Distillers Dried Grains With Solubles Samples Research Articles

Amino acid and energy digestibility of conventional corn dried distillers grains with solubles, high protein distillers dried grains, and corn fermented protein, and impacts on turkey poult growth performance and intestinal characteristics

Amino acids (AA) are an expensive nutritional components of poultry diets. Distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) is the primary co-product produced by the dry grind bioethanol industry, although new technologies are being implemented to produce high protein distillers dried grains (HP-DDG) and corn fermented protein (CFP), but data on their nutritive value in poultry are lacking. Two experiments (EXP) were conducted to determine the energy and AA digestibility of DDGS, HP-DDG, and CFP in poults in addition to a feeding trial to evaluate increasing dietary levels of HP-DDG and CFP on growth performance and intestinal characteristics. In EXP 1, six different DDGS sources were evaluated using poults to determine their nitrogen-corrected apparent metabolizable energy (AMEn) concentrations, and cecectomized roosters were used to determine their standardized ileal (SID) AA digestibility (SID-AA). In EXP 2, AMEn and SID-AA for HP-DDG and CFP were determined in young poults, and a feeding trial was conducted to evaluate growth performance and intestinal morphology and permeability of poults fed diets containing 7.5 and 15% HP-DDG or CFP from 1 to 32 d of age. In EXP 1, the AMEn concentration among the DDGS samples ranged from 2,530 to 3,573 kcal/kg DM but was not different (P = 0.57) among the samples, with an average SID for LYS of 66.6%. In EXP 2, different (P = 0.001) AMEn concentrations for HP-DDG and CFP were observed (3,114 and 3,760 kcal/kg DM, respectively), with the SID for LYS being 66.55 and 77.00% for HP-DDG and CFP, respectively. Including HP-DDG or CFP into the diet at 7.5 and 15% had no effect (P > 0.05) on growth, feed intake, or feed conversion. Neither co-product nor its inclusion rate affected intestinal morphology and permeability (P > 0.05). Overall, DDGS, HP-DDG, and CFP are excellent sources of AMEn and digestible AA, with dietary inclusion rates of up to 15% of HP-DDG or CFP having no impact on growth or intestinal characteristics.

Impacts of Ethanol Production and Drying Conditions on the Chemical, Physical, and Flowability Properties of Distillers Dried Grains With Solubles.

The production of corn-based ethanol in the U.S. has dramatically increasied in recent years, and consequently so has the quantity of coproduct feed ingredients generated from this segment of the grain processing industry. These streams are almost exclusively utilized as livestock feed, which partially offsets the need for corn in feed rations, but other value-added applications do exist. Because of its use as an animal feed, considerable research has been conducted into the nutritional properties, but to a lesser extent the physical and flowability properties of commercially-produced distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS). There can be occasions when the quality of coproducts is not consistent. Thus questions regarding the influence of processing operations on the resulting coproduct characteristics must be examined. The objective of this research was to conduct extensive physical and flowability property analyses on DDGS samples which were produced under varying conditions in a pilot plant-scale ethanol plant, in order to investigate the effects of various manufacturing operations (specifically ethanol production and drying conditions) on the resulting properties of the DDGS. Using various laboratory methods, a variety of properties, including bulk density and angle of repose, were determined. DDGS fat content was highly correlated with aerated and packed bulk densities, which indicates that fat level plays a key role in flowability behavior. Future studies should examine this potential relationship in more depth, especially as the industry has moved to fat reduction via oil separation processes.

Selected Physical and Flowability Properties of Evolving Distillers Dried Grains With Solubles (DDGS)

With the rapid development of the ethanol industry over the past few decades, research on distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS), its main coproduct, has increased in recent years. However, research about the basic properties of DDGS lacks comprehensiveness. This study examined 16 DDGS samples from 10 ethanol plants in the Midwest U.S., and used standard laboratory methods to measure a series of physical and flowability properties. Results showed an average moisture content of 8.69% (w. b.), water activity of 0.55, angle of repose of 48.04°, shear strength of 0.0324 kg/cm2, geometric mean diameter (dgw) of 0.74 mm, geometric standard deviation (Sgw) of 1.72 mm, loose bulk density of 483.9 kg/m3, packed bulk density of 568.5 kg/m3, Hunter L of 56.71, Hunter a of 13.85, and Hunter b of 46.51. This study represents a step toward a more complete understanding of DDGS, and how various properties change as production practices evolve in the ethanol industry.

