Application of advanced synchrotron radiation-based Fourier transform infrared (SR-FTIR) microspectroscopy to animal nutrition and feed science: a novel approach

Abstract

Synchrotron radiation-based Fourier transform IR (SR-FTIR) microspectroscopy has been developed as a rapid, direct, non-destructive and bioanalytical technique. This technique, taking advantage of synchrotron light brightness and a small effective source size, is capable of exploring the molecular chemistry within the microstructures of a biological tissue without the destruction of inherent structures at ultraspatial resolutions within cellular dimensions. This is in contrast to traditional 'wet' chemical methods, which, during processing for analysis, often result in the destruction of the intrinsic structures of feeds. To date there has been very little application of this technique to the study of feed materials in relation to animal nutrient utilisation. The present article reviews four applications of the SR-FTIR bioanalytical technique as a novel approach in animal nutrition and feed science research. Application 1 showed that using the SR-FTIR technique, intensities and the distribution of the biological components (such as lignin, protein, lipid, structural and non-structural carbohydrates and their ratios) in the microstructure of plant tissue within cellular dimensions could be imaged. The implication from this study is that we can chemically define the intrinsic feed structure and compare feed tissues according to spectroscopic characteristics, functional groups, spatial distribution and chemical intensity. Application 2 showed that the ultrastructural -chemical makeup and density of yellowand brown-seeded Brassica rape could be explored. This structural -chemical information could be used for the prediction of rapeseed quality and nutritive value for man and animals and for rapeseed breeding programmes for selecting superior varieties for special purposes. More research is required to define the extent of differences that exist between the yellow-and brown-seeded Brassica rape. Application 3 showed with the SR-FTIR technique that chemical differences in the ultrastructural matrix of endosperm tissue between Harrington (malting-type) and Valier (feed-type) barley in relation to rumen degradation characteristics could be identified. The results indicated that the greater association of the protein matrix with the starch granules in the endosperm tissue of Valier barley may limit the access of ruminal micro-organisms to the starch granules and thus reduce the rate and extent of rumen degradation relative to that of Harrington barley. It is the first time that the microstructural matrix in the endosperm of barley has been revealed by using the SR-FTIR technique, which makes it possible to link feed intrinsic structures to nutrient utilisation and digestive behaviour in ruminants. Application 4 showed with the SR-FTIR technique that the chemical features of various feed protein (amide I) secondary structures (such as feather, wheat, oats and barley) could be quantified. With a multi-component fitting program (Lorentz function), the results showed feather containing about 88 % b-sheet and 4 % a-helix, bar...

Spectroscopic impact on protein and carbohydrate inherent molecular structures of barley, oat and corn combined with wheat DDGS

“…In support of previous reports, the results confirm that wheat DDGS provide many compounds in nutritional importance to animals particularly ruminants [17][18][19]. The changes we found in intrinsic molecular chemical structures such as protein secondary structures of α-helix and β-sheet ratio and biological component matrix such as protein to starch matrix, protein to carbohydrate matrix would improve the nutritional quality and digestive characteristics, once combined with grains [31,32,35]. Intrinsic secondary structures such as α-helix, β-sheet and their ratio on the protein quality, utilization, availability and digestive behavior are useful in modern nutritional evaluation [31,32,35].…”

“…Application of FTIR microspectroscopy provides many information of carbohydrates and its intrinsic structures that is definitely useful in predicting degradability and digestibility of feed at different levels of the gastrointestinal tract including rumen, small intestines or colon [30,31,36]. Our findings on the structural differences happen with combination of grains and grain-distillers-dried soluble gives a background to predict digestibility of those feed combinations.…”

“…The changes we found in intrinsic molecular chemical structures such as protein secondary structures of α-helix and β-sheet ratio and biological component matrix such as protein to starch matrix, protein to carbohydrate matrix would improve the nutritional quality and digestive characteristics, once combined with grains [31,32,35]. Intrinsic secondary structures such as α-helix, β-sheet and their ratio on the protein quality, utilization, availability and digestive behavior are useful in modern nutritional evaluation [31,32,35]. The chemical and structural changes we observed in this study were favoring the combinations of barley or corn with DDGS in comparison to the combinations of oat with DDGS.…”

“…Chemical functional groups were identified according to previous literature [9,28,31,35]. The regions of specific interest in this present study included the protein amide I, II lignin, secondary protein structures of α-helix and β-sheet, cellulosic compounds (CeC) and nonstructural carbohydrate (NSC with component peaks 1-3).…”

“…Nitrogen content and protein fractions were regularly assessed using procedures prescribed by AOAC [2] and Roe et al [21]. However, cereal seed compounds were yet to be investigated by techniques such as FTIR [8,31,34]. Starch was the major constituent in many gains and it has been measured by different methods for decades [2,16,26].…”