Wheat Distillers Dried Grains With Solubles Research Articles

Effect of Dried Distillers Grains With Solubles and Red Osier Dogwood Extract on Fermentation Pattern and Microbial Profiles of a High-Grain Diet in an Artificial Rumen System.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS) and red-osier dogwood (ROD) extract on in vitro fermentation characteristics, nutrient disappearance, and microbial profiles using the rumen simulation technique. The experiment was a completely randomized design with a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments and four replicates per treatment. A basal diet [10% barley silage, 87% dry-rolled barley grain, and 3% vitamin and mineral supplement, dry matter (DM) basis] and a DDGS diet (as per basal diet with 25% of wheat DDGS replacing an equal portion of barley grain) were supplemented with ROD extract at 0 and 1% (DM basis), respectively. The experimental period was 17 d, consisting 10 days of adaptation and 7 days of data and sample collection. The substitution of wheat DDGS for barley grain did not affect gas production; disappearances of DM, organic matter, and crude protein; total volatile fatty acid (VFA) production; and microbial protein production. However, replacing barley grain with wheat DDGS increased (P = 0.01) fermenter pH and molar proportion of branched-chain VFA, switched (P = 0.06) the fermentation pattern to higher acetate production due to increased (P = 0.01) disappearance of neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and decreased (P = 0.08) methane (CH4) production. In the basal barley diet, the ROD extract increased the acetate to propionate (A:P) ratio (P = 0.08) and reduced the disappearance of starch (P = 0.06) with no effect on any other variables. No effects of ROD in the DDGS diet were observed. The number of operational taxonomic unit (OTUs) and the Shannon diversity index of the microbial community had little variation among treatments. Taxonomic analysis revealed no effect of adding the ROD extract on the relative abundance of bacteria at the phylum level with either the basal diet or DDGS diet, while at the genus level, the microbial community was affected by the addition of both DDGS and the ROD extract. Prevotella and Fibrobacter were the most abundant genera in the basal diet; however, Treponema became the most abundant genus with the addition of the ROD extract. These results indicated that the substitution of wheat DDGS for barley grain may mitigate enteric CH4 emissions. The trend of reduced starch fermentability and increased NDF disappearance with the addition of ROD extract suggests a reduced risk of rumen acidosis and an improvement in the utilization of fiber for cattle-fed high-grain diet.

Inclusion of Wheat Dried Distillers' Grains with Solubles from Bioethanol Plants in Diets for Dairy Cows.

Simple SummaryThere are environmental concerns about feeding imported soya bean meal to dairy cows in Europe. An alternative protein source is dried distillers’ grains with solubles (DDGS), a co-product of bioethanol manufacture. Corn is the main source of bioethanol and DDGS in the USA, and corn DDGS is widely researched. Wheat is used for bioethanol and DDGS manufacture in Canada and Europe, but most studies of wheat DDGS in dairy diets have used one dietary inclusion level. Responses of dairy cows to inclusion level of wheat DDGS made in Europe are unknown. In this study, we tested two batches of wheat DDGS from UK bioethanol plants, which replaced soya and rapeseed meal in diets for high-yielding dairy cows. One batch of wheat DDGS had a low proportion of solubles, which decreased its metabolisable energy content and limited inclusion level to below 20% of diet dry matter before dry matter intake and milk yield were depressed. The other batch of wheat DDGS had a typical proportion of solubles, resulting in higher metabolisable energy content, and could be included to at least 22.5% of diet dry matter without affecting dry matter intake and milk yield. Results of this study give confidence that wheat DDGS produced in Europe can be used at high inclusion levels in diets for high-yielding dairy cows.Dried distillers’ grains with solubles (DDGS) from bioethanol production can replace soya in diets for dairy cows, but the optimum inclusion level of European wheat DDGS (wDDGS) is unknown. Two batches of wDDGS from different UK bioethanol plants were fed to 44 (Experiment 1) and 40 (Experiment 2) cows in a Latin square design. Each wDDGS replaced soya and rapeseed at four inclusion levels (g/kg of diet dry matter (DM): 0, 80, 160 and 240—Experiment 1; 0, 75, 150 and 225—Experiment 2). Diets were balanced for metabolisable energy (ME) and protein (MP), and for minimum starch and saturated fat in Experiment 2. In Experiment 1, DM intake (29 kg/day) and milk yield (42.3 kg/day) were unaffected by wDDGS inclusion up to 160 g/kg but were lower than control with 240 g/kg inclusion, which was attributed to the low proportion of solubles in this wDDGS batch. In Experiment 2, DM intake (22.4 kg/day) and milk yield (32.1 kg/day) were unaffected by wDDGS inclusion up to 225 g/kg. ME content of wDDGS, determined in vivo (MJ/kg DM) was 12.1 (Experiment 1) and 13.4 (Experiment 2). It is concluded that the optimum inclusion level of wDDGS is at least 225 g/kg DM in diets balanced for minimum starch and saturated fat as well as ME and MP supplies.

