Feather and blood meal as partial replacer of soybean meal in protein supplements for sheep

Effect of Partial Substitution of Ration's Soybean Meal by Biologically Treated Feathers on Rumen Fermentation Characteristics (<I>in vitro</I>)

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Feather wastes are the most abundant keratinous material in the nature and its accumulation causes multiple environmental problems. Nutritive value upgrading of such wastes through biological treatments may provide ruminant's rations with high quality and cost effective source of protein. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to investigate the potential uses of biologically treated feathers (BTF) as a feedstuff for ruminants through in vitro experiments.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Keratinase production time course was performed by ten microbial isolates (3 fungal, 3 actinomyces and 4 bacterial isolates) under static and shaking conditions using turkey feather- synthetic medium. The chemical composition and amino acid analysis for the crude feathers, BTF and soybean meal were determined according to AOAC methods. Two in vitro experiments were conducted to study the effects of crude feathers, BTF and modified ruminant rations (in which soybean meal were substituted by the BTF in 10, 20 and 30%) on rumen fermentation characteristics. Ration's Dry Matter (DM), Organic Matter (OM), Neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and Acid detergent Fibre (ADF) degradability by rumen microorganisms were tested using batch culture technique. Ruminal final pH, ammonia-nitrogen, total volatile fatty acids and short chain fatty acids concentrations were determined after 24 h of incubation. The total gas production volume was determined using 100 mL glass syringes.

RESULTS

Bacillus licheniformis ALW1 was the most potent keratinase producer strain under static condition at 37°C for four days of incubation. Feather biological treatment by Bacillus licheniformis increased its content of some of essential-sulphur amino acids. The degradability of BTF by rumen microorganisms was 4 folds higher than crude feather degradability. There were no significant differences between control and partially substituted (R10 and R20) rations in all of rumen fermentation characteristics.

CONCLUSION

The utilization of BTF as substitute for costly soybean meal in ruminant's rations up to 20% had no negative effect on all rumen fermentation characteristics.

Competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for quantitative detection of bovine blood in heat-processed meat and feed

Animal blood is widely used as a functional additive in food and as a protein supplement in animal feed. Effective analytical methods are therefore needed to enforce labeling regulations for product quality control, as well as to address safety concerns. This study developed a monoclonal antibody (MAb)-based competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for quantitative detection of ruminant (bovine and ovine) blood in heat-processed meat and feedstuff. MAb BblH9 immunoglobulin G1, which recognizes a 12-kDa, thermostable, ruminant blood protein, was used as the detecting agent in the competitive ELISA. The immunoreactivity of MAb Bb1H9 was confirmed in both an indirect noncompetitive ELISA and a competitive ELISA, in which antigens are presented in immobilized form and free form, respectively. The competitive ELISA was optimized, and three spiked samples adulterated at 0 to 10% were tested to determine the detection limits of the optimized assay. Results showed that MAb Bb1H9 is specific to ruminant blood protein, with no cross-reaction with nonblood samples tested. The optimized competitive ELISA quantitatively detected heat-processed bovine blood over the tested range. The detection limit of the assay for bovine blood in beef (P < 0.001), bovine blood in porcine blood (P < 0.01), and bovine blood meal in soybean meal (P < 0.01) was found to be 0.5% in all cases. This MAb-based competitive ELISA is thus suitable for the sensitive and quantitative detection of ruminant blood proteins in heat processed meat and feed products.