PSV-B-26 Performance of sunflower protein meal and dried yeast as secondary protein sources in feline diets

Abstract

Abstract The objectives of this study were to assess graded inclusions of sunflower protein meal (SPM; crude protein: 54%, crude fat: 11%, crude fiber: 4%) and dried yeast (DY; crude protein: 50%, crude fat: 3%, crude fiber: 2%) on nutrient digestibility, stool quality, and palatability in adult cats. Both SPM and DY were included at 5% and 10% in replacement of pea protein in a high-protein, chicken-based feline diet to maintain equal macronutrient concentrations across all test diets (formulated to 41% crude protein, 18% crude fat, 3% crude fiber). The study was approved and followed by the facility’s Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. A standard 2-bowl palatability test over a 2-day period was executed with adult cats (n = 30 each) to determine intake ratios between test diets (5% and 10% SPM or 5% and 10% DY), and test diets vs. control. Total tract nutrient digestibility was evaluated (n = 8 per diet) with 5 days of diet acclimation followed by 5 days of total fecal collection. Stool quality was evaluated on a 1–5 scale, where 1 = hard/formed and 5 = non-formed/diarrhea. All data were analyzed by ANOVA (SAS v9.4) and T-tests post-hoc (Minitab 18). Palatability and stool quality were similar (P > 0.05) between all diets. Protein digestibility was lower for DY-containing diets, compared with control (5% DY at P = 0.0083 and 10% DY at P = 0.0336), but not significantly different for SPM diets (P > 0.05). However, average protein digestibility was >88% across all diets. The alternative protein sources tested showed merit for inclusion to diversify ingredient sources while maintaining palatability in cat diets.