Effect of wheat distillers dried grains with solubles and exogenous xylanase on laying hen performance and egg quality.

Despite the rapid increase in the use of wheat distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) within the poultry sector, little information is available on how the long-term feeding of this by-product will affect the performance of laying hens. This experiment examined the effect of wheat DDGS, with and without exogenous xylanase on dietary apparent metabolizable energy (AME), total tract dry matter retention (DMR), nitrogen retention (NR), fat digestibility (FD) coefficients, feed intake (FI), bodyweight gain (BWG), eggs laid, mean egg weight, egg mass output, and egg quality characteristics including albumin height (AH), Haugh units (HU), yolk color, eggshell strength, and thickness. A total of 320 Hy-Line brown laying hens were randomly allocated to 80 enriched layer colonies (groups of 4). A total of 2 control wheat-soybean meal-based diets were formulated to contain 11.60MJ/kg. One of the diets contained 300g/kg wheat DDGS, while the other was DDGS free, with a respective crude protein content of 171.1g/kg and 166.5g/kg. Both diets were divided by 2 and half of them were supplemented with 2,500 U/kg of xylanase, resulting in 4 diets in total. Data was analyzed as a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments with analysis of variance (ANOVA). Diets were fed ad libitum from 17 to 43 wk of age and data was collected from 23 to 43 wk. The inclusion of wheat DDGS reduced (P < 0.001) dry matter retention (DMR), FI, BWG, eggs laid, mean egg weight, and egg mass. However, xylanase supplementation improved AME and NR in diets containing wheat DDGS and FD in diets without DDGS (DDGS × xylanase, P < 0.05) and tended to improve (P < 0.10) BWG and egg mass output. For egg quality measurements, the inclusion of DDGS improved (P = 0.046) HU values, eggshell strength (P < 0.001), and increased (P < 0.001) yolk color intensity. This experiment showed xylanase can be used to improve the AME and NR of DDGS-based diets. However, the long-term feeding of 300g/kg wheat DDGS negatively impacts the productive performance of hens.

Nutrient content and digestibility of different batches of wheat distillers dried grains with solubles for laying hens

ABSTRACT1. Four batches of wheat distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) produced by a single production plant were used to investigate variation in digestible energy (DE) and nutrient digestibility for laying hens.2. A total of 144 Hy-Line Brown laying hens were allocated to eight treatment groups in replicates of six. Experimental diets were prepared by replacing the basal feed with either 150 g/kg or 300 g/kg of each batch of DDGS.3. Chemical analysis of the DDGS showed variation between the different batches. Largest coefficients of variation were observed for starch (0.546) and total soluble non-starch polysaccharides (NSP; 0.276).4. Digestible energy and the nutrient digestibility of each diet was measured using the ileal collection technique. Data were statistically analysed as a blocked 2 × 4 factorial design analysis of variance (ANOVA).5. Variability between the different diets were observed for digestible energy and the digestibility of certain nutrients (P < 0.05).6. The observed differences in energy utilisation and nutrient digestibility in laying hens suggested that the feeding quality of diets containing different wheat DDGS batches produced by a single production plant may still have large variation.

Effects of distillers dried grains with solubles on amino acid digestibility, growth performance, and carcass characteristics of growing pigs.

