Using of Amino Acid Analyzer in research of feed formula to determine content of additives
History of amino acids in feed formula
In the 1950s, researchers had discovered all the amino acids that made up proteins. By the 1960s, feedstuff producers could use synthetic amino acids, especially methionine and lysine as daily feedstuff supplements. And in the 1990s, the supplements could vary with the actual digestibility and feeding conditions of live stocks. Now a more accurate and balanced diet is a possible for animals with specific genotype under specific conditions.
The use of crystalline amino acids in feed has since expanded to other essential amino acids, such as threonine and tryptophan, driven by advancements in amino acid synthesis and precision livestock nutrition (Sauer et al., 2008).
The importance of amino acids in growth
The better the balance of essential amino acids in forage is, the better the growth of feeding animals will be. There are more than 300 kinds of natural amino acids, among which 8 essential amino acids cannot be synthesized by vertebrates themselves, although they play an important role during growth.
An imbalance in essential amino acids can result in inefficient protein utilization, higher nitrogen excretion, and suboptimal growth rates (Wu, 2009).
Benefits of adding amino acids to forage
Reduce the cost of feedstuff: The amino acid supplement is added as a trace component, which can replace the overused protein feedstuff.
Meet animal needs, promote animal growth, improve amino acid balance, increase feed utilization, and save protein resources. Adding restricted amino acids into foraged can improve the balance of amino acids in the diet, thereby giving full play to the effects of other amino acids. It is not necessary to increase the protein content to meet the animal’s need for amino acids, and the protein resources are saved, the feed utilization is improved, the animal growth is promoted.
For instance, reducing crude protein levels in pig and poultry diets while supplementing with key amino acids can lower feed costs and reduce environmental nitrogen emissions without compromising performance (Bikker et al., 2016).
Production practice and feeding experiments have proved that lysine and methionine are usually restrictive amino acids for livestock and poultry. A small amount of addition can promote livestock and poultry production and improve feed utilization.
Improving meat quality
Adding lysine to forage can improve carcass quality and increase lean meat rate.
Research has shown that lysine supplementation in pig diets not only increases lean tissue deposition but also improves feed conversion ratios (Gloaguen et al., 2014).
Feed research and development of animal husbandry have to solve the feed problem first. How to make feed that is cheap, easy to obtain, and can promote the growth and development of animals has become an important topic in feed research. Lysine can accelerate the weight gain of pigs and broilers, and methionine can increase the egg production of hens. Therefore, amino acid analyzer should be used to determine their content in the research of feed formula in order to adjust the formula or add feed additives.
The precise determination of amino acid concentrations using analytical tools such as high-performance amino acid analyzers is crucial to ensure feed formulations are aligned with the targeted species’ nutritional requirements (Caine et al., 2019).
At present, additives used to prepare mixed feed include lysine, methionine, glycine, glutamic acid, alanine, tryptophan, and other amino acids, which are added according to different needs.
National Standard：GB/T18246-2000
References:
- Sauer WC, He JD, Schulze H. “Protein and amino acid digestibility and fermentability in the small and large intestine of pigs: measurement and nutritional significance.” J Anim Feed Sci. 2008;17(4):301-312. doi:10.22358/jafs/66451/2008
- Wu G. “Amino acids: metabolism, functions, and nutrition.” Amino Acids. 2009;37(1):1-17. doi:10.1007/s00726-009-0269-0
- Bikker P, van der Peet-Schwering CM, van der Meer IM, et al. “Reducing dietary protein in pig diets.” Animal 2016;10(11):1890-1900. doi:10.1017/S175173111600111X
- Gloaguen M, Le Floc’h N, Corrent E, et al. “Adjusting the amino acid profile of low-protein diets improves growth performance and nitrogen efficiency in pigs.” J Anim Sci. 2014;92(8):3620-3630. doi:10.2527/jas.2013-7557
- Caine WR, Patience JF, Young MG. “Amino acid digestibility and energy content of common feed ingredients.” Anim Feed Sci Technol. 2019;253:1-14. doi:10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2019.04.006