As global demand for seafood continues to climb, fish farming is stepping up to meet the challenge. A solid, nutritious pellet made with the use of a good binder is responsible for every healthy, fast-growing fish. Pellet stability in water, known as aqua-stability, is one of the important quality criteria of aqua feeds. Aqua feeds contain different types of binders and are generally processed in various kinds of pellet mills. Binders develop solid bridges through chemical reactions to make strong interparticle bonding and give a binding effect to all the ingredients used in feed. They strengthen pellets and improve pellet integrity, durability, and stability. They also reduce nutrient leaching and prevent both fragmentation and abrasion of pellets during handling, transportation, and storage.

 

Aquatic animals mostly require additional pellet characteristics such as flowability, floatability, water absorption capacity, and water stability. The three main parameters used in measuring pellet physical quality (PPQ) are:

• Hardness: It is the maximum force required to resist/withstand crushing without cracking or breaking.

 

• Durability: It is the ability of pellets to remain intact after subjection to load and force during transportation, handling, and storage.

 

• Water stability: It refers to the ability of pellets to retain their physical integrity when immersed in water for a specific time. High water stability means minimum disintegration and nutrient leaching.

 

Advantages of Pelleted Feed on Aquatic Animals

• The heat generated in conditioning and pelleting makes the feedstuff portion more digestible.

 

• Pelleted feeds allow animals to better utilize the nutrients in the feed ingredients.

 

• The pellet simply places the feed in a concentrated form.

 

• Pelleting minimizes waste during the eating and consumption process.

 

• Pelleting reduces the segregation in mixing, handling, and feeding processes; therefore, each animal receives a well-balanced diet.

 

Limitations of Synthetic Binder:

Traditionally, synthetic binders like Polymethylol Carbamide (PMC) have been widely used to strengthen pellets. Although effective, it exhibits certain drawbacks. PMC is a urea formaldehyde resin that leaves formaldehyde residues during pelleting and digestion. Formaldehyde is known as an irritant and a potential carcinogen. Some studies suggest that PMC shows an adverse effect on the taste or texture of feed, which results in reduced feed intake. However, with growing concerns about sustainability, performance efficiency, and cost-effectiveness, researchers are exploring more and more natural organic binders that can be considered as a viable organic alternative to PMC.

 

Natural Pellet Binder:

Natural pellet binders are not only sustainable but also a cost-effective alternative to synthetic binders. They show several advantages such as improved water stability of feed, enhanced pellet durability, reduced feed wastage, and lowered production costs. They also help create stronger, more resilient pellets that maintain their integrity in the water for longer periods. Natural organic binders minimize nutrient loss and maximize feed utilization by the fish. Therefore, provide adequate nutrition to each fish. Because of its natural origin, they do not leave any harmful residues in aquaculture.

 

Benefits:

• Optimum water stability

 

• Provides good texture and fewer cracks on the pellet

 

• Optimum durability and hardness

 

• Reduces the occurrence of fines

 

• Protects essential nutrients

 

• Improves pellet consistency

 

*References on request

In modern poultry farming, gut health is about productivity, disease resistance, and a bird’s performance. The gastrointestinal tract (GIT) is not only a site of digestion but also contains a diverse ecosystem with trillions of microorganisms called the gut microbiome. These microbes interact with nutrients directly and enhance their absorption through intestinal villi. The interaction also includes the immune system along with pathogens. Interest in nutritional supplements derived from nature is growing in order to increase the microbiome of the gut.

Why Gut Microbiome Matters in Poultry

The gut microbiome plays a key role in the digestion of food as well as nutrient absorption in poultry. Short-chain fatty acids like butyrate are also produced, which can be a key source of energy for the intestinal cells. The gut microbiome prevents colonization via harmful organisms like Salmonella and Clostridium. Hence, it stimulates the immune system and improves the overall gut structure in poultry. When the gut microbiome is disturbed by external factors like stress, antibiotics, or infections, it leads to dysbiosis. This imbalance can lead to negative effects like growth stunting, diarrhea, and weakened immune function.