Two experiments were conducted to compare the standardized ileal digestibility (SID) of AA by growing pigs in European distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) produced from wheat, maize, or wheat–maize mixtures and to test the effect of increasing the inclusion levels of wheat DDGS on growth performance of growing-finishing pigs fed diets balanced for NE and SID Lys. In Exp. 1, 12 barrows (initial BW: 23.0 ± 2.2 kg) were surgically equipped with a T-cannula in the distal ileum and randomly allotted to a replicated 6 × 6 Latin square design with six diets and six periods. Five sources of European DDGS were used: wheat DDGS from 2011, wheat DDGS from 2012, wheat-80 DDGS (80% wheat and 20% maize), wheat-70 DDGS (70% wheat and 30% maize), and maize DDGS. Each diet contained one source of DDGS as the sole source of AA and an N-free diet was used to determine basal endogenous losses of AA. Results indicated that the SID of CP was greater (P < 0.05) in maize DDGS compared with wheat DDGS from 2011, wheat DDGS from 2012, and wheat-70 DDGS. The SID of all indispensable AA except Trp was also greater (P < 0.05) in maize DDGS compared with all other DDGS sources used in this experiment. For Trp, the SID in wheat-80 DDGS, wheat DDGS from 2011, and wheat DDGS from 2012 were not different from maize DDGS, but were greater (P < 0.05) than in wheat-70 DDGS. The SID for all indispensable AA except Ile and Trp in wheat-70 DDGS were not different from the values calculated for wheat DDGS from 2011 and wheat DDGS from 2012, and no differences between SID values for AA in wheat DDGS from 2011 and wheat DDGS from 2012 were observed. In Exp. 2, 36 growing pigs (initial BW: 38.3 ± 1.97 kg) were randomly allotted to one of four dietary treatments (one pig/pen and nine replicate pigs/treatment) in a 2-phase feeding program (35 to 65, and 35 to 105 kg BW). The four dietary treatments included diets containing 0%, 10%, 20%, or 30% wheat DDGS. Results indicated that there was no effect of wheat DDGS on pig growth performance or carcass quality. However, addition of wheat DDGS increased linearly (P < 0.015) the indole concentration in the carcasses of the pigs. In conclusion, the SID of AA in maize DDGS produced in Europe is greater than in European wheat DDGS and DDGS produced from mixtures of wheat and maize, but inclusion of 30% wheat DDGS in diets fed to growing-finishing pigs did not affect growth performance or carcass quality.

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.

Inoculum source and transfer of rumen contents from bison to cattle improved in vitro gas production and feed digestibility, but not the responses to exogenous enzymes supplementation

We hypothesized that inoculating the rumen of beef cattle with rumen contents of bison and supplementing with exogenous fibrolytic enzymes (FE) would improve ruminal feed digestibility by enhancing microbiome activity in the rumen. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effects of inoculum source (cattle versus bison), inocula after transfer from bison to cattle, FE supplementation, and their interaction on in vitro fermentation of barley straw, alfalfa hay and wheat dried distillers grain with solubles (DDGS). Rumen content transfers were performed using 16 beef heifers (body weight = 461 kg) twice at a 2-week interval by replacing 0.70 of total rumen contents of heifers with an equivalent amount of mixed rumen contents collected from plains bison. Three experiments were conducted using batch culture techniques. Barley straw and alfalfa hay were ground through 1-mm screen and DDGS was incubated as-is. In Exp. 1, inocula were prepared by combining rumen fluids (vol/vol) of cattle and bison at ratios of 100:0, 67:33, 33:67 and 0:100; the substrates were incubated for 96 h for determination of gas production (GP) kinetics. In Exp. 2, inocula with the same ratios as in Exp. 1 were incubated with substrates in vitro for 24 h to determine dry matter (DM) digestibility (DMD). In Exp. 3, incubations were conducted for 6, 24 and 48 h with the same substrates in four runs to compare the before versus after inocula effect. Each batch culture was a completely randomized design without or with FE addition at a rate of 2.0 μl/g substrate DM. Three different FE products (referred to FE1, FE2 and FE3) were used, with FE1 added in Exp. 1 and 2, while all 3 FE were added and compared in Exp. 3. Asymptotic GP of barley straw and alfalfa hay was not affected, whereas that of wheat DDGS responded quadratically (P < 0.04) with increasing bison contents in inocula. Rate of GP decreased (P < 0.03) for barley straw and alfalfa hay (quadratic), and for wheat DDGS (linear) with increasing bison contents in inocula (Exp. 1). In vitro DMD of barley straw at 24 h of incubation quadratically (P < 0.02) increased with increasing bison contents in inocula, whereas DMD of alfalfa hay and DDGS linearly (P < 0.01) decreased (Exp. 2). For Exp. 3, the DMD of barley straw, alfalfa hay and DDGS were greater (P < 0.05) at 6 h of incubation with the inocula collected after, as compared to before the rumen content transfer. In contrast, the DMD of alfalfa hay at 48 h and DDGS at 24 h and 48 h were less (P < 0.04) with inocula after versus before rumen content transfer. Addition of FE improved (P < 0.05) DMD of DDGS. The results demonstrated that the ruminal inocula from bison had an advanced capacity to degrade fibrous feed in vitro as compared to those from cattle. Enrichment of the cattle rumen microbiome with that of bison could potentially improve rumen digestion of fibrous feeds in beef cattle. Moreover, the results also suggest that the improvement in feed digestibility due to supplemental FE may be independent of inoculum source.

