Potassium Diformate Research Articles

Effects of four short‐chain fatty acids or salts on fermentation characteristics and aerobic stability of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) silage

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effects of four chemicals on the fermentation quality and aerobic stability of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) silage. Wilted alfalfa was ensiled without additive (control), or with formic acid (FA), potassium diformate (KDF), sodium diacetate (SDA) or calcium propionate (CAP). After 60 days of ensiling, the pH values in FA, KDF and SDA silages were lower (P < 0.05) compared to that of control and CAP silages, and chemicals (P < 0.05) decreased butyric acid and ammonia N concentrations and populations of aerobic bacteria and yeasts compared to the control. The SDA and CAP silages had a higher (P < 0.05) lactic acid bacteria content compared to the FA and KDF silages. The SDA and CAP silages had higher (P < 0.05) acetic and propionic acid contents compared to the other silages, respectively. The ammonia N concentrations in the FA and KDF silages were lower compared to the other silages during the first 5 days of aerobic exposure, and then increased sharply to 105 and 100 g kg-1 total N, respectively, which was higher (P < 0.05) than that of the SDA and CAP silages on day 9 of aerobic exposure. Yeasts and aerobic bacteria counts in SDA silage slowly increased and remained at lower levels compared to the other silages after 7 days of aerobic exposure. Additives prolonged the aerobic stability duration compared to the control, and the SDA and CAP silages remained stable for more than 216 h, followed by the KDF and FA silages (202 and 196 h, respectively). © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Effects of formic acid and potassium diformate on the fermentation quality, chemical composition and aerobic stability of alfalfa silage

AbstractThe objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of potassium diformate (KDF) as a potential additive for alfalfa silage. Fresh alfalfa was untreated or treated with formic acid (4 g/kg fresh weight, FW) or three concentrations of KDF (4, 5.5 or 7 g/kg FW). After 60 days of ensiling, the addition of formic acid and greater levels of KDF (5.5 and 7 g/kg) effectively reduced silage pH and inhibited the undesirable bacteria, indicated by lower butyric acid, ethanol, ammonia N concentrations and microbial populations (including enterobacteria, yeasts, moulds and clostridia). Additives decreased the dry‐matter loss, and more water‐soluble carbohydrates were preserved in the silages with formic acid or potassium diformate than in the control. Alfalfa silages treated with formic acid at 4 g/kg FW or potassium diformate at 5.5 or 7 g/kg FW were classified as the highest quality silage based on the higher Flieg's point (above 70) and remained stable for more than 9 days during aerobic exposure. Potassium diformate is recommended as an effective additive for alfalfa silages at a level of 5.5 or 7 g/kg FW under the humid and hot conditions of southern China.

Effects of four short-chain fatty acids or salts on dynamics of fermentation and microbial characteristics of alfalfa silage

The effect of four chemical compounds with antimicrobial properties on the fermentation and microbial dynamics of alfalfa silages were studied under laboratory conditions. Fresh alfalfa was treated with (1) no additive (control), (2) formic acid (FA, 4g/kg fresh weight), (3) potassium diformate (PD, 5.5g/kg fresh weight), (4) sodium diacetate (SD, 7g/kg fresh weight), and (5) calcium propionate (CAP, 10g/kg fresh weight). First cut alfalfa was harvested at about 10% bloom stage, chopped to approximately 1.5cm particle length, and ensiled into plastic laboratory silos (1-L capacity, 9.5cm diameter×18.7cm height). Six silos for each treatment were opened after 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 3, 5, 7, 14 and 30days of ensiling, respectively. The pH readings for FA and PD silages rapidly decreased during the first 5days of ensiling and remained the lowest two values among the treatments through the entire ensiling. The lactic acid fermentation in FA and PD silages were retarded from the d 0.5 of ensiling, indicated by consistently lower lactic acid concentrations than control over the entire ensiling process. During the first 3days of ensiling, SD and CAP silages showed lower (P<0.05) lactic acid concentrations than untreated silages, however, this trend was reversed after 14days of ensiling. Three short-chain fatty salts decreased the butyric acid content and dry matter loss, preserved more WSC in alfalfa silage. Of the chemical additives, potassium diformate was as effective as formic acid in immediately reducing pH, while the addition of sodium diacetate and calcium propionate did not reduce silage pH to the level that ensure good conservation of alfalfa silage after 30days of ensiling.