The gut microbiome plays a key role in the digestion of food as well as nutrient absorption in poultry. Short-chain fatty acids like butyrate are also produced, which can be a key source of energy for the intestinal cells. The gut microbiome prevents colonization via harmful organisms like Salmonella and Clostridium. Hence, it stimulates the immune system and improves the overall gut structure in poultry. When the gut microbiome is disturbed by external factors like stress, antibiotics, or infections, it leads to dysbiosis. This imbalance can lead to negative effects like growth stunting, diarrhea, and weakened immune function.

A balanced gut microbiome in poultry is necessary for sustainable production and farming that requires no antibiotics. Customer expectations are increasingly prioritizing antibiotic-free poultry along with improved animal welfare. To fulfil this demand, our company, “Vinayak Ingredients Ind. Pvt. Ltd.,” serves various naturally produced feed supplements to enhance the gut health of the poultry.

Solutions offered:

1. Herbofloxin is a promising alternative to antibiotics in poultry. A unique micro-emulsified formulation of phytoactive ingredients. It not only prevents antibiotic resistance but also ensures healthy meat production for consumers.
2. Nucleovin  is packed with nucleotides, probiotics, and vitamin C to help poultry combat stress and grow faster.
3. Vinmos is a prebiotic that supports gut health, boosts immunity, and fights toxins for better poultry growth.

*References on request*

The choline used in commercial broiler feed is an important factor in enhancing growth performance and regulating lipid metabolism. It plays various biological functions in acetylcholine neurotransmitter production in the nervous system, maintenance of cell membranes and organelles, hepatic lipid transport, methyl group donation, and bone cartilage maturation. Its importance in hepatic lipid transport is due to its involvement in phosphatidylcholine synthesis, which forms membranes of cholesterol-carrying lipoproteins (high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein [LDL], and very low-density lipoprotein). It also inhibits fatty acid synthesis by downregulating fatty acid synthase gene expression and attenuating its activity. Choline is called a “lipotropic” factor due to its role in increasing fat utilization, which reduces fat deposition in the body. Young chicks require more quantity of choline, especially during the first few weeks of life, to prevent conditions like perosis and support optimal growth. Laying hens also require choline for egg production and quality.

Synthetic Choline Chloride and Its Limitations

The absence of choline, or levels below the recommendation, increases deleterious effects on poultry health, such as reduction in growth and perosis, especially in younger birds. Choline supplementation is commonly done by synthetic sources, but high hygroscopicity and oxidation with loss of vitamins, its corrosive nature, as well as the trimethylamine formation in the intestinal tract of broilers. Also, less than half of the choline chloride is absorbed by the poultry, which indicates low bioavailability of choline in poultry.

Several studies have explored alternative sources to address these practical issues, particularly plant-based substitutes rich in phosphatidylcholine. Research has been developed to unveil potential substitutes for synthetic sources, and formulations with herbs have been gaining ground with consistent results in hepatoprotective capacity and improvement of performance parameters.

Natural Plant-Based Choline

Plant-based choline sources exhibit the advantage of meeting broilers’ needs with smaller inclusions. Plant sources of commercial use often recommend the inclusion rate of three to five times less raw material compared with choline chloride. They have shown additional benefits, such as reducing serum LDL levels. Being a component of nature, these preparations are considered safe, cost-effective, and environment-friendly with no side effects. They help in the digestion process. Also, their inclusion in the diet is encouraged to enhance the bird’s performance, improve feed utilization, maintain health, and alleviate the adverse effects of environmental stress.

Vincholine, Plant-based Formulation of Enriched Natural Choline for Poultry

Vincholine is a natural choline supplement produced from the blend of Tinospora cordifolia, Andrographis paniculata, and Terminalia chebula in an appropriate ratio. It is recognized in Ayurvedic medicine. It has a high content of choline in its esterified phosphatidylcholine form, free choline, and sphingomyelin with high bioavailability. It can serve as an important alternative to the use of synthetic choline chloride. Results have shown that Vincholine can replace choline chloride in the poultry diets. In field conditions, herbal choline demonstrated better performance than choline chloride in utilizing the energy value of the feed, preventing fatty liver, and consequently improving feed efficiency and production performance.

*References on request*