Novel extremophilic proteases from Pseudomonas aeruginosa M211 and their application in the hydrolysis of dried distiller's grain with solubles.

Proteases are the most important group of industrial enzymes and they can be used in several fields including biorefineries for the valorization of industrial byproducts. In this study, we purified and characterized novel extremophilic proteases produced by a Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain isolated from Mauritia flexuosa palm swamps soil samples in Peruvian Amazon. In addition, we tested their ability to hydrolyze distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) protein. Three alkaline and thermophilic serine proteases named EI, EII, and EIII with molecular weight of 35, 40, and 55 kDa, respectively, were purified. EI and EIII were strongly inhibited by EDTA and Pefabloc being classified as serine-metalloproteases, while EII was completely inhibited only by Pefabloc being classified as a serine protease. In addition, EI and EII exhibited highest enzymatic activity at pH 8, while EIII at pH 11 maintaining almost 100% of it at pH 12. All the enzymes demonstrated optimum activity at 60°C. Enzymatic activity of EI was strongly stimulated in presence of Mn2+ (6.9-fold), EII was stimulated by Mn2+ (3.7-fold), while EIII was slightly stimulated by Zn2+ , Ca2+ , and Mg2+ . DDGS protein hydrolysis using purified Pseudomonas aeruginosa M211 proteases demonstrated that, based on glycine released, EIII presented the highest proteolytic activity toward DDGS. This enzyme enabled the release 63% of the total glycine content in wheat DDGS protein, 2.2-fold higher that when using the commercial Pronase®. Overall, our results indicate that this novel extremopreoteases have a great potential to be applied in DDGS hydrolysis. © 2018 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 35: e2728, 2019.

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.

Prediction of the concentration of standardized ileal digestible amino acids and safety margins among sources of distillers dried grains with solubles for growing pigs: A meta-analysis approach

The concentration of standardized ileal digestible (SID, g/kg) amino acid (AA) is variable among sources of distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS). The range in SID Lys among sources of DDGS reported in the literature varies among studies from 0.8 to 8.2g/kg (88% DM basis). A meta-analysis was conducted using a database representing 23 published studies, with 118 sources of DDGS, to develop prediction equations for estimating the content of SID essential AA based on chemical composition. Sources of DDGS were separated into subgroups according to the type of grain used: corn (n=90), wheat (n=12), sorghum (n=2), corn and wheat blend (n=7), and other grains (rice, blend of corn and sorghum, or blend of more than 2 grains; n=7). Descriptive statistics included means of nutrient composition among publications, types of grains, and pig body weight. After testing for normal distribution and outliers, data were analyzed using a mixed model with publication as a random effect. Redundant variables were removed after collinearity analysis. A validation step was performed for all models to compare predicted vs. observed values. Compared with corn DDGS, wheat DDGS had greater (P<0.05) content of crude protein (336 vs. 271, g/kg), acid detergent fibre (ADF, 151 vs. 115g/kg), and tryptophan (3.1 vs. 2.0g/kg), but less ether extract (48 vs. 88, g/kg), lysine (6.0 vs. 8.0, g/kg) and lysine SID coefficient (0.533 vs. 0.617). For all types of DDGS, the best predictor of SID AA content was the corresponding total AA content (R2 ranged from 0.97 to 0.99). Neutral detergent fibre (NDF) or ADF had negative effects on the SID content of AA with small slopes for NDF (−0.005 to −0.002) and ADF (−0.028 to −0.001). An interaction (P=0.048) between essential AA content and ADF was only observed in the SID threonine. Safety margins for diet formulation can be estimated using the radius of the 95% confidence interval for lysine (0.37, g/kg), methionine (0.15, g/kg), threonine (0.31g/kg), and tryptophan (0.10, g/kg). In all models that predicted essential AA content, the intercept (=0) and slope (=1) were not different (P>0.10) between model predicted and observed SID AA values, suggesting high accuracy of the models. In conclusion, accurate prediction equations were developed for estimating the SID essential AA content and suggested safety margins for DDGS from various grain sources.