Ammonia fiber expansion increases in vitro digestibility and fermentability of corn distillers dried grains with solubles with or without carbohydrases

A significant portion of gross energy (GE) in corn distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) is indigestible by non-ruminants, and the impact of ammonia fiber expansion (AFEX) on improving GE digestibility is unknown. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of AFEX and enzymes on crystallinity index and neutral detergent fiber (aNDF) degradation in DDGS using a porcine in vitro fermentation system. Two sources of DDGS samples (ICM and POET) were pretreated with liquid ammonia at 100 °C and 2069 kPa for 30 min. The DDGS samples with or without AFEX pretreatment were predigested with pepsin and pancreatin with or without carbohydrases (1500 U/g xylanase, 1100 U/g β-glucanase, 110 U/g mannanase, and 35 U/g galactosidase). Residues were then subjected to in vitro fermentation (directly inoculating DDGS samples with fecal inocula) and accumulated gas production recorded up to 72 h. Concentration of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) were measured in the fermented solution. On a dry matter (DM) basis, non-protein nitrogen was increased by 20.8 g/kg, and aNDF was decreased by 146 g/kg in corn DDGS after AFEX pretreatment. Pretreatment with AFEX decreased the crystallinity index of fiber in DDGS from about 15 to 0 %, increased (P < 0.01) fermentability of DM and aNDF, and decreased (P < 0.01) unfermented aNDF content after in vitro fermentation for 12 and 72 h. The AFEX pretreated DDGS had greater (P < 0.05) in vitro digestibility of DM and GE, greater production of acetic acid and total SCFA (DM enzymatic hydrolyzed residue basis), greater in vitro digested GE (GE × IVDGE, GE) and digestible energy (GE + energy derived from SCFA) compared with DDGS without pretreatment. Carbohydrase supplementation increased (P < 0.05) in vitro digestibility of GE and DM in AFEX treated POET but not in ICM DDGS. In conclusion, AFEX pretreatment decreased the crystallinity index of fiber and improved the in vitro digestibility and fermentability of corn DDGS.

PSVIII-1 Determination of in vitro DM, N and NDF digestibility and fermentability in novel corn co-products for swine

Abstract New process technologies are being implemented in the ethanol industry resulting in new high protein corn co-products (HPCP) containing more gross energy and amino acids than conventional distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS). Thus, estimates of nutrient digestibility for HPCP are needed to assess potential feeding value for swine. Furthermore, yellow dent corn is the predominant grain source in U.S. ethanol and co-product production whereas flint corn is used in Brazil. This study determined and compared in vitro dry matter (DM), nitrogen (N), and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) digestibility and fermentability of U.S. and Brazil corn DDGS and new HPCP. In vitro methods evaluated DM, N, and NDF digestibility and fermentability of 2 corn DDGS samples from U.S. (POET and ICM), 2 DDGS samples from Brazil (BR1 and BR2), 1 corn fiber and solubles sample (CF+S), 3 high protein distillers grains (HP-DDG) samples (BR-HP, US-HP, US-HPG1.5), and 2 HP-DDG samples containing high yeast (Ultramax; UM) and StillPro (SP). Digestibility of DM from hydrolysis varied and was greatest for UM (87.13%; P &amp;lt; 0.001) compared with all other co-products. Fermentability of DM was greater (P &amp;lt; 0.001), and similar for UM (85.6%), SP (76.8%), and US-HP-DDG (72.8%) compared with other co-products. Digestibility of N was greater for UM (91.2%; P &amp;lt; 0.001) compared with all other co-products. NDF digestibility was greater (P &amp;lt; 0.001) for UM (62.5%) and SP (60.5%) compared with all other co-products. POET and ICM DDGS had greater (P &amp;lt; 0.001) DM hydrolysis (78.7% and 68.2%, respectively), than BR1 (37.2%) and BR2 (35.0%) and N digestibility (POET = 65.0%; ICM = 58.9%) compared with BR1 (54.4%) and BR2 (43.4%). These results suggest greater nutritional value for Ultramax and StillPro than conventional DDGS and HP-DDG sources (U.S. and Brazilian) due to greater DM, N, and NDF digestibility.

Determination and prediction of standardized ileal amino acid digestibility of corn distillers dried grains with soubles in broiler chickens