Studying the effect of formic acid and potassium diformate on performance, immunity and gut health of broiler chickens.

Our trial was conducted to study the effects of formic acid (FA) and potassium di-formate (KDF) in broiler ration on performance, carcass traits, blood biochemical, intestinal microbial load, histological picture of intestine and immune parameters of broilers. In this study 360 one-day-old broiler chicks were divided to 3 groups with 3 replicates of 40 chicks each. The trial continued for 35 days. The control group was fed only basal diet (G1). Group 2 (G2) were fed basal diet supplemented with FA (5 g/kg diet), and group 3 (G3) received basal diet supplemented with KDF (5 g/kg diet). The results showed that both FA and KDF significantly increased body weight gain (BWG), dressing percentage of broilers and significantly decreased feed conversion ratio (FCR) (P < 0.05). The highest percent of breast and thigh was observed in G3. The improvement in villus height was observed in G2 and G3 compared with the control one, and the highest was in G3. The results evidence that the using of FA or KDF in broiler feeds have significant effects on performance, immune parameters, and gut health without having any significant effects on blood biochemical. However, KDF is more effective than FA as little amount of FA reaches the small intestine due to metabolism and absorption, whereas KDF permits a proportion of FA to pass through the fore-gut intact and enter the small intestinal tract. In addition, FA has a strong odor and corrosiveness to gastrointestinal tract which limits its use.

Supplementation of organic acids and algae extracts in the diet of red drum Sciaenops ocellatus : immunological impacts

The evaluation of a wide variety of immunostimulatory compounds in the diet of cultured fish has received heightened attention in recent years. However, two organic acids, polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) and potassium diformate (KDF), have been researched to only a limited extent with aquatic species but have been shown to have various positive effects on terrestrial animals. Two algae extracts, carrageenan and alginic acid, also have been shown to elicit immunostimulation in some fish. Therefore, this study was conducted with red drum, Sciaenops ocellatus, as a model marine species to study the effects of organic acids and algae extracts as feed supplements by evaluating several humoral and cellular immune responses. A 7-week feeding trial was conducted with disease-free juvenile red drum (average initial wt. 2.6 ± 0.2 g). Semipurified diets were formulated to be isocaloric and contain 40% crude protein. Based on previous studies with other fish species, experimental diets were produced by supplementing the basal diet with KDF at 0.6%, PHB at 2%, alginic acid at 1% or carrageenan at 0.5% by weight in place of cellulose. Fish were stocked into 110-L aquaria operated as a recirculating system with each diet assigned to three replicate aquaria containing 15 fish. At the end of 7 weeks, weight gain and feed efficiency were significantly (P < 0.0001) reduced in fish feed PHB compared to the basal diet and both algae extracts. The greatest phagocytic activity was found in fish fed the diet containing PHB. Total immunoglobulin level was higher in fish fed the diet supplemented with carrageenan. Goblet cell proliferation was greatest in the posterior end of the gastrointestinal tract but not different among dietary treatments. Organic acids and algae extracts evaluated in this study produced variable immunological responses in red drum with carrageenan showing the greatest potential as an immunostimulant.

The Moisture Sorption Characteristics of Dietary Potassium Diformate

Potassium diformate, a novel dietary additive, has been firstly authorized by the European Union as an alternative to antibiotic growth promoters. The moisture sorption characteristics of potassium diformate were measured by the means of the static gravimetric method. The results indicated that the moisture sorption velocity of potassium diformate is linearly dependent on the relative humidity at 30 °C during the first 12 h. Moreover, the equilibrium moisture content was significantly influenced by relative humidity. The critical relative humidity of potassium diformate is 46.2%. Study on moisture sorption characteristics of potassium diformate will provide the reference to choose operating conditions of preparation and post-processing.