Nutritive value of distillers dried grains with solubles from barley, corn and wheat for growing rabbits

Due to their fibrous nature, distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) from the bioethanol industry could be considered an interesting feedstuff for rabbit nutrition. To characterize the DDGS available in the Iberian Peninsula the chemical, amino acid and fatty acid composition of eight DDGS batches (2, 2 and 4 from barley, corn and wheat grains, respectively) was performed. Five diets were formulated to determine the nutritive value of DDGS in growing rabbits by the substitution method: a control diet and four experimental diets containing 200g of the DDGS being evaluated kg−1 dry mater (DM) [DDGS from national barley, national corn, Brazilian corn and national wheat grains]. The digestibility trial was performed using 60 three-way crossbred fattening rabbits (12 per diet), aged 42days with average live weight of 1.49kg (S.E.: 0.033kg). DDGS can be characterized as a raw material really rich in fibre (neutral detergent fibre and neutral detergent soluble fibre) and crude protein (CP, on av. 352, 208 and 318gkg−1 DM, respectively). Barley DDGS had higher fibre and lower protein contents than wheat DDGS (+25g of acid detergent fibre and −91g of CPkg−1DM, respectively; P<0.05), as well as the highest ash content (on av. +16gkg−1DM; P<0.05). Corn DDGS had intermediate fibre and protein values between barley and wheat DDGS, but were the richest in ether extract (on av. +70gkg−1 DM). DDGS’ protein was richer in proline, phenylalanine, valine and arginine for barley DDGS (107, 55, 54 and 51gkg−1 CP, respectively), in leucine, alanine and histidine for corn DDGS (114, 75 and 27gkg−1 CP, respectively), and in glutamic acid for wheat DDGS (290gkg−1CP). Barley DDGS was richer in saturated (236gkg−1 total fatty acids), corn DDGS in monounsaturated (278gkg−1 total fatty acids) and wheat DDGS in polyunsaturated fatty acids (615gkg−1 total fatty acids). Barley DDGS was characterized by the lowest nutritive value traits of DDGS evaluated (11.9MJ digestible energy (DE) and 168g digestible protein (DP)kg−1DM). In spite of higher protein and lower fibre content of the Brazilian corn (+1.7gCP and −31g neutral detergent fibrekg−1DM), no significant differences for the nutritive value of both corn DDGS were observed (on av. 15.3MJ DE and 208gDPkg−1DM). Wheat DDGS might be considered as the DDGS with the highest nutritive value of those evaluated (15.7MJ DE and 263gDPkg−1DM).

Diet nutrient digestibility and growth performance of weaned pigs fed wheat dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS)

Biofuel co-products such as wheat distillers dried grains and solubles (DDGS) are used increasingly in swine feed to reduce feed cost. Wheat DDGS is rich in protein and phosphorus, thus may replace soybean meal (SBM) in swine diets. To explore, the effects of increasing inclusion of wheat DDGS by substituting SBM on diet nutrient digestibility and growth performance of young pigs were evaluated. In total, 160 pigs (initial BW: 12.5±1.8kg) were involved in a 3-week trial. Five pelleted wheat-based diets including 0, 50, 100, 150 or 200g wheat DDGS/kg in substitution for up to 200g SBM/kg were fed. Diets were formulated to provide 9.8MJ net energy (NE)/kg and 1.16g standardised ileal digestible (SID) lysine/MJ NE. Diets were balanced for NE by increasing canola oil inclusion and for amino acids (AA) by increasing crystalline AA. Each 50g/kg increase in dietary inclusion of wheat DDGS linearly reduced (P<0.001) the apparent total tract digestibility coefficient (CATTD) of dry matter (DM) by 0.008, of gross energy (GE) by 0.009 and of crude protein (CP) by 0.010. Increasing wheat DDGS quadratically decreased (P=0.01) diet digestible energy (DE) value and quadratically decreased then increased (P=0.01) diet calculated NE value. Increasing wheat DDGS did not affect average daily feed intake (ADFI) overall or for any week, but linearly decreased (P<0.01) feed efficiency (G:F) for day 1–7. For the entire trial (day 1–21), each 50g/kg increase of dietary inclusion of wheat DDGS up to 200g/kg linearly reduced (P<0.05) ADG by 8.5g/d and G:F by 0.007. In conclusion, weaned pigs fed diets with increasing inclusion of up to 200g wheat DDGS/kg and supplemental AA to replace SBM had reduced G:F due to reduced ADG, but maintained feed intake.