The experiment was conducted to evaluate ileal digestibility of amino acids (AA) in 8 corn distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) fed to broilers and to establish prediction equations for standardized ileal digestibility (SID) of AA for broilers based on the physicochemical properties. A total of 1,152 1-day-old male broilers were divided into 2 test stages (from day 9 to 14 and from day 23 to 28). In each stage, 576 broilers were randomly allotted to 1 of 9 diets (8 replicates, 8 birds per replicate) including a nitrogen-free diet and 8 corn DDGS test diets. Titanium dioxide (0.5%) was included in all diets as an external marker. In 8 corn DDGS samples, the contents of aflatoxin B1, deoxynivalenol, zearalenone, and zein were from 1.54 to 15.50 ppb, 0.44 to 5.12 ppm, 127.10 to 1062.46 ppb, and 3.10 to 26.89%, respectively; the content of lysine and methionine (Met) ranged from 0.36 to 0.67% (CV 21.51%) and from 0.16 to 0.74% (CV 58.04%), respectively. The SID of AA, except for valine and alanine, were significantly different (P < 0.05) at day 28. A positive correlation was observed (P < 0.05) between degree of lightness and SID of CP, Met, and total amino acid (TAA) at day 14. A negative correlation was observed (P < 0.05) between mycotoxins and SID of CP, lysine, Met, and TAA at day 28. The R2 value of stepwise regression equations for predicting the SID of AA at day 14 and day 28 was best for glutamic acid (R2 = 1.000 using ether extract, crude fiber, CP, aflatoxin B1, and neutral detergent fiber) and TAA (R2 = 0.904 using ether extract), respectively. In conclusion, this experiment suggested mycotoxin can be used to predict the SID of AA in corn DDGS with reasonable accuracy, and the results of SID and prediction equations could be used to evaluate the digestibility of corn DDGS in broilers.

Fiber degrading enzymes increased monosaccharides release and fermentation in corn distillers dried grains with solubles and wheat middlings steeped without or with protease

Treating fibrous feed ingredients with exogenous feed enzymes may improve their utilization in monogastric animals. An in vitro study was conducted to determine the effects of steeping corn distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) or wheat middlings (WM) with exogenous feed enzymes. Four treatments were arranged as follows: 1) co-product steeped with water (CON), 2) CON plus 0.5-g fiber degrading enzymes (FDE), 3) CON plus 0.5-g protease (PRO), and 4) CON plus 0.5-g FDE and 0.5 g PRO (FDEPRO). The FDE contained about 62,000, 37,000, and 8,000 U/g of xylanase, cellulase, and β-glucanase, respectively, whereas activities in PRO amounted to 2,500,000, 1,300,000, and 800,000 U/g of acid, alkaline, and neutral proteases, respectively. Briefly, 50 g of DDGS or WM samples (n = 8) were mixed with 500-mL water with or without enzymes and steeped for 0 to 72 h at 37 °C with continuous agitation. The pH, concentration of monosaccharides, and organic acids in the supernatant and apparent disappearance (AD) of fiber in solids were measured at 0, 12, 24, 48, and 72 h. There was treatment and time interaction (P < 0.005) on monosaccharides concentration. At 12 h, arabinose and glucose concentrations were similar (P > 0.05) between FDE and FDEPRO but higher (P = 0.002) than for CON in DDGS. For WM, FDE, and FDEPRO had higher (P < 0.001) xylose concentration than CON and PRO, whereas glucose concentration was higher (P < 0.001) for enzymes than CON at 12 h. However, FDEPRO had higher (P < 0.001) xylose concentration than CON, whereas xylose concentration for FDE and PRO was intermediate at 24 h. There was an interaction (P < 0.05) between treatment and time effect on lactic acid concentration in DDGS and WM (P < 0.005), and acetic acid concentration in WM (P < 0.001). In general, monosaccharide concentration was higher between 12 and 24 h and decreased after 48 h, whereas the pH decreased, and concentration of organic acids increased continuously over time (P < 0.05). The AD of NDF and ADF in DDGS was greater (P = 0.001) for FDE and FDEPRO than CON and PRO at 72 h. In WM, enzymes increased (P = 0.007) AD of NDF relative to CON at 72 h. Nonetheless, greater (P < 0.05) AD of fiber was observed between 48 and 72 h. In conclusion, although there were differences in responses among co-products, fiber degrading enzymes increased release of fermentable monosaccharides from co-products at 12 to 24 h of steeping and these effects were not extended with the addition of protease.

Non-cellulosic polysaccharide content in feed ingredients and ileal and total tract non-cellulosic polysaccharide digestibility in 21- and 42-day-old broilers fed diets with and without added composite enzymes