Effects of potassium diformate on the gastric function of weaning piglets

Potassium diformate (KDF), as an acidifier, has been shown to improve growth performance in pigs, but it is not yet known whether KDF regulates gastric function. Thus, the objective of the present study was to investigate the effects of dietary KDF on gastric function in weaning piglets. One hundred and eighty Landrace × Large White piglets (bodyweight = 5.80 ± 0.15 kg) were weaned at 28 days old and randomly allocated into two groups, with six pens in each group and 15 piglets in each pen. Piglets in the control group were fed the basal diet, whereas the KDF-treated group was fed the basal diet supplemented with 10 g/kg KDF. After 35 days of feeding, the KDF treatment improved the bodyweight (P = 0.034) and reduced the relative weight of stomach (P = 0.050), decreased the hydrochloric acid concentration (P = 0.016) in the gastric digesta and the pepsin activity in the gastric oxyntic mucosa (P = 0.001) and increased the lactic acid concentration (P = 0.001) in the gastric digesta. Furthermore, KDF treatment increased the level of somatostatin (SS) (P = 0.009), but did not change the concentration of gastrin (P = 0.497) and the activity of H+-K+-ATPase (P = 0.575) in the gastric oxyntic mucosa. However, KDF treatment downregulated the expression of SS mRNA in the gastric oxyntic mucosa (P = 0.031) and upregulated the mRNA expression of gastrin (P &lt; 0.001) and H+-K+-ATPase (P &lt; 0.001) in the gastric oxyntic mucosa. These results suggest that the effects of KDF on weaning piglets may be related to the regulation of gastric function gene expression.

Potassium diformate influences gene expression of GH/IGF-I axis and glucose homeostasis in weaning piglets

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of potassium diformate (KDF) on growth performance of weaning piglets and genes expression related with growth axis and hepatic gluconeogenesis. A total of 180 piglets weaned at 28d of age were allocated randomly into two groups, with 6 pens in each group and 15 piglets in each pen. Piglets in the control group were fed basal diet, whereas the KDF-treated group was fed basal diet supplemented with 10g/kg KDF. After 5 weeks feeding, KDF-treated piglets showed higher average daily feed intake (ADFI) and average daily bodyweight gain (ADG) than those of the control (P<0.05), whereas the feed conversion ratio (FCR) was lower than that of the control (P=0.02). The apparent digestibility of dry matter and crude protein of the KDF-treated group were higher than those of the control group (P<0.01). KDF treatment did not change the blood indices level of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), high density lipoprotein (HDL), low density lipoprotein (LDL), total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG) and blood glucose (BG) in plasma. KDF treatment did not influence the mRNA expression of growth hormone releasing hormone (GHRH) and somatostatin (SS) in hypothalamus, and the levels of growth hormone receptor (GHR) and IGF-I receptor (IGF-IR) mRNA in pituitary. Whereas, it increased the abundance of GH mRNA in pituitary, and the mRNA of GHR, IGF-I, IGF-IR, glucose-6-phosphatase (G6PC), fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase (FBP) and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PCK) in liver (P<0.05). Furthermore, KDF treatment increased the concentration of IGF-I peptide in liver (P=0.000). These results suggest that, the beneficial effect of KDF on the growth performance may relate to the regulation of the GH axis and glucose homeostasis in piglets.

The effect of supplementation with polysaccharides, nucleotides, acidifiers and Bacillus strains in fish meal and soy bean based diets on growth performance in juvenile turbot (Scophthalmus maximus)