Effects of reducing dietary starch content by replacing barley grain with wheat dried distillers grains plus solubles in dairy cow rations on ovarian function

Our objective was to evaluate the effects of dietary starch content, altered by partial substitution of dietary grain with wheat dried distillers grain with solubles (DDGS), on the interval from calving to first ovulation, concentrations of hormones and metabolites in plasma and follicular fluid, and granulosa cell gene expression in preovulatory follicles. Sixty lactating dairy cows were assigned to 1 of 2 diets from calving until 84d postpartum. Diets were formulated to contain either 17.3% rolled barley grain (29.2% starch) or 17.2% wheat DDGS (19.1% starch), with 43.0% barley silage and 21.6% rolled corn grain as the other major ingredients (dry matter basis). Transrectal ultrasonography was performed twice weekly to monitor ovarian dynamics from 7±2d postpartum until ovulation or until 56d in milk, whichever occurred earlier. Plasma concentrations of insulin and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) were determined in all 60 cows, and that of glucose, fatty acids, and urea in a subset of 24 cows, representing those in which the first ovulation occurred spontaneously within 5 wk postpartum. Estradiol (proestrus) and progesterone (12d postovulation) in plasma were also measured. Concentrations of insulin, IGF-1, glucose, fatty acids, and urea were determined in follicular fluid (wk 9), and the expression of LH receptor, estrogen receptor β, cytochrome P450 aromatase, and plasma type glutathione peroxidase genes measured in granulosa cells obtained from the preovulatory follicles at wk 9 postpartum in the subset of 24 cows. Diets did not alter the interval from calving to first ovulation (32.3±2.5d), but a significantly lower proportion of cows on the DDGS diet (20%) ovulated multiple (≥2) follicles at the first ovulation than those on the barley grain diet (40%). The incidence of multiple ovulations tended to be lower at first insemination (10 vs. 21% for cows fed DDGS and barley grain diets, respectively). Mean plasma concentration of insulin was higher in cows fed the barley grain diet (2.5 vs 1.6 IU/mL), and a diet by time interaction was noted, with cows on the barley grain ration having higher insulin from wk 6 to 12 postpartum; however, mean plasma IGF-1 concentration did not differ between dietary groups. In the subsets, mean plasma concentrations of metabolites or estradiol and progesterone were not affected by diet, parity, or diet by parity interactions. Cows on the DDGS diet had lower concentrations of IGF-I (69 vs. 108 ng/mL) and higher fatty acids (222 vs. 149mEq/L) in the follicular fluid obtained from preovulatory follicles. Diet, parity, and diet by parity interactions did not affect the concentrations of insulin, glucose, urea, estradiol, and progesterone in follicular fluid. Diets did not alter the expression profiles of LHr, estrogen receptor β, CYP19, and GPx3 genes in granulosa cells. In summary, diets did not affect the interval from calving to first ovulation or granulosa cell gene expression. However, reducing dietary starch content by a partial replacement of dietary grain with wheat DDGS increased fatty acids in follicular fluid and reduced the concentrations of insulin in plasma, IGF-1 in follicular fluid, and the incidence of multiple ovulations.

