2024
Negative effects of protease inhibitors on monogastric animal growth performance: truth or myth?
Contributor/Checkoff:
Category:
Feed
Keywords:
Advancing product qualityAnimal nutritionAnti-nutritional factors
Parent Project:
This is the first year of this project.
Lead Principal Investigator:
Hari B., USDA-ARS
Co-Principal Investigators:
Project Code:
24-107-D-B-1-B
Contributing Organization (Checkoff):
Institution Funded:
$115,000
Brief Project Summary:
Quality of soybean meal obtained from different processing plants are not the same due to differences in processing procedures. The overall goal of this proposal is to investigate SBM quality factors of several commercial SBM samples and to correlate the quality factors with trypsin inhibitor and Bowman-Birk protease inhibitor activities.
Information And Results
Project Summary

Project Objectives

Project Deliverables

Progress Of Work

Final Project Results

Several studies have shown that trypsin inhibitor (TI) negatively affects the growth performance of monogastric animals. These studies conclude that lower TI levels in animal feed led to better growth performance. With USB funding, we measured the trypsin inhibitor activity (TIA) of several hundred soybean meal (SBM) samples. Our research revealed that despite the easy detection of TI protein in most commercial SBM samples, these proteins had very little protease inhibitor activity, presumably due to heat treatment. SBM undergoes heat treatment to destroy protease inhibitors. Overheating, a common issue with roasting, can affect protein quality traits such as protein solubility and digestibility. Thus, we investigated the protein solubility and digestibility of many commercial SBM samples and their potential correlation with TIA. Traditionally, soybean meal protein solubility is assessed using a 0.2% potassium hydroxide (KOH) solution. However, the original method is cumbersome and time-consuming. We streamlined the KOH solubility assay procedure, standardizing the starting material amount, KOH concentration, extraction duration, and SBM particle size. As a result, we developed a more cost-effective and consistent protocol. This simplified procedure allows efficient determination of protein solubility indices across numerous samples. We used our modified approach to assess protein solubility in various SBM samples, including traditionally heat-processed, extruded/expelled, domestic, and imported ones. Our simplified method yielded results comparable to the original, labor-intensive procedure, showing differences in protein solubility in commercial SBM samples due to varying heat treatments. However, we did not observe any strong correlation between protein solubility index and trypsin inhibitor activity. Additionally, we developed a simple in vitro procedure to accurately predict the protein digestibility of SBM samples. Current methods for determining protein digestibility involve complex multi-component systems that simulate various physical and chemical processes. Using our modified assay, we determined the protein digestibility index of several commercial SBM samples. However, further refinements are required before our procedures can be routinely used for accurate measurement of SBM protein quality.

Benefit To Soybean Farmers

The nutritional quality of SBM is crucial for maximizing animal growth rates and effectiveness. Both the poultry sector and soybean farmers will benefit if variables that reduce SBM’s nutritional content are identified and eliminated. Improved understanding and monitoring of these variables in SBM processing will enhance soybean meal quality and reduce its variability. Our modified procedures for measuring protein solubility and digestibility in commercial SBM samples will enable feed processors to develop optimal animal feed, thus promoting greater use of soybeans.

The United Soybean Research Retention policy will display final reports with the project once completed but working files will be purged after three years. And financial information after seven years. All pertinent information is in the final report or if you want more information, please contact the project lead at your state soybean organization or principal investigator listed on the project.