Effect of bacterial protein meal grown on natural gas on growth performance and carcass traits of pigs

Abstract

Bacterial protein meal (BPM), a new protein feedstuff produced by bacteria (Methylococcus capsulatus, Alcaligenes acidovorans,<br />Bacillus brevis and Bacillus firmus) grown on natural gas, was evaluated as a protein source for pigs. Two<br />growth trials were conducted, one with growing-finishing pigs and one with pigs from weaning until slaughter. In Exp. 1,<br />18 pigs fed restrictively (26.0 and 109.4 kg initial and final weight) were used to determine the effect of dietary inclusion<br />of BPM (0, 60, or 120 g kg-1), replacing protein from soybean meal on growth performance and carcass traits. Adding<br />60 and 120 g kg-1 BPM to diets reduced (P < 0.01) ADG and feed efficiency during the growing period, but had no effect<br />on growth performance during the finishing or overall periods. Both levels of BPM improved amino acid and lysine utilization<br />(P < 0.01) compared with the control. Fat firmness tended to increase with inclusion of BPM. When using orthogonal<br />contrast, both levels of BPM tended to increase carcass meatiness. In Exp. 2, 48 pigs (11.4 and 107.2 kg initial and<br />final weight) were used to evaluate increasing levels of BPM (0, 50, 100, or 150 g kg &ndash;1) on growth performance and carcass<br />traits from weaning at 34.5 days of age until slaughter. Bacterial protein meal reduced ADG (linear P < 0.03) during<br />the period from weaning until five weeks post weaning and during the period from weaning until slaughter. Increasing<br />levels of BPM tended to increase overall feed/gain. Also, BPM increased backfat firmness (linear P < 0.01), but reduced<br />percent carcass lean (linear P < 0.05) and carcass meatiness (linear P < 0.01), and increased P2 backfat thickness and<br />fat area in cutlet (linear P < 0.05). All levels of BPM improved amino acid and lysine utilization (linear P < 0.05) compared<br />with the control. In conclusion, up to 120 g kg &ndash;1 BPM in diets for pigs from 26 kg live weight until slaughter had<br />no adverse effect on overall growth performance or carcass lean or fat content. Up to 150 g kg &ndash;1 BPM to diets for pigs<br />from weaning until slaughter reduced growth rates during the piglet period and increased carcass fat content due to<br />marginal dietary lysine levels. Bacterial protein meal gave a dose dependent improvement in the utilization of total amino<br />acids and lysine and the quality of back fat determined as fat firmness and fat color

Bacterial protein meal in diets for pigs and minks: Comparative studies on protein turnover rate and urinary excretion of purine base derivatives

“…The final dried product is a reddish/brown meal comprising approximately 96% dry matter, 70% crude protein, 10% lipids, and 7% ash. The amino acid composition of BPM resembles that of fish meal and soybean meal (SBM) with minor differences (Skrede et al 1998;Øverland et al 2004). Approximately 12% of N in BPM is derived from nucleic acid N in RNA and DNA, although the RNA and DNA contents are relatively low compared to those of other bacterial protein sources (Braude et al 1977;Kiessling & Askbrandt 1993).…”

Effect of dietary bacterial protein or L-tryptophan supplementation on welfare and growth performance in silver fox

“…However, the analyses showed that there was no difference in the trp content of the BPM diet compared with the CTRL diet. Previous analyses have shown that the bacterial protein meal can contain approximately 10-114% more trp than the current batch (Skrede et al 1998;Øverland et al 2004;Storebakken et al 2004;Skrede and Ahlstrøm 2004;Schøyen et al 2005;Øverland et al 2006). The variation in trp content of different batches of bacterial protein meal needs to be further investigated, especially since the present study indicates reduced fear after dietary trp enrichment.…”

“…The lack of effects of the BPM diet, corresponding to that seen for the trp diet, can partially be a result of the lower than expected trp content of the bacterial protein meal used in this study. Calculated from table values (Skrede et al 1998;Øverland et al 2004;Ahlstrøm et al 2004;Rouvinen-Watt et al 2005), the diets contained the following amounts of trp as fed: CTRL 0.34%, BPM 0.57% and TRP 2.01%. However, the analyses showed that there was no difference in the trp content of the BPM diet compared with the CTRL diet.…”

“…Bacterial protein meal has been shown to be a good feed ingredient in partial replacement of fish meal in diets for mink, blue fox and salmon Berge et al 2005;Hellwing et al 2005) as well as a good substitute for soybean meal in diets for broiler chickens and pigs (Skrede et al 2003;Øverland et al 2004), but it has not yet been examined as an ingredient in silver fox diets. Bacterial protein meal is produced by continuous aerobic fermentation of natural gas with mainly methane as the energy and carbon source and ammonia as the nitrogen source, by a mixture of Methylococcus capsulatus (Bath) (> 90%), Ralstonia sp., Brevibacillus agri.…”

“…Inclusion of bacterial protein meal in diets for broiler chickens has been shown to improve feed conversion (Skrede et al 2003) compared with an isonitrogenous unsupplemented diet. The reason(s) for this have not been clear, but may be related to the naturally high content of the indispensable amino acid tryptophan (trp) in bacterial protein meal (Skrede et al 1998;Øverland et al 2004;Storebakken et al 2004;Skrede and Ahlstrøm 2004;Schøyen et al 2005). Furthermore, welfare benefits, such as suppressed behavioural patterns associated with fear and stress, have been demonstrated in silver foxes and other vertebrates fed a diet rich in trp (Rouvinen et al 1999;Markus et al 2000;Lepage et al 2002;van Hierden et al 2004).…”