Lignocellulose: fresh wood as dietary fibre

Traditionally, lignocellulose products consisted of fine wood meal derived from one wood source. Recent lignocellulose products contain different varieties of wood due to different physiological effects of those plant derived materials

Fibre in the large intestine

How well the
fibres can be fermented by the animal is very important as this causes a major
difference in physiological activity. Fermentable fibre components arrive in the
large intestine undigested and can be metabolised by gut micro flora. Inulin,
fructo-oligosaccharides and pectin (fermentable dietary fibre components) are
fermented rapidly and nearly completely within the colon being nutrients for
intestinal flora. Especially so-called ‘positive’ gut micro-flora metabolises
fermentable fibre and as a result, short chain fatty acids such as acetic acid,
propionic acid and butyric acid and additionally lactic acid are produced. These
fatty acids can be easily reabsorbed in the colon and therefore they are easy
available energy for the animal.

Lignocellulose is sold with different particle size. Left shows very fine/mealy lignocellulsoe and right shows a crumbled version of the product.

One of these three, butyric acid, plays another
important role in the gut as it is a substrate for mucosa cells and
important for regeneration of the
whole mucosa. This means that
higher production of butyric acid in the colon, reached by accelerated passage
rate, will lead to an improved gut health status. Additionally, the potential of
colonial mucosa cells to reabsorb water out of the chyme means that faeces
consistency is directly influenced by production of butyric acid. Due to the pH
decreasing effect of short chain fatty acids, the colonial microflora is
stabilised and translocation of pathogenic bacteria from the colon to the small
intestine can be avoided. Lowering of pH and influence on colonic flora
decreases ammonia concentrations in the ingesta which again improves gut health
status and energy supply of the animal because ammonia is a toxic substance and
detoxification needs a lot of energy.

Lignocellulose
Lignocellulose, made
from fresh wood, has been used as a high quality dietary fibre source in animal
nutrition since a few years. Compared to other traditional fibre sources,
lignocellulose is characterised by its high crude fibre content (>55%) which
saves space in rations for other valuable components. In addition,
lignocellulose contains no mycotoxins, which can be a big problem in wheat bran
for example. To create dietary lignocellulose products, it is necessary to
process wood to a very fine particle size; otherwise it can not be used in
animal nutrition due to negative effects on the gut wall of animals.

Fermentable fibre components of some lignocelluloses are a selective growing
medium for lactic acid bacteria which can also be explained as ‘prebiotic’
effect of these lignocelluloses. All in all, right combinations of fermentable
and non-fermentable fibre components will enhance digestive processes and lead
to improved gut health status of animals. Attention has to be paid on good
product quality (particle size, free of any residues, constant product quality)
which can be provided by some specialised producers. Wood shavings, which in
some areas are advertised as ‘lignocellulose’ products, are not suitable for
animal nutrition – they can even be dangerous in animal feed and destroy
animals’ gut.

Fine wood meal
Traditionally,
lignocellulose products consisted of fine wood meal derived from one wood
source. The main effect on animals of these products was caused by
nonfermentable dietary fibre components which means positive effects on passage
rate, gut peristalsis and therefore gut health status. Recent lignocellulose
products contain different varieties of wood due to different physiological
effects of those plants. It seems to make sense to use lignocellulose products
which both contain non-fermentable and fermentable dietary fibre.

Such combinations will combine positive effects of traditional
lignocelluloses with ‘prebiotic’ effects of fermentable fibre. Recent scientific
data shows that non-fermentable dietary fibre leads to a dislocation of
important fermentation processes from caecum to colon. In the large intestine
fermentable parts of the diet can be metabolised ideally and improve digestive
processes. The fermentable dietary fibre components are additional nutrients for
colonic micro flora including all well known positive effects.

