Deliverable D1.4 Characterisation and evaluation of the bioavailability of novel feed protein ingredients for pigs and poultry

Objectives

The objectives of task 1.4 is to evaluate the nutritional value of upgraded rapeseed protein concentrate, European grown and gently-processed soybean meals, and protein extracted from green biomass produced in tasks 1.1, 1.2, and 1.3.

Rationale

Nutritive value of European soybean meal in weaned piglets

The nutritive value of four different European grown and gently-processed soybean meals (SBM) produced in task 1.1 (i.e., flaking-cooking-pressing (FCP) and extrusion-pressing process (EP) of dehulled (DH) and whole beans (WH)) were determined in a 28-day performance trial with a total of 70 DanBred 5-week-old barrows, followed by a 5-day N-retention study while placed in metabolic cages. Apparent and standardized ileal digestibility of the SBM were determined post-mortem to evaluate whether trypsin inhibitor activity of different soybean meals influenced the host’s protease activity in jejunal digesta and pancreas. Growth performance and N-retention was compared to a commercially available good-quality SBM, while in the ileal digestibility study, casein was used as a reference protein source due to its expected almost complete digestion. Except for the N-free diet used to determine endogenous N and amino acid losses, the diets were iso-nitrogenous (180 g CP per kg feed) and iso-caloric on a NE basis (10.9 MJ/kg). The SBM and casein were the sole protein source in each experimental feed but with supplementation of methionine to ensure a realistic feed evaluation in the performance and N-retention studies. During the performance study, animals received a coarse meal diet and water ad libitum. In the N-retention study, feed intake was restricted to 90% of ad libitum.

Nutritive value of European soybean meal in weaned in broilers

The same four processed European soybean products were used in a study with 288 male Ross 308 day-old chicks housed in 24 pens of 1.7 m2 with ad libitum access to feed and water throughout the trial. Starter (0-14 d) and grower (15-28 d) mash diets were formulated using the four SBM products. Synthetic amino acids were added to cover limiting essential amino acid requirements at the same level on a digestible amino acid basis for all starter or grower diets. Differences in AME of the four dietary treatments were accounted for by supplementation of soybean oil. Each treatment was replicated in six pens with 12 birds per pen. Performance was measured by pen body weight measured at arrival and pen body weight and average daily feed intake at the end of the starter and grower period. For collection of intestinal contents, three randomly selected chickens with a body weight close to the pen average were weighed individually at 14 and 28 days of age. They were euthanized and intestinal tissue collected from one of the three birds. From the birds killed at d28, a subsample of pooled ileal digesta from the upper 1/3 of the ileum was also collected for determination of intestinal viscosity. An additional bird per pen was selected at d28 for morphometric measurements.