Effect of in vitro techniques and exogenous feed enzymes on feed digestion

The objective of this study was to assess whether changing gas production (GP) recording method (GPR), substrate delivery method (MD), and fineness of substrate grinding (FG) alter in vitro GP from feed digestion with and without exogenous feed enzymes (EFE) treatment. The experiment was a 2 GPR×2 MD×2 FG×2 EFE factorial arrangement using barley straw, alfalfa hay or wheat dried distillers grain with solubles (DDGS) as substrates. There was no interaction of EFE with GPR, MD or FG on GP and dry matter digestibility (DMD). Compared to automated methods, manual recording increased (P<0.01) GP, but enclosing substrate in bags vs. dispersing it in media reduced (P<0.04) GP from both alfalfa hay and DDGS. Gas production was greater (P<0.05) with 2mm vs. 1mm ground barley straw. The manual vs. automated GP recording resulted in reduced (P<0.01) DMD of alfalfa hay and wheat DDGS. For all three substrates, DMD was consistently higher (P<0.01) when enclosed in bags vs. dispersed in bottles. The DMD of alfalfa hay was improved (P<0.04) with reducing FG (1 vs. 2mm). Moreover, EFE improved (P<0.01) the DMD of DDGS without affecting that of barley straw or alfalfa hay. These results showed that the GPR, MD and FG were little interacted with EFE effect on in vitro GP and DMD of feeds, suggesting that the impact of these factors on in vitro EFE effect is minimal. Hence, enclosing feed substrate in filter bags can be recommended to screen EFE products for feed digestion because of practical convenience. Moreover, the impacts of GPR, MD and FG on in vitro GP and DMD of feeds suggested that these factors should be carefully considered when comparing the nutritive values of various feeds using in vitro techniques.

Effects of feeding canola meal or wheat dried distillers grains with solubles as a major protein source in low- or high-crude protein diets on ruminal fermentation, omasal flow, and production in cows

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of feeding canola meal (CM) or wheat dried distillers grains with solubles (W-DDGS) as the major source of protein in diets varying in crude protein (CP) content on ruminal fermentation, microbial protein production, omasal nutrient flow, and production performance in lactating dairy cows. Eight lactating dairy cows were used in a replicated 4×4 Latin square design with 29-d periods (21d of dietary adaptation and 8d of measurements) and a 2×2 factorial arrangement of dietary treatments. Four cows in 1 Latin square were ruminally cannulated to allow ruminal and omasal sampling. The treatment factors were (1) source of supplemental protein (CM vs. W-DDGS) and (2) dietary CP content (15 vs. 17%; DM basis). Diets contained 50% forage and 50% concentrate, and were fed twice daily at 0900 and 1600 h as total mixed rations for ad libitum intake. Dry matter intake and milk yield were unaffected by dietary treatments; however, milk yield in cows that were fed CM was numerically greater (+1.1kg/d) when compared with cows fed W-DDGS. Feeding CM increased milk lactose content compared with feeding W-DDGS. Milk urea nitrogen and ruminal NH3-N concentrations were greater in cows fed the high-CP compared with those fed the low-CP diet. The rumen-degradable protein supply was greater in cows fed the high-CP when compared with those fed the low-CP diet when diets contained CM, whereas rumen-degradable protein supply was lower in cows fed the high-CP when compared with those fed the low-CP diet when diets contained W-DDGS. Total N flow at the omasal canal was not affected by diet; however, omasal flow of NH3-N was greater in cows fed CM when compared with those fed W-DDGS. The rumen-undegradable protein supply was greater in cows fed the low-CP when compared with those fed the high-CP diet when diets contained CM, whereas rumen-undegradable protein supply was lower in cows fed the low-CP when compared with those fed the high-CP diet when diets contained W-DDGS. Omasal flow of fluid-associated bacteria was greater and that of particle-associated bacteria tended to be greater in cows fed CM when compared with those fed W-DDGS; however, omasal flow of total microbial nonammonia N was unaffected by dietary treatment. Omasal flows of threonine and tryptophan were greater, whereas that of histidine and lysine tended to be greater in cows fed CM when compared with those fed W-DDGS. Our results show that when dairy diets are formulated to contain 15 or 17% CP, CM or W-DDGS can be used as the major source of protein and achieve similar levels of milk production.

Performance and nutrient digestibility in growing pigs fed wheat dried distillers' grain with solubles-containing diets supplemented with phytase and multi-carbohydrase.

