broilers versus ‘2001” broiler it is possible to estimate the TI intake of the “1957” birds fed 1957 diets and compare it with the estimate of TI intake by the “2001” birds fed 2001 diets.
Because of improvement of modern broilers in terms of average feed intake and body weight they consume more than three times TI than 1957 birds considering the same amount of TI in SBM.
The effects of TIA are particularly strong in young animals. It has been shown that overcooking of soybean meal decreases digestibility of amino acids (Lee and Garlich, 1992; Parsons et al., 1992). The explanation for the decreased amino acid digestibility and reduced growth responses appear to be related to the Maillard reaction with cross-linking involved to a lesser extent.
Correlation of TI (AOAC) & indirect Parameters for SBM quality:
Currently, the analytical technique most commonly used to measure soybean meal quality is protein solubility, perhaps combined with the urease test. The urease test has been used for some time as a measure of soybean meal processing. Trypsin inhibitors (TI) and urease activity (UA) are the two most relevant quality measurements for soybean products as feed ingredients for animals. TI were reported to be correlated with UA, so feed processing plants use UA as an indicator of TI in soybean meal (SBM). Chen et.al (2019) conducted a study to determine the levels of TI and UA in 414 SBM samples from 19 different countries and to validate whether TI and UA are correlated. They found that TI were poorly correlated with UA in solvent extracted SBM samples, suggesting that UA should not be used as a surrogate indicator for TI content in soybean products.
Araujo et al (2019) conducted similar study to determine the correlation of TI and KOH Protein Solubility.
How to deal with TI in SBM?
Soybean meal (SBM) is the most important source of dietary protein for poultry. Although TI is reduced by heat treatment, overheating has a negative impact on protein quality and amino acid digestibility. Exogenous Protease enzymes can improve digestibility of feedstuffs, lower feed costs and improve animal performance. Proteases improve animal performance and nutrient digestibility by decreasing digesta viscosity, improving endogenous enzyme activity and decreasing pancreas weight (Bedford and Classen, 1993; Bedford and Schulze, 1998; Erdaw et al., 2017a,b; Yan et al., 2017).
As mentioned earlier the determination in the laboratory of the TI content of SBM and its relationship with AA availability is tedious and time-consuming and provides inconsistent results. Also, the traditional processes of treating SBM can’t remove the anti-nutritional factors to a safe level. Therefore, use of exogenous protease is very effective in reducing the deleterious effect of TI in SBM. Liu et al., in 2013 conducted a study wherein they used a protease enzyme (Cibenza EP150) with different levels of TI and found that protease enzyme was able to destroy almost all trypsin inhibitors (both Bowman-Birk & Kunitz TI) present in soyabean meal (at 1:1 ratio) and destroy substancially even in higher concentración (2:1) of TI as well.
CIBENZA® EP150 can destroy almost all trypsin inhibitors present in soyabean meal (at 1:1 ratio) and destroy substantially even in higher concentración (2:1) of TI as well
Wedekind et al., in 2020 showed that addition of exogenous protease (Cibenza EP150) in a diet containing FFS(with TI 8.15mg/g) improved the amino acid digestibility and at the same time reduce the pancreas weight also indicating a potential amelioration of the negative effect of TI from FFS.
Wedekind et al., 2020
Conclusion:
There are lot of scientific evidences on the negative effect of soybean trypsin inhibitors in chickens. They can not only adversely affect the productive performance of chickens but can also impair their intestinal health. The beneficial responses of protease are likely due to decreases in endogenous amino acid losses, but in vitro evidence also demonstrates the ability of protease to hydrolyze Bowman-Birk and Kunitz-trypsin inhibitor proteins. Thus, there might be both direct and indirect mechanisms whereby amino acid digestibility is improved with proteases and so is the bird’s performances.
