BASF: New enzyme technology boosts nutrient digestibility, makes feed more cost-efficient
Manufactured in Germany and backed by multiple feeding trials, Natupulse TS is a ß-mannanase and is an addition to the feed enzyme pioneer’s range of NSP enzymes such as ß-xylanase and ß-glucanase in Natugrain TS.
It contains the enzyme mannanase, which degrades non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) such as mannans.
“Natupulse TS helps monogastric animals like poultry and swine to better digest nutrients – making animal protein production more sustainable. It particularly improves the nutrient digestibility of feeds containing raw materials with a high ß-mannan content: soybean meal or guar meal etc.
“In one of our feeding trials with broilers fed a corn-soy diet, we found improved nutrient digestibility resulting in higher final weights. In addition, amino acid digestibility was improved by an average of +2.4%,” BASF spokesperson, Dr Joachim Hueter, told FeedNavigator.
Natupulse TS has, according to the developer, three modes of action:
- Reducing viscosity: It reduces the digesta viscosity and could improve the nutrient digestibility by enhancing diffusion of endogenous enzymes with the respective substrate.
- Increasing permeability: It can possibly increase the permeability of the soybean cell walls. Thereby, more feed can be utilized by the animal.
- Prebiotic-like effect: As a ß-mannanase, it cleaves ß-mannans resulting in manno-oligosaccharides (MOS), which are known to show prebiotic effects.
Plugging the gaps
In terms of why BASF developed and launched this enzyme now, Hueter outlined how a significant amount of nutrients in commercial poultry diets, up to 30%, remain undigested.
“With our existing enzyme portfolio of Natuphos E and Natugrain TS, we are already able to improve the digestibility. However, up to now, we were not able to target one of the most common non-starch polysaccharides in soybean meal, which is the ß-mannan galactomannan.
“This ß-mannan is a highly anti-nutritional agent in animal feeds since monogastric animals lack the adequate enzyme to digest this compound. With Natupulse TS, we are now able to provide a solution to improve the digestibility of the major protein source in monogastric nutrition: soybean meal.”
Natupulse TS is a ß-mannanase, cleaving these ß-mannans, potentially increasing the permeability of soybean cell walls and leading to better digestion of feed nutrients, explained the spokesperson.
BASF also reported an additional positive effect from the combination of Natupulse TS with Natuphos E – phytase - and Natugrain TS - xylanase + glucanase - on nutrient digestibility and feed utilization in trials.