Effect of supplementing wheat dried distillers' grain with solubles (DDGS)-containing diet with enzymes on nutrient utilization by growing pigs was evaluated in two experiments. In Experiment 1, 60 pigs weighing ~30 kg were fed five diets that included a corn-based diet (Control), Control with 10% wheat DDGS (DDGS-PC), DDGS-PC without inorganic P source (DDGS-NC), and DDGS-NC plus phytase alone or with multi-carbohydrase for 4 weeks to determine average daily gain (ADG), average daily feed intake (ADFI) and gain-to-feed ratio (G:F). In Experiment 2, 30 barrows weighing 22 kg were fed five diets fed in Experiment 1 to determine nutrient digestibility and retention. Pigs fed DDGS-PC and Control diets had similar ADG and G:F. The ADG and G:F for DDGS-PC diet were higher (P < 0.05) than those for DDGS-NC diet. Phytase improved (P < 0.05) ADG, G:F, total tract P digestibility and P retention by 6.6, 8.7, 86.0 and 85.5%, respectively. Addition of multi-carbohydrase to phytase-supplemented diet did not affected growth performance, but reduced (P < 0.05) P retention. In conclusion, inclusion of 10% wheat DDGS in growing pig diet may not affect growth performance of growing pigs. Phytase supplementation to wheat DDGS-containing diet can eliminate the need for inorganic P supplement in pig diets.

Assessment of caecal parameters in layer hens fed on diets containing wheat distillers dried grains with solubles

There is much interest in quantifying the nutritional value of UK wheat distillers dried grains with solubles (W-DDGS) for livestock species. A study was designed to evaluate caecal parameters (pH, short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and bacterial diversity) in layer hens fed on balanced diets containing graded concentrations of W-DDGS.A total of 32 layer hens (Bovans Brown strain at 27 weeks of age) were randomly allocated to one of 4 dietary treatments containing W-DDGS at 0, 60, 120 or 180 g/kg. Each treatment was fed to 8 replicate individually housed layer hens over a 5-d acclimatisation period, followed by a 4-week trial. Individual feed intakes were monitored and all eggs were collected daily for weeks 2, 3 and 4 of the trial, weighed and an assessment of eggshell “dirtiness” made. All hens were culled on d 29 and caecal pH and SCFAs measured. Polymerase chain reaction denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis of the bacterial 16 S rDNA gene was used to assess total bacterial diversity of luminal caecal content from hens fed the 0 and 180 g W-DDGS/kg diets. Unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) dendrograms were generated from DGGE banding patterns.Increasing W-DDGS dietary concentrations resulted in a more acidic caecal environment. Caecal SCFAs were unaffected by diet aside from a quadratic effect for molar proportions of isobutyric acid. Diversity profiles of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene from luminal caecal contents were unaffected by W-DDGS inclusion.The results of the current study suggest that W-DDGS can be successfully formulated into nutritionally balanced layer diets (supplemented with xylanase and phytase) at up to 180 g/kg with no detrimental effects to the caecal environment.

Effects of wheat distillers dried grains with solubles with or without protease and β-mannanase on the performance of turkey hen poults

Expansion in bioethanol production has resulted in distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) being readily available as a major protein source in the poultry industry. Two experiments were conducted to investigate effects of wheat DDGS (wDDGS) and enzyme on nutrient digestibility and performance of turkey hen poults (7 to 21 d). Two starter diets (0 or 30% wDDGS) were formulated to meet or exceed the nutrient requirements for Hybrid Converter female turkeys. These diets were then mixed in different proportions to obtain 2 additional wDDGS inclusion levels (10 and 20%). In Experiment 1, 0 and 30% wDDGS diets were each subdivided into 3 portions and supplemented with no enzyme (E−), protease (P+; 0.125 g/kg) or β-mannanase (M+; 0.5 g/kg). A total of 144, 7-day-old poults were randomly distributed in groups of 4 in 6 replicate cages per treatment. There were no significant main effects or interactions on feed intake from 7 to 21 d. However, a positive (P < 0.05) effect of 30% wDDGS was shown for weight gain and gain:feed. A significant interaction on nitrogen retention (NR) was found between enzymes and wDDGS level. There were significant main effects and interactions on the AME of the diets. The AME was higher (P < 0.05) for 30% compared to 0% wDDGS. Supplementation of P+ decreased (P < 0.05) AME for 0% diets as compared to 30% diets and vice versa for M+. In Experiment 2, 7-day-old poults (4 birds per 6 replications per treatment) were fed 4 levels of wDDGS (0, 10, 20, and 30%) with no enzyme. A linear (P < 0.01) response was found for gain:feed with 30% wDDGS having a better response. Quadratic (P < 0.01) responses were also found for NR and AME; both were highest for 10% wDDGS diets. In summary, no beneficial effects of P+ or M+ were demonstrated in diets containing 30% wDDGS. Wheat DDGS is a valuable energy source and as high as 30% can be incorporated in turkey hen poults (7 to 21 d) diets.

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.