An initial study profiled non-cellulosic polysaccharide (NCP) levels in feed ingredient samples-corn, soybean meal (SBM), whole soybean, and distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS). A separate NCP digestibility assay was performed in broilers at day 21 (grower phase) and day 42 (finisher phase) fed corn-soy based diets with and without composite enzymes (phytases, multi-carbohydrases, and proteases). Negative control (NC), NC + composite enzymes (NC+E), and positive control (PC) diets were tested. Negative control and NC + E diets were isocaloric, 3,020kcal/kg ME at grower phase and 3,026kcal/kg ME at finisher phase. Positive control diet was formulated to meet the Cobb standard nutrient specifications. Diets, pooled digesta, and excreta samples from all treatment diets were collected from 21- and 42-day-old birds and NCP content analyzed as soluble NCP (S-NCP) and insoluble NCP (I-NCP) fractions. Digestibility coefficient (DC) values were determined for all dietary treatments for both the feeding periods. Results from the ingredient analysis showed NCP levels of ∼7 to 10% in corn samples, ∼8 to 11% in SBM samples, ∼11 to 14% (including pectin level) in whole soybean, and ∼12 to 17% in DDGS samples, suggesting variation (P < 0.05) in NCP levels existed within ingredient samples. Digestibility assays showed that enzyme treated (NC + E) diet improved DC values at day 21 from 6 to 10 units and 6 to 9 units for ileal and total tract collection, respectively, for I-NCP fraction (P < 0.05) compared to DC values for NC or PC diets. The ileal DC values at day 42 were not different between treatment diets (∼0.6) but total tract DC values improved 9 to 11 units for broilers fed NC + E diet compared to NC or PC diets. Higher DC values for S-NCP were observed for all treatments for both feeding periods (∼0.7-ileal and ∼0.8-total tract) compared to DC values for I-NCP. Overall, the use of supplemental enzymes in corn-soy-based diets showed improvement in total NCP digestion.

In vitro unfermented fiber is a good predictor of the digestible and metabolizable energy content of corn distillers dried grains with solubles in growing pigs1

Characterizing fiber into fermentable and unfermentable fractions may enhance the accuracy of estimating DE and ME energy content in fiber-rich ingredients. Therefore, the objective of this study was to analyze the concentrations of NDF, representing both the fermentable (fNDFom) and unfermentable (uNDFom) portions among sources of corn distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS), and determine their relative contributions to DE and ME content. The concentrations of DE and ME, as well as apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of GE, were measured in a previous experiment. Samples of DDGS (0.5 g) were mixed with fecal inoculum and incubated for 8, 12, and 72 h. The ash corrected NDF (NDFom) content of DDGS residues at each time point was determined. The fNDFom increased with fermentation time of 8 h (21.6%), 12 h (29.0%), and 72 h (68.6%). The ATTD of GE increased as the uNDFom decreased at 8 h (uNDFom8; R2 = 0.83; P < 0.01) and 72 h (uNDFom72; R2 = 0.83; P < 0.01). Likewise, ME content of DDGS increased as uNDFom72 decreased (R2 = 0.59; P < 0.01). The best-fit DE equation was DE (kcal/kg DM) = 2,175 - 3.07 × uNDFom8 (g/kg, DM) - 1.50 × uNDFom72 (g/kg, DM) + 0.55 × GE (kcal/kg DM) (R2 = 0.94, SE = 36.21). The best-fit ME equation was ME (kcal/kg DM) = 1,643 - 2.31 × uNDFom8 (g/kg, DM) - 2.54 × uNDFom72 (g/kg, DM) + 0.65 × GE (kcal/kg DM) - 1.42 × crude protein (g/kg DM) (R2 = 0.94, SE = 39.21). These results indicate that in vitro unfermented fiber is negatively associated with GE and NDF digestibility, and therefore, is a good predictor of DE and ME content in corn-DDGS.

An In Vitro Approach to Assess Nutrient Utilization of Brewers Dried Grains and Effects of Supplemental β-Glucanase on Swine Feed Ingredients

Two experiments were conducted to determine In Vitro Dry Matter Disappearance (IVDMD) of Brewers Dried Grains (BDG) and corn Distillers Dried Grains with Solubles (DDGS) and to investigate effects of supplemental β-glucanase on the IVDMD in barley, BDG and corn DDGS for pigs. In experiment 1, the IVDMD in corn DDGS and two BDG sources produced from Cameroon and Republic of Korea were determined. A three-step IVDMD procedure was employed to simulate digestion of nutrients in the test ingredients by pigs. The digestion 3 steps were for the stomach, the small intestine and the large intestine of pigs. All digestion procedures were conducted in triplicate. The IVDMD in corn DDGS and two BDG sources from Cameroon and Korea was 62.2, 49.2 and 41.0% (±0.6; p<0.001), respectively. The IVDMD in corn DDGS was greater (p<0.05) than that in BDG sources. The BDG from Cameroon had greater (p<0.05) IVDMD than the BDG from Korea. In experiment 2, barley, BDG from Korea and corn DDGS samples were supplemented with 1% β-glucanase (100,000 unit/kg diet) or 1% corn starch. The same IVDMD procedure was used as in experiment 1. While supplemental β-glucanase tended to increase (84.2±0.6 vs. 82.3±0.6; p = 0.071) IVDMD in barley, the supplemental enzyme did not affect IVDMD in BDG and corn DDGS. In conclusion, in vitro utilization of nutrients in BDG was less efficient than that in corn DDGS and supplemental β-glucanase improves the utilization of nutrients in barley.

Supplementation with live yeast increases rate and extent of in vitro fermentation of nondigested feed ingredients by fecal microbiota.