Abstract The investigation and application of a wide range of dietary supplements, such as probiotics, prebiotic and other additives, are increasingly popular in aquaculture research and practice. To date few studies have attempted to quantify the value of commercially available additives in improving growth performance of juvenile turbot (Scophthalmus maximus) and in compensating potential growth reduction resulting from high levels of plant protein (PP) in carnivorous fish diets. Two experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of different active ingredients in diet additives on turbot. I) Five diets supplemented with (1) yeast b-glucan and mannan oligosaccharides (GM), (2) alginic acid from brown algal extracts (AC), (3) yeast nucleotides and RNA (NR), (4) potassium diformate (PDF) and (5) bacteria strains Bacillus subtilis and B. licheniformis (BS), containing fish meal (FM) as the only protein source, were fed to turbots (initial weight 48.8 g ± 5.2 g) over 112 days. II) Four diets supplemented with (1) GM, (2) AC, (3) NR and (4) BS, containing soy protein concentrate (SPC) and wheat gluten (WG) as a partial replacement of FM, were fed to turbots (initial weight 95.8 g ± 17.7 g) over 84 days. A non-supplemented FM diet (exp. I) and an FM- and PP-based diet (exp. II), respectively, were used as control diets. Diet additives did not promote additional weight gain, specific growth rate (SGR), daily feed intake (DFI) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) in turbot fed FM- or PP-based diets (p > 0.05) when compared to isocaloric control diets in both experiments. Growth of turbots fed the high FM content control diet (II) was significantly higher than all other treatments (p 0.05). Results indicate that reported benefits for specific diet additives cannot be assumed to function or applied across species boundaries and age classes. In addition, dietary additive application may not be economically valid for larger animals and/or animals not exposed to specific culture-related stressors. The benefits of popular additives to high value species such as S. maximus remains to be tested under specific immune or physical stress situations and at crucial larval and early juvenile stages.

Effects of Different Levels of Potassium Diformate on Growth Performance and Feed Utilization of Monosex Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) Fingerlings

Potassium diformate has demonstrated effectiveness in enhancing growth performance of terrestrial animalsand improves the general health status of cultured animals by its stronger antimicrobial effect. Consequently, this studywas conducted to determine the effects of dietary organic acid salts as (potassium diformate) on growth promoters formonosex Nile tilapia fingerlings. Four experimental diets with three different inclusion levels of potassium diformate(KDF) (0.1, 0.3 and 0.5%) besides the control diet containing no KDF. A total of 120 tilapia, weighing approximately5±0.5 g, were divided equally between 4 different treatments with 3 replicates (10 fish / replicate). Fish were fed twotimes a day at rate 3% of body weight on a pelletized isonitrogenous diet containing 25% crude protein and isocaloric(gross energy 393 Kcal/100g). The results indicated that the addition of 0.3% KDF had a significantly higher growthperformance, feed conversion ratio, feed efficiency, feed intake and survival of monosex tilapia fingerlings, compared tothe control group. In conclusion, these results revealed that using 0.3% KDF was the best in terms of growth performanceand economic analysis under this experimental condition.

Effects of organic acids on growth performance and digestive enzyme activities of juvenile red drum Sciaenops ocellatus

Abstract In aquaculture species, organic acids and their salts have been shown to trigger beneficial effects on mineral absorption, nutrient digestibility and growth performance by reducing the pH in the digestive tract through H + ion deposition. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine if calcium lactate (CaLac), citric acid (CA) and potassium diformate (KDF) can improve growth performance of juvenile red drum ( Sciaenops ocellatus ) and if improved performance is in part due to an increase in digestive enzyme activities. A basal diet was formulated to contain 40% crude protein and six experimental diets were prepared by supplementing the basal diet with 1.5% or 3.0% CaLac, 0.75% or 1.5% CA and 0.75% or 1.5% KDF. One hundred eighty juvenile red drum were stocked in 110-L glass aquaria (20 fish/aquarium), and diets were fed to fish in triplicate aquaria at a rate approaching apparent satiation, twice daily, for 8 weeks in two separate trials. At the end of each feeding trial, growth performance indicators were obtained and four fish per aquarium were euthanized to measure pH of the digestive tract contents as well as to evaluate the digestive enzyme activities. The pH of the experimental diets was lowered by the addition of 0.75% CA (pH 5.63), 1.5% CA (pH 5.36) and 1.5% KDF (pH 5.79) when compared with the basal diet (pH 6.15). Moreover, the pH values of the stomach contents were correlated with the pH of the experimental diets. Additionally, based on the weight gain results, it seems that organic acids at a 1.5% dose can improve growth performance in juvenile red drum, although only the weight gain in the 1.5% CA treatment (1547%) was significantly higher than the basal treatment (1357%). This enhanced performance may be in part due to an increment in the activity of digestive enzymes, because pepsin activity, pancreatic enzyme activities (trypsin and lipase) and intestinal enzyme activities (leucin-aminopeptidase and phosphatases) were higher with the inclusion of organic acids in the diet.