Use in pigs
Due to the high fibre
demand of gestating sows, lignocellulose is used in relatively high dosages
(2.5%). Investigations in Germany showed that a combination of fermentable and
non-fermentable lignocellulose (OptiCell®, Agromed Austria) led to significant
lower feed intake in an ad libitum feeding system. Such feeding systems
are positive regarding animal welfare but in the past they were not easy to
realise due to danger of too high a feed intake of breeding sows. With the used
lignocellulose product this problem could be solved.

Additionally, the use of this lignocellulose combination led to lower
excretion of the stress hormone cortisol (minus 22.6%) compared to a control
group receiving only beet pulp for dietary fibre supply. The same effect was
observed in a scientific trial with breeding sows at the University of Temeswar
in Romania. Trial results also showed that the lignocellulose product had a
positive impact on faecal quality of treated sows. For practical use
lignocellulose seems to be very suitable especially in sows. The high crude
fibre demand of breeding sows can easily be satisfied with relatively low
inclusion rates of lignocellulose.

The impact of such dietary fibre products will lead to
improved passage rates and decreased risk of constipation. The positive effect
on satiety will lead to a stress relieving effect due to lower excretion of
cortisol which is related to a more constant blood glucose level if animals are
not hungry (glucomodulation). In weaning piglets and fattening pigs,
lignocellulose could be used with a lower inclusion rate. A higher saturation
effect is not wanted in growing pigs but this effect of lignocellulose depends
on dosage. Studies showed that inclusion of 1 to 1.5% of the above-mentioned
lignocellulose product led to improved growth performance and quality of faeces
in piglets.

Dr Arthur Kroismayr studied Agricultural Science (Specialisation in
Animal Sciences) at the University of Natural Resources and Applied Life
Sciences (BOKU) Vienna. In 2003, he started his PhD in animal nutrition, with
the topic mode of action of essential oils in pigs and worked as Product Manager
for phytogenic feed additives at Biomin. In October last year, he took up the
position as Research Director at Agromed in Austria.

In an independent study conducted at UFA AG in Switzerland 228 weaned piglets
(average age 27 days) were allocated to two trial groups. The negative control
group received a standard weaning diet containing organic acids and feed enzymes
but no special fibre addition. In the lignocellulose group, 1.5% of the product
was added ‘on top’ of the control diet. Both diets showed very similar values of
nutrients, except the fibre content which was lower (3.1%) in the negative
control group compared to the lignocellulose (4.1%) group. The feeding trial
lasted 35 days. Inclusion of lignocellulose led to higher daily weight gain
(+6%) and improved feed intake (+3.6%) while feed conversion rate was more or
less the same in both groups. The same was observed in a scientific study with
weaning piglets at University of  Veterinary Medicine in Vienna, Austria.
In this 45-day experiment ‘on top’ inclusion of 1% of the mentioned
lignocellulose product led to higher daily feed intake and growth rates, while
the feed conversion rate was not influenced.

This result is especially interesting as energy and protein content was
diluted in the trial group because the lignocelluloses product was added ‘on
top’. It seems that the combination of non-fermentable and fermentable dietary
fibre has a positive effect on digestive processes and nutrient metabolism. This
thesis is confirmed by improved consistency of faeces which was also observed in
this scientific study.

Poultry and ruminants
Lignocellulose
as dietary fibre is also used in broilers and turkeys. Although fermentation
processes in the gut are of minor importance in poultry nutrition, fermentable
lignocellulose components lead to similar positive effects (faeces consistincy,
gut health status, performance parameters) like in other monogastric species.
Further research has to be conducted to investigate scientifically the impact of
this dietary fibre in birds.

For young ruminants and especially calves the same fact has to be mentioned.
Lignocellulose is already used in milk replacers due to its positive effects on
gut health status and to prevent (nutritional) diarrhoea. These effects are not
surprising as young ruminants are monogastric animals and mode of action of such
fibre combinations are well investigated in pigs. 

Source: Feed Mix Volume 16 No.
02

* For Table 1 and Figure 1, please
click on the link below.