Biovet S.A. has recently registered the enzyme-enriched supplements of the Alquerzim line in China. This product is specially designed to help in the digestion of all nutrients present in animal feed. Diets high in proteins and the administration of solid diets in young specimens can make digestion difficult. Moreover, the substitution of some feed ingredients subject to market fluctuation – use of cereals as commodities – can have an impact on the final composition of a specific feed formulation.

The main objective of the Alquerzim enzymatic line is the optimization of the digestive processes to obtain better productive parameters. In this sense, a better digestion entails the decrease in the presence of undigested feed in the digestive tract and, with it, the reduction of possible enteric complications. Therefore, once a specific formulation has been set, it is possible to adapt the supplementation of this enzymatic product according to the species and to each production stages.

Enzymatic supplements: mechanism of action and adaptation to digestive demands

Animals produce enzymes – proteins – by themselves that help digesting feed by degrading it into smaller molecules, thus, facilitating absorption. However, there may be some cases where the required enzymes are not produced in the amount needed, or simply those appropriate for the digestion of a specific component are not naturally produced. In these cases, it is advisable to supplement the diet with exogenous enzymes.

On the one hand, it is known that some young animals do not produce all the enzymes necessary for the digestion of starch. The same case can occur in those formulations high in proteins. Although these formulations tend to be administered in order to increase productive parameters, in some cases the animal is unable to digest such protein surplus, leading to the accumulation of undigested feed in the intestine. This situation may cause the proliferation of pathogenic microorganisms, such as Clostridium, which can generate episodes of necrotic enteritis.

On the other hand, each type of cereal requires specific enzymes capable of transforming it into molecules that can be assimilated by the animal’s digestive system. There are cases where age or physiological characteristics of a specific animal species make them unable to produce the enzymes needed to metabolize a cereal that is not usually used in their formulation – due to either market availability or price. Although this cereal has the appropriate nutritional benefits for such species, it is necessary to artificially supplement enzymes present in the Alquerzim line, so feed can be digested and provide all its nutrients.