Two studies were conducted to investigate the effect of live yeast (LY) on the in vitro fermentation characteristics of wheat, barley, corn, soybean meal (SBM), canola meal, and distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS). In Study 1, LY yeast was added directly to in vitro fermentations inoculated with feces from lactating sows, whereas as in study 2, feces collected from lactating sows fed LY as a daily supplement was used. Selected feedstuffs were digested and the residue added to separate replicated (n = 3) fermentation reactions. Study 1 was conducted in two blocks, whereas study 2 was conducted using feces collected after a period of 3 (Exp. 1) or 4 wk (Exp. 2) of LY supplementation. Accumulated gas produced over 72 h was modeled for each substrate and the kinetics parameters compared between LY and control groups. The molar ratio of the volatile fatty acids (VFAs) produced in vitro were also compared at 12 and 72 h of incubation. In study 1, in vitro addition of yeast increased (P < 0.001) the rate of gas production (Rmax). However, a yeast × substrate effect (P < 0.05) observed for total gas accumulated (A), time to half asymptote (B), and time required to reach maximum rate of fermentation (Tmax) suggested that yeast-mediated increases in extent and rate of fermentation varied by substrate. Greater total gas production was observed only for corn and SBM, associated with greater B and Tmax. Supplementation with LY appeared to increase A and Rmax although with variation between experiments and substrates. In Exp. 1, LY decreased (P < 0.05) B and Tmax. However, a yeast × substrate effect (P < 0.05) was observed for only A (for wheat, barley, corn, and corn DDGS) and Rmax (wheat, barley, corn, and wheat DDGS). In Exp. 2, LY increased (P < 0.0001) A and decreased B. However, an interaction (P < 0.05) with substrates was observed for Rmax (except SBM) and Tmax. With exception of the DDGS samples, LY supplementation increased (P < 0.05) VFA production at 12 and 72 h of incubation. Yeast increased (P < 0.05) the molar ratios of acetic acid and branch-chain fatty acids at 12 h of incubation; however, this response was more variable by substrate at 72 h. In conclusion, LY supplementation increased the rate and extent of in vitro fermentation of a variety of substrates prepared from common feedstuffs. Greater effects were observed when LY was fed to sows than added directly in vitro, suggesting effects on fermentation were not mediated directly.

Antioxidant capacity and phytochemical content of 16 sources of corn distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS).

Corn distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) is a co-product of the fuel ethanol industry that is an excellent source of energy, digestible amino acids, and digestible phosphorus. However, the antioxidant capacity and phytochemical content of DDGS and how it is influenced by production parameters is unknown. Therefore, 16 DDGS samples obtained from different ethanol production plants in the U.S. were characterized for antioxidant capacity, vitamin E, xanthophylls, and ferulic acid content and compared with corn. The antioxidant capacity of DDGS samples, measured using the 2,2-diphenyl-l-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay, varied almost 2 folds among samples, but in all cases was more than 3 times that of corn. All DDGS samples had a considerably greater concentration of tocopherols and tocotrienols (lipid-soluble antioxidants) than corn. However, the relative concentrations among the tocopherols and tocotrienols tended to be similar to corn. The xanthophyll lutein was present in all DDGS samples and in all cases exceeded the content in corn. Zeaxanthin was detected in most samples. The total ferulic acid content of the DDGS samples was almost 3-fold greater than corn, but, as in corn, almost all was present in a bound form. However, the concentration of unbound (free) ferulic acid was more than 3 times the concentration found in the corn sample. Thus, DDGS is a rich source of phytochemical compounds and may provide antioxidant and health benefits beyond its macronutrient composition. However, differences in processing can greatly influence the phytochemical content and quality of DDGS. In particular, thermal abuse due to excessive heat used in drying may lead to lipid oxidation products that may have deleterious effects when incorporated into feeds.

Nitrogen-corrected apparent metabolizable energy value of corn distillers dried grains with solubles for laying hens