Eubiotic effect of a dietary acidifier (potassium diformate) on the health status of cultured Oreochromis niloticus

In connection with the global demand for safe human food and the production of environmentally friendly aquaculture products, acidifiers are natural organic acids and salts that have received considerable attention as animal-feed additives. The current study was designed to evaluate the effects of potassium diformate (KDF) on the growth performance and immunity of cultured Oreochromis niloticus (O. niloticus). Four iso-nitrogenous and iso-caloric rations containing graded levels of KDF, including 0% (control basal diet), 0.1%, 0.2% and 0.3%, were fed separately to four equal fish groups (30 fish/group with an initial body weight of 53.49±6.15g) for sixty days. At the end of the experimental period, the fish groups fed on 0.2% and 0.3% KDF exhibited significant improvements in their feed intake, live weight gain, specific growth rate, feed conversion ratio and protein efficiency ratio, with concomitant improvement of their apparent protein digestibility (p<0.05). Dietary supplementation of 0.3% KDF appeared to stimulate the beneficial intestinal flora; a proliferation was observed of indigenous probionts (Eubiosis) associated with the relative activation of cellular and humeral innate immunity (phagocytic activity/index, nitroblue tetrazolium reduction test and serum/gut mucous lysozyme activity). The cumulative mortality of the fish groups fed on KDF and challenged orally with Aeromonas hydrophila was lower than that of the control group. The resistance against diseases increased with dietary KDF in a dose-dependent manner. Thus, we conclude that the use of acidifiers can be an efficient tool to achieve sustainable, economical and safe fish production.

Effects of dietary supplementation with two potassium formate sources on performance of 8- to 22-kg pigs

Dietary inclusion of salts of organic acids may modulate intestinal microbiota and enhance performance of pigs. Published data on the effects of potassium formate (KF; pH 6.0-8.5) on pig performance are scarce compared with that of potassium diformate (KDF; pH 4.1-4.5). Therefore, the objective was to evaluate the effects of KDF or KF supplementation on performance of 8- to 22-kg pigs. A 35-d growth trial was conducted with 144 PIC pigs (initial BW of 7.9 ± 0.69 kg) with 6 pigs (3 gilts and 3 barrows) per pen and 8 pens per treatment. Pigs were assigned to 3 diets based on corn (Zea mays), wheat (Triticum aestivum), and soybean (Glycine max) meal for each of the prestarter (days 1-14) and starter phases (days 15-35). The basal diet was supplemented with KDF at 1.20% or KF at 1.56% replacing corn starch to create diets 2 and 3, respectively, to provide a constant formate content. The ADG and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were not affected by the addition of KDF or KF during the prestarter phase. Addition of KDF or KF to the basal diet increased (P < 0.01) ADG and final BW and improved FCR (P < 0.05) during the starter and the overall 35-d period. The ADFI was not affected by the treatments. Performance of pigs fed diets supplemented with KF and KDF were similar. Diarrhea incidences were observed during week 1 but no differences were observed (P > 0.05) among treatments in term of the number of antibiotic treatments or fecal consistency scores. Overall, the supplementation of 1.56% KF or 1.20% KF improved performance of weaned pigs.

Effects of feed processing conditions and acid salts on nutrient digestibility and physical quality of soy-based diets for Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar)

Two experiments were conducted to investigate effects of feed processing conditions and potassium diformate (KDF) supplementation on apparent digestibility of nutrients in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) and physical quality of extruded feed. In Exp. 1, diets with raw or expander pretreated full-fat soybean meal (FFSBM) at 100 or 120 °C were extruded at 110 °C. Expander pretreatment significantly (P < 0.05) improved the digestibility of arginine, glutamine and tyrosine in Atlantic salmon. The higher digestibility of expander pretreated FFSBM was confirmed in mink (Mustela vison). In Exp. 2, diets with defatted soybean meal (SBM) were extruded at 110, 130 or 150 °C. The results showed that increasing extrusion temperatures significantly (P < 0.05) improved the digestibility of most major nutrients and amino acids in Atlantic salmon. In general, KDF supplementation to FFSBM and SBM diets did not affect digestibility of nutrients in Atlantic salmon or mink. Expander pretreatment and increasing extrusion temperatures increased pellet expansion, while KDF supplementation reduced pellet expansion.

