The key to addressing many of the current challenges facing the poultry industry is better feed efficiency. Feed conversion improvement is tied to a host of modern production issues, including profitability, improving the limited digestibility of alternative feed ingredients, reducing antibiotics, counteracting stressors, and overcoming environmental challenges.
In further confirming its pivotal role, 1140 industry respondents in 100 countries indicated that enhanced feed efficiency or a better feed conversion ratio (FCR) was the most important potential bene t of phytogenics to their operation, as captured by the BIOMIN 2017 Phytogenic Feed Additives Survey.
The next generation
At BIOMIN, improving feed efficiency has been the main thrust of our research and product development around phytogenics in recent years. We have built upon the Digestarom® product line, which dates back to 1989, and recently introduced Digestarom® DC which is the next generation phytogenic feed additive designed to deliver improved feed intake, better performance and optimized feed conversion.
What’s new?
Digestarom® DC represents decades of achievement in research and development. BIOMIN has developed a special encapsulation technology for essential oils and phytogenic active compounds: the Biomin® Duplex Capsule. As the first of its kind in the phytogenics market, the Biomin® Duplex Capsule combines two encapsulation techniques: matrix and core-shell encapsulation. It offers four key advantages: 1) better thermostability, 2) continuous delivery of active substances, 3) targeted, controlled release and 4) better handling. Customers already familiar with our species specific Digestarom® solutions and the multi-species Digestarom® P.E.P. line will find that Digestarom® DC offers the best of both.
• Better thermostability
Essential oils and their active compounds in particular are highly volatile and heat sensitive—less than ideal characteristics in the context of modern feed production and pelleting. The Biomin® Duplex Capsule structure gives Digestarom® DC enhanced pelleting stability over 90°C, as shown by the amount of product recovered after conditioning in a cascade mixer with steam addition, followed by pelleting for another 20-30 seconds (Figure 1).
• Continuous delivery
The new technology results in double capsules with a uniform and narrow size distribution ranging from 120 to 500 μm, allowing for more homogeneous distribution of active compounds in Digestarom® DC and in the feed—resulting in continuous delivery of active substances in the animals.
• Targeted, controlled release
With core-shell encapsulation, a protective coat surrounds a core comprising essential oils and active compounds. In Digestarom® DC, the coat and the core contain different essential oils for appetizing and gut modulation modules.
Both layers are matrix encapsulated – meaning that the active compounds are finely dispersed in a solidified matrix – providing a targeted, controlled release along the gastrointestinal tract. The particles in Digestarom® DC have a very high essential oil content compared to other commercially available products. Figure 2 illustrates how the Biomin® Duplex Capsule permits the targeted delivery of essential oils in an in vitro gastrointestinal model.
• Better handling
Thanks to the Biomin® Duplex Capsule, Digestarom® DC has a shelf life of 18 months, reduced dustiness and improved handling. While certain commercially available phytogenic feed additives have a high dusting potential of up to 20 g/m3 according to the Stauber-Heubach test, an acknowledged and official method for testing dusting potential, the corresponding value for Digestarom® DC is 1.6-2.4 g/m3.
Triple action formulation
The triple action formulation of Digestarom® DC exploits the advantages of the Biomin® Duplex Capsule to optimize feed conversion. The three modules – 1) appetizing and endogenous secretions, 2) gut microbiota modulation, 3) gut protection – are formulated to optimize feed conversion.
Trial results
Recent results in Cobb 500 Standard broilers demonstrate the ability of Digestarom® DC to improve performance. Over 42 days, birds fed Digestarom® DC supplemented diets showed a statistically signicant improvement in body weight gain (2.470 kg) versus birds fed the control diet (2.353 kg), as shown in Figure 3.
Similarly, a difference was observed in the feed conversion ratios (FCR) of the two groups: 1.72 for control versus 1.69 for the Digestarom® DC group, as shown in Figure 4. Overall, Digestarom® DC supplementation resulted in a 2.83% increase in feed intake, a 4.96% increase in weight gain and a 1.75% decrease in FCR. The efficiency gains translate into direct economic benefits producers. 
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Michael Noonan
This article is written by Michael Noonan, Global Product Line Manager – Phytogenics, BIOMIN Holding GmbH