The purpose of this study was to determine the nutrient composition and AMEn content of corn distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) to develop prediction equations for AMEn in laying hens. Ten samples of DDGS ranging in ether extract (EE) from 21.8 to 177.8 g/kg (DM basis) were selected and were subsequently fed to laying hens to determine AMEn content. A total of 176 62-week-old laying hens (Lohmann-Pink) were placed in metabolic cages (2 hens/cage) and were allotted into 11 dietary treatments (8 cages per treatment) according to hen-day egg production. Dietary treatments included a corn-soybean meal reference diet and 10 test diets. Each test diet was created by mixing the reference diet with 200 g/kg one of 10 DDGS samples at the expense of the energy-yielding ingredients (139.6 g/kg corn, 59.0 g/kg soybean meal, and 1.4 g/kg rapeseed oil).Experimental diets were fed in the 7-day adaptation period, followed by the 4-day total excreta collection period. Gross energy (GE) and crude protein (CP) of the experimental diets and excreta were determined to calculate AMEn for each DDGS sample. On the DM basis, AMEn of the 10 corn DDGS samples ranged from 729 to 2535 kcal/kg. Analyses were conducted to determine the GE, CP, EE, DM, crude fiber, neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), and ash content of the DDGS samples. Stepwise regression resulted in the following best-fit equation for AMEn (DM basis) based on the coefficient of determination, SE, and the Mallows’ statistic (Cp): AMEn, kcal/kg = 0.777 × GE (kcal/kg) − 5.39 × NDF (g/kg) (R2 = 0.99; SE = 172; Cp = −3.37). These results suggested that the composition of corn DDGS may be used to predict AMEn in laying hens.

The temperature of storage of a batch of wheat distillers dried grains with solubles samples on their nutritive value for broilers

ABSTRACT1. A batch of wheat distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) was obtained immediately after production and was separated into 5 equal parts and placed in woven polypropylene sacks. The samples were stored under 5 different temperature conditions for 1 year as follows: kept at a constant −20°C; kept at −20°C for 24 h period and after that kept at a constant +4°C; kept at a constant +4°C only; kept at a constant +15°C; stored at ambient temperature (range of weekly mean temperatures was from +4 to +22°C).2. Each of the 5 wheat DDGS samples was included (200 g/kg) in a nutritionally complete diet and fed to broiler chickens from 7 to 21 d of age. The chemical composition of the DDGS samples was determined at the beginning and at the end of the 1-year storage period.3. The nitrogen corrected apparent metabolisable energy (AMEn) and the nutrient availability of each sample was measured using a total collection technique. The growth performance of birds was also determined.4. The DDGS samples kept at a constant −20°C had higher dry matter, lower oxidation value and lower antioxidant contents. The DDGS sample that was stored at ambient temperatures had a higher AMEn than the rest of the DDGS samples.5. The results of this experiment have shown that there can be changes in the AMEn of wheat DDGS during storage at ambient temperatures. In general, there were no serious effects of storage of DDGS on its feeding value to broiler chickens.

Within plant variation of distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) produced from multiple raw materials in varying proportions: Chemical composition and in vitro evaluation of feeding value for ruminants

Chemical composition and feeding value of distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) differ among types of raw material and ethanol production plants. Possibly more challenging, variation does as well occur between batches from the same plant. Although some comprehensive studies on within plant variation of DDGS exist, they are limited to DDGS produced from maize as the sole raw material. Nevertheless, the use of raw material blends may increase variability, particularly if proportions of raw materials vary over time. In the current study, 28 samples of blend DDGS were obtained from one ethanol plant over 420days in around 14day intervals. The raw material blend contained varying proportions of barley, maize, wheat and sugar beet syrup. Samples were analyzed in terms of chemical composition including minerals. Energy and protein values for ruminants were estimated based on chemical composition and in vitro methods. Descriptive statistics were calculated to describe within plant variation, which affected DDGS characteristics to different extents. Coefficients of variation (CV) ranged from approximately 3% for crude protein and metabolizable energy to >25% for starch, sugar and Na. Regarding protein value, predicted ruminally undegraded feed crude protein (RUP) varied considerably (CV approximately 13%), whilst in vitro results for intestinal digestibility of RUP and utilizable crude protein at the duodenum displayed consistency (CV<5%). Differing methodology impeded comparison with previous research, but results indicate that varying proportions of raw materials did not result in increased variability compared with DDGS produced from a single raw material. In addition, regression analysis was performed to examine correlations between raw material proportions and DDGS characteristics. Resulting equations have to be considered specific for the current set of samples and ethanol plant. However, equations generally reflected the proportions and ascribed quality of the raw materials. Particularly, reasonable correlations were found for proximate constituents, energy concentrations and minerals K and Mn. In contrast, other macro and trace elements either could not be predicted by raw material proportions or equations were difficult to interpret. Similarly, characteristics of the protein value displayed very limited correlation to raw material proportions. These findings were likely because minerals as well as composition, degradability and digestibility of crude protein are more prone to be affected by processing details. Thus, results suggest a limited potential to predict chemical composition of blend DDGS from raw material proportions and, on the other hand, indicate the considerable impact of processing on DDGS characteristics.