Comparative Effects of Sodium Gluconate, Mannan Oligosaccharide and Potassium Diformate on Growth Performances and Small Intestinal Morphology of Nursery Pigs

This study was conducted to compare the effects of dietary supplementation of Sodium Gluconate (SG), Mannan Oligosaccharide (MOS) and Potassium Diformate (PDF) on growth performance and small intestinal morphology in nursery piglets. One hundred forty four female piglets () were divided into 4 treatments with six replicates of six pigs each. The pigs received a control diet or diets supplemented with SG, MOS and PDF at 2,500, 3,000 and 8,000 ppm; respectively, for 6 weeks. Supplementation of SG, MOS or PDF increased final body weight, average daily gain and tended to improve feed to gain ratio (p = 0.02, 0.04 and 0.16; respectively), other than average daily feed intake, intestinal pH and the bacterial populations were not influenced by the dietary treatments. SG significantly decreased the ammonia concentration in the caecum (p0.05). It can be concluded that supplementing SG, MOS or PDF as a feed additive has the potential to improve the growth performance, the intestinal lactic acid bacteria population, intestinal short-chain fatty acid concentration and the intestinal morphology of pigs.

Effect of Dietary Potassium Diformate on the Growth of Growing Broiler Chickens

Potassium diformate (KDF), a chemical complex of formic acid and potassium formate, improves growth performance in pigs. The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of dietary KDF on the growth, nitrogen retention, intestinal pH, counts of Enterococcus faecalis, coliforms, and lactic acid bacteria in the cecum, and humoral immune response of growing broiler chickens. Twenty four male broiler chicks were randomly assigned into three groups (eight birds in each group). Each group was fed an antibiotics free commercial diet (as a control diet, 23% CP, 3,000 kcal of ME/kg), a control diet containing KDF at 1%, or a control diet containing antibiotics (50 g titer/t Salinomycin, 50 g titer/t Avilamycin) until 28 days of age. Dietary KDF significantly increased the weights of body, breast muscle, thighs and wings, whereas the weights of liver and abdominal fat were not affected. These findings suggest that the increase of body weight by dietary KDF might be due to the increased muscle weight. Dietary KDF did not affect nitrogen retention. Dietary KDF did not affect the intestinal pH, and the counts of Enterococcus faecalis, coliforms, and lactic acid bacteria in the cecum. Hemagglutination titer was not affected by dietary KDF. Thus, although the mechanisms of the growth promotion by dietary KDF are not clear, our findings suggest that the KDF might promote growth of broiler chickens at least in the early phase of growth.

Development of a 3D human in vitro skin co‐culture model for detecting irritants in real‐time

Tissue engineered materials for clinical purposes have led to the development of in vitro models as alternatives to animal testing. The aim of this study was to understand the paracrine interactions arising between keratinocytes and fibroblasts for detecting and discriminating between an irritant-induced inflammatory reaction and cytotoxicity. We used two irritants [sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) and potassium diformate (Formi] at sub-toxic concentrations and studied interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1 alpha) release from human keratinocytes and activation of NF-kappaB in human fibroblasts. NF-kappaB activation in fibroblast 2D cultures required soluble factors released by prior incubation of keratinocytes with either SDS or Formi. Neither cell type responded directly to either agent, confirming a paracrine mechanism. Fibroblasts were then cultured in 3D microfiber scaffolds and transfected with an NF-kappaB reporter construct linked to GFP. Findings for 3D cultures were similar to those in 2D in that soluble factors released by prior incubation of keratinocytes with SDS or Formi was required for NF-kappaB activation in fibroblasts. Similarly, direct incubation with either agent did not directly activate NF-kappaB. A technical advantage of using transfected cells in 3D was an ability to detect NF-kappaB activation in live fibroblasts. To confirm paracrine signaling a twofold increase in IL-1 alpha was measured in keratinocyte-conditioned medium after incubation with SDS or Formi, which correlated with fibroblast NF-kappaB activity. In summary, this work has value for developing 3D tissue engineered co-culture models for the in vitro testing of irritant chemicals at sub-toxic concentrations, as an alternative to in vivo models.

