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Feed ANFs-Oxalate
Oxalate-rich feeds can pose a significant risk of oxalate toxicity, kidney damage, and low calcium levels in various animal species. At BioVenic, our extensive expertise in understanding oxalate sources, concentrations, detection methods, and mitigation strategies is aimed at assisting animal nutrition researchers. We strive to develop feed additives and bioprocessing solutions that target and reduce the antinutritional effects of oxalates on livestock, poultry, and companion animals.
Fig. 1 Structure of the oxalate ion1,2
Background of Feed Oxalate
Oxalate is widely distributed in the plant kingdom, and common oxalate-rich feedstuffs and forage plants include sesame meal, straw, leafy vegetables, pasture plants, soy, almonds, potatoes, tea, rhubarb, cereal grains, and beets. Oxalic acid is one of several antinutritional factors found in forage. It can bind with dietary calcium (Ca) or magnesium (Mg) to form insoluble Ca or Mg oxalate compounds, leading to low serum Ca or Mg levels as well as kidney damage due to the precipitation of these salts in the kidneys. The main antinutritional mechanisms of oxalate are:
- Irritation of the digestive tract mucosa and impairment of digestive function.
- Binding with blood calcium, resulting in hypocalcemia.
- Formation of insoluble oxalate crystals with calcium and magnesium in animals.
- Increased risk of kidney stone formation when excreted through the kidneys
Impacts of Feed Oxalate on Animals
Different animal species exhibit varying susceptibility to oxalate in their diet. Non-ruminant animals appear to be more sensitive to oxalate than ruminants, as the rumen microbiome helps to degrade oxalate. The effects of oxalate in feed on animal health are summarized in the table below.
Table. 1 Impacts of feed oxalate on animals
| Animal Types | Impacts |
|---|---|
| Pigs |
|
| Ruminants |
|
| Chickens |
|
| Cats |
|
| Dogs |
|
Feed Oxalate Solutions
At BioVenic, we have developed a comprehensive set of solutions to address the adverse effects of oxalates in animal feed on growth and health. Our solutions not only help quantify oxalates, but also assist in developing feed additives or bioprocessing methods to minimize the negative impacts of oxalates on animal performance and wellbeing through in vivo and in vitro studies.
- Analytical Solutions for Oxalate
Variability in oxalate levels across different feed samples poses a challenge for accurate measurement. Factors such as growth conditions, plant variety, and developmental stage can affect oxalate content. Depending on the required detection sensitivity and specificity, our Feed Anti-Nutritional Factor (ANF) Analysis service uses a variety of analytical methods, including enzymatic, LC-MS and GC-MS techniques, to quantify oxalate in a wide range of samples.
- Development of Feed Additives to Counteract Oxalate
Enzymes like oxalate decarboxylase can break down oxalate in the gastrointestinal tract, reducing the amount available for systemic absorption. Other feed additives, such as oxalate-degrading bacteria, are also effective in lowering feed oxalate levels. Our technology platform covers the development process of various feed additives, addressing aspects of safety, efficacy, dosage, and compatibility to mitigate oxalate-related issues.
- Biological Approaches for Oxalate Reduction in Animal Feed
Biological methods, such as ensiling and enzymatic treatments, can degrade the oxalate content of feedstuffs, improving their safety and nutritional value. Our solutions for feed bioprocess development enable the creation of highly effective oxalate-degrading enzymes and additives, as well as the optimization of silage fermentation and enzyme treatments. This helps animal nutrition researchers enhance the utilization of feeds with high oxalate levels and develop novel feed resources.
- Feed Oxalate Related Animal Studies
Our animal in vitro and in vivo models provide valuable research tools for studying the effects of oxalate in animals, evaluating feed additives, and assessing the efficacy of feed biological treatment processes. We also have a powerful animal nutrition and metabolism analysis and omics platform that enables accurate and rapid investigation of oxalate-related physiological and biochemical changes in animals.
Service Workflow of Feed Oxalate Solution
Why Choose Us?
Our platform can accurately and rapidly detect a wide range of feed antinutritional factors, including oxalate. This helps you understand the levels of these factors in various samples and develop customized analytical methods.
Our animal research platform has experience in building diverse in vitro fermentation, in vitro digestion, and in vivo models. We can provide these valuable research tools to animal nutrition researchers.
Our products and services integrate a variety of internal and external resources to offer you a comprehensive, one-stop solution for animal nutrition research, minimizing obstacles in your work.
Oxalate in feed is considered an antinutritional factor due to its ability to cause urinary calculi in animals and reduce the utilization of calcium and magnesium. BioVenic's solutions can help detect oxalate in different feed or animal samples, and assist in developing feed additives or bioprocessing methods to minimize the adverse impact of oxalates on animal health, performance, and product quality. If you are interested in our solutions, please feel free to contact us. We will be happy to understand your research plan and provide you with a suitable solution.
References
- Image retrieved from Figure 1 "Structure of the oxalate ion." Misiewicz et al., 2023, used under [CC BY 4.0]. Without modification.
- Misiewicz, Bryan, et al. "Analytical methods for oxalate quantification: the ubiquitous organic anion." Molecules 28.7 (2023): 3206.