Functional and Biochemical Alterations of Fish Meal, Soybean Meal, and Distillers Dried Grains with Solubles as Affected by a Single-Screw Extruder

The goal of this study was to investigate the effect of extrusion-forced structural changes on the extent of functional and biochemical changes of three selected protein sources that are predominantly used in aquafeed, i.e., fish meal (FM), soybean meal (SBM), and distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS). The samples were individually extruded in a single-screw extruder using a factorial design with replicated central composite points at a temperature of 80, 110, and 140 °C; screw speed of 80, 150, and 220 rpm; and moisture content of 150, 225, and 300 (g/kg). Extrusion temperature and feed moisture significantly affected the nitrogen solubility in water (NSI), sodium dodecyl sulfate, and 2-mercaptoethanol solvents. Screw speed had only a minor effect on this value (P < 0.05). Solubility results indicated that the contribution of hydrophobic and ionic interactions were more significant than that of the disulfide bonds, particularly for FM and SBM extrudates. For all extrudates, the highest peak viscosity was observed at the highest temperature and lowest screw speed. Extrusion processing led to considerable increase in T g of 79 % and 67 % for the DDGS and SBM samples, and a reduction of 19 % for the FM sample, respectively. Extrusion processing increased relative protein digestibility (RPD) of the SBM extrudates the most, followed by those of DDGS and FM. Overall, the severity of the extrusion conditions adversely affected available lysine content (AL) and L* color score, but relatively increased RPD of the extrudates. SBM extrudates had the lowest reduction in AL. Despite the decrease in AL, the results for both plant-based protein extrudates were comparable in quality to those of FM. The outputs of this study provide viable information for feed formulator and feed technologist in feed and food industries.

Nutrient composition, digestibility and energy value of distillers dried grains with solubles and condensed distillers solubles fed to growing pigs and evaluation of prediction methods

This study had two objectives: (1) to determine the nutritional value of 13 batches of distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) and 5 batches of condensed distillers solubles (CDS), and (2) to evaluate the prediction of the nutritional value of DDGS by using either mean values per DDGS type or lab measurements as potential predictors of nutrient content. The DDGS batches were derived from either wheat (n=3), corn (n=3) or a mixture of grains (n=7). The CDS batches were mainly wheat-based. The batches were collected from 11 European ethanol plants. Six barrows per dietary treatment were placed in individual metabolism cages and fed either a basic diet or a diet in which 30% of the basic diet was replaced by DDGS or CDS. Chromium oxide (4g/kg) was included in the feed as an external marker. Fecal and ileal samples were collected and the apparent fecal digestibility (AFD) and apparent ileal digestibility (AID) of the diets were calculated using the indicator method. Consequently, AFD and AID values for DDGS and CDS were calculated through difference. Nutrient components, color measurements and in vitro protein values were evaluated as variables to predict the AFD, AID and net energy (NE) value of DDGS by means of multiple regression analysis. The DDGS corn samples had a higher gross energy and crude fat (CFAT) content (P<0.001) and were more red (a*; P=0.002) and yellow (b*; P=0.003) than the DDGS wheat and DDGS mix samples. The NE value was also higher for DDGS corn (P<0.001). Large variation existed between DDGS samples in amino acid digestibility (particularly of Lysine), even when DDGS was produced from the same type of grain. Hence, the use of mean values for each DDGS type did not result in a good estimation of the nutritional value. The NE value of DDGS could be predicted by the color parameter b* (R2=71.1; P<0.001) and CFAT (R2=76.2; P<0.001), or by combining CFAT and acid detergent fiber (R2=94.0; P<0.001). No good prediction equations could be established for the amino acid digestibility. The CDS samples also showed high variation in nutrient and amino acid composition and digestibility, which limits their usability in practical pig feed formulation.

Determination and prediction of energy values in corn distillers dried grains with solubles sources with varying oil content for growing pigs.