Optimization of Green Synthesis of Potassium Diformate and Its Potential as a Mold Inhibitor for Animal Feed

Potassium diformate (KDF) has been regarded as an alternative to antibiotic growth promoters for animals. This paper delineates a 100% atom economical process for the preparation of KDF from formic acid and potassium formate. Parametric optimization of the synthesis was conducted with respect to reaction time, reaction temperature, and molar ratio of the reactants by employing orthogonal design of experiment method. The results manifested a molar ratio of HCOOH to HCOOK of 1.3, reaction temperature of 65 °C, and reaction time of 30 min as the optimal conditions with a KDF product yield of 94.0%. Efforts were also made to explore the antimold performance of KDF on animal feed using the plate count method. Compared with sodium diacetate (SDA), the widely used mold inhibitor, KDF exhibited even better antimold performance for animal feed. To our knowledge, this work first proved the applicability of KDF as a mold inhibitor for animal feed.

Safety and efficacy of Formi™ LHS (potassium diformate) as a feed additive for sows

EFSA JournalVolume 7, Issue 9 1315 OpinionOpen Access Safety and efficacy of Formi™ LHS (potassium diformate) as a feed additive for sows EFSA Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed (FEEDAP), EFSA Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed (FEEDAP)Search for more papers by this author EFSA Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed (FEEDAP), EFSA Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed (FEEDAP)Search for more papers by this author First published: 29 September 2009 https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2009.1315Citations: 4 Panel members: Gabriele Aquilina, Georges Bories, Paul Brantom, Francesca Caloni, Andrew Chesson, Pier Sandro Cocconcelli, Noël Dierick, Mikolaj Antoni Gralak, Jürgen Gropp, Ingrid Halle, Nils-Gunnar Ilbäck, Joop de Knecht, Reinhard Kroker, Peadar Lawlor, Lubomir Leng, Sven Lindgren, Anne-Katrine Lundebye Haldorsen, Alberto Mantovani, Miklós Mézes, Derek Renshaw, Maria Saarela Correspondence: feedap@efsa.europa.eu Adoption date: 15 September 2009 Published date: 29 September 2009 Question number: EFSA-Q-2008-00693 On request from: European Commission AboutPDF ToolsExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Citing Literature Volume7, Issue9September 20091315 ReferencesRelatedInformation

Effects of feed particle size at dietary presence of added organic acids on caecal parameters and the prevalence of Salmonella in fattening pigs on farm and at slaughter

In a field study with fattening pigs, effects of feed particle size at the dietary presence of organic acids on Salmonella prevalence were measured. On two farms (f1/f2), each holding ∼800 pigs, diets based on finely ground (control) or coarsely ground ingredients (experiment) were fed as crumbs. On f1 both control and experimental grower and finisher diets contained identical concentrations of formic and propionic acid (0.4% and 0.2% respectively). On f2 only finisher diet of the experimental group contained 1.2% potassium diformate. At the start of the fattening period no statistical differences were measured between Salmonella prevalence in animals fed control and experimental diets on both farms. At slaughter Salmonella prevalence in caecal contents was lower (p < 0.05) on f1 in animals fed the experimental diet. Furthermore, the number of seronegative meat juice samples taken from these animals [optical density (OD) <10] was higher (p < 0.001); seropositive as well as distinct seropositive samples (OD ≥20 and ≥40 respectively) were less frequent (p < 0.01) compared to samples from animals fed the control diet. Feeding the experimental diet on f2 resulted in a lower Salmonella detection rate in faeces before slaughter (p < 0.01). Salmonella prevalence was lower in caecal content at slaughter for pigs fed the experimental diet compared to those fed control diet (p < 0.0001). The number of distinct seropositive meat juice samples (OD ≥40) was lower (p < 0.01) for pigs fed the experimental than for those fed the control diet. In comparison to pigs in the control group, starch concentrations in the caecal content from pigs in the experimental groups on both farms were higher (p < 0.05) and the pH values lower (p < 0.05). Propionate (p < 0.0001) and butyrate (p < 0.01) concentrations were higher in the caecal content taken from pigs in the experimental group on f2.