This study was conducted to determine the DE and ME content of 25 samples of corn distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) fed to growing pigs and to generate prediction equations for DE and ME based on chemical analysis. The 25 samples included 15 full-oil (no oil extracted; ether extract [EE] > 8%) DDGS and 10 reduced-oil (oil extracted; EE < 8%) DDGS collected from 17 ethanol plants in China. A corn–soybean meal diet constituted the basal diet and the other 25 diets replaced a portion of the corn, soybean meal, and lysine of the basal diet with 28.8% of 1 of the 25 corn DDGS sources. Seventy-eight barrows (initial BW = 42.6 ± 6.2 kg) were used in the experiment conducted over 2 consecutive periods (n = 6 per treatment) using a completely randomized design. For each period, pigs were placed in metabolism cages for a 5-d total collection of feces and urine following a 7-d adaptation to the diets. Among the 25 corn DDGS samples, EE, NDF, DE, and ME content (DM basis) ranged from 2.8 to 14.2%, 31.0 to 46.6%, 3,255 to 4,103 kcal/kg, and 2,955 to 3,899 kcal/kg, respectively. Using a stepwise regression analysis, a series of DE and ME prediction equations were developed not only among all 25 DDGS but also only within 15 full-oil DDGS and 10 reduced-oil DDGS samples. The best fit equations of DE (kcal/kg DM) for the complete set of 25 DDGS, 15 full-oil DDGS, and 10 reduced-oil DDGS were 2,064 – (38.51 × % NDF) + (0.64 × % GE) – (39.70 × % ash), –(87.53 × % ADF) + (1.02 × % GE) – (22.99 × % hemicellulose), and 3,491 – (40.25 × % NDF) + (46.95 × % CP), respectively. The best fit equations for ME (kcal/kg DM) for the complete set of 25 DDGS, 15 full-oil DDGS, and 10 reduced-oil DDGS were 1,554 – (44.11 × % NDF) + (0.77 × % GE) – (68.51 × % ash), 7,898 – (42.08 × % NDF) – (136.17 × % ash) + (101.19 × % EE) (103.83 × % CP), and 4,066 – (46.30 × % NDF) + (45.80 × % CP) – (106.19 × % ash), respectively. Using the sum of squared residuals to compare the accuracy of the 3 groups of prediction equations revealed that separate equations for full-oil DDGS and reduced-oil DDGS each provided a better fit than a single equation for the entire set of DDGS sources. These results indicated that the DE and ME values in corn DDGS are related to the chemical composition, primarily the EE and fiber concentrations. Specific prediction equations derived from full-oil and reduced-oil DDGS are better than equations derived from the entire set of DDGS.

Identification of botanical and geographical origin of distillers dried grains with solubles by near infrared microscopy

Nowadays there is a strong need for methods capable of differentiating distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) according to their geographical and/or botanical origin. In this study, near infrared microscopy (NIRM) has been applied to differentiate corn and wheat DDGS samples and to differentiate corn DDGS from USA, Europe and China. Two multivariate prediction models have been developed for the discriminations. The models have been validated by cross validation and with an external set of samples and have been used to predict the botanical and geographical origin. Furthermore the probability of wrong prediction of the models has been calculated, to assess their performance profile. The prediction showed very good capability of the model to classify samples according to their botanical origin, whereas satisfying results were exclusively obtained when separating samples from China against the pooled set of samples from USA and Europe.

Enzymes enhance degradation of the fiber-starch-protein matrix of distillers dried grains with solubles as revealed by a porcine in vitro fermentation model and microscopy.

Effects of treating corn and wheat distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) with a multicarbohydrase alone or in combination with a protease on porcine in vitro fermentation characteristics and the matrix structure of the DGGS before and after the fermentation were studied. Three DDGS samples (wheat DDGS sample 1 [wDDGS1], wheat DDGS sample 2 [wDDGS2], and corn DDGS [cDDGS]) were predigested with pepsin and pancreatin. Residues were then subjected to in vitro fermentation using buffered mineral solution inoculated with fresh pig feces without or with a multicarbohydrase alone or in combination with protease in a 3 × 3 factorial arrangement. Accumulated gas production was measured for up to 72 h. Concentration of VFA was measured in fermented solutions. The matrix of native DDGS and their residues after fermentation was analyzed using confocal laser scanning microscopy and scanning electron microscopy to determine internal and external structures, respectively. On a DM basis, wDDGS1, wDDGS2, and cDDGS contained 35.5, 43.4, and 29.0% CP; 2.23, 0.51, and 6.40% starch; 0.82, 0.80, and 0.89% available Lys; and 24.8, 22.5, and 23.0% total nonstarch polysaccharides, respectively. The in vitro digestibility of DM for wDDGS1, wDDGS2, and cDDGS was 67.7, 72.1, and 59.6%, respectively. The cDDGS had greater ( < 0.05) total gas and VFA production than both wheat DDGS. The wDDGS2 had lower ( < 0.05) total gas production than wDDGS1. Multicarbohydrase increased ( < 0.05) total gas production for cDDGS and total VFA production for wDGGS1 but did not increase gas or VFA production for wDDGS2. Addition of protease with multicarbohydrase to DDGS reduced ( < 0.05) total gas and VFA productions and increased ( < 0.05) branched-chain VFA regardless of DDGS type. Confocal laser scanning microscopy and scanning electron microscopy revealed that DDGS were mainly aggregates of resistant and nonfermentable starchy and nonstarchy complexes formed during DDGS production. After in vitro fermentation with porcine fecal inoculum, particles of enzyme-treated DDGS were generally smaller than those of the untreated DDGS. In conclusion, cDDGS had a more porous matrix that was more fermentable than the wheat DDGS. The wDDGS2 was less fermentable than wDDGS1. Multicarbohydrase increased fermentability of cDDGS and wDDGS1 but not wDDGS2, indicating that its efficacy in DDGS is dependent on matrix porosity and DDGS source. Protease hindered efficacy of multicarbohydrase.