Commonly occuring anti-nutrients &

toxicants in feed ingredients

Submitted by
L.MURALI
GVM/17-041
 Introduction
• Before using any feed ingredient it is essential
to know about the anti-nutrients present in it.
• Every vegetable protein sources contain one or
other anti-nutrients and most of them
destroyed during processing prior to use in
feeds.
• Anti nutritive substances are the toxic
substances present in the feed.
• They arise during the normal growth and
metabolism of a plant.
• They reduce the performance of the poultry.
Type of anti-nutritive substances:
• Several anti-nutrients are present in feed
ingredients, particularly in plant feed ingredients.
• They affect the digestion, absorption and
metabolism of nutrients.
 Important anti-nutrients present in feed ingredients
S No. anti-nutrient substance occurance
1 Protease inhibitors,
e.g. Trypsin inhibitors Soybean seeds
2 Haemagglutinins Legume seed (castor bean, kidney
bean , soybean)
3. Glucosides
a. Saponins Soybean seeds, lucern leaf meal
b. Cyanogens Cassava root , linseed meal
c. Glucosinolates Rape and mustard seed
d. Estrogens Soybean seeds
4 Phenols
a. Gossypol Cotton seed meal
b. Tannins Sorghum, rape and mustard meal,
salseed meal, mango seed kernel,
tamarind seed meal.
5 phytate All vegetable feed ingredients
S No. anti-nutrient substance occurance
6 Erucic acid Rape and mustard seed
7 Argemone Rape and mustard seed meal
8. Mimosine Subabul leaf meal
9 Nimbidins Neem seed meal
10. Nitrates and nitrites Vegetable and animal feed sources
Oxalates

11 Antivitamins
Antivitamin A Lipoxygenase in soybean meal
Antivitamin D Soybean seeds
Antivitamin E Kidney bean
Antivitamin K Sweet clover
Antivitamin B6 Linseed meal
Effects of anti-nutrients and
detoxification methods:
Protease Inhibitors:
• Protease inhibitors are the most commonly encountered
class of antinutritional factors of plant origin.
• Protease inhibitors have the ability to inhibit the activity
of proteolytic enzymes within the gastrointestinal tract of
animals.
• Due to their particular protein nature, protease inhibitors
may be easily denatured by heat processing although
some residual activity may still remain in the
commercially produced products.
• The antinutrient activity of protease inhibitors is
associated with growth inhibition and pancreatic
hypertrophy (Chunmei et al., 2010).
Mechanism of action Deleterious effect Detoxification

Trypsin inhibitors in soybean seeds

I. Trypsin inhibitors form I. Reduced I. Heat treatment
complxes with trypsin growth
II. Pancreas produce more II. Low II. Flowing steam for
proteases production 60 min
III. Endogenous loss of
methionine III. Pancreatic III. Autoclaving 5
hypertrophy Lb/in2 for 45 min
IV. Autoclaving 10
Lb/in2 for 30 min
V. Autoclaving 15
LB/in2 for 20 min
VI. Autoclaving 20
Lb/in2 for 10 min
2.Haemagglutinins in legume seed ( castor bean, kidney bean,
soybean)
I. Attach to the I. Decrease in protein I. Cooking in water
intestinal cell utilisation for 36 min
lining resulting in Autoclaving for 30
poor absorption of min
nutrients
II. Impair immune II. Poor growth II. Soaking in water
system overnight
 Glucosides :
a. Saponins:
• Saponins are secondary compounds that are generally known as
non-volatile, surface active which are widely distributed in nature,
occurring primarily in the plant kingdom.
• They are structurally diverse molecules and consist of non polar
aglycones coupled with one or more monosaccharide moieties.
• This combination of polar and non-polar structural elements in
their molecules explains their soap-like behavior in aqueous
solutions.
• Saponins reduce the uptake of certain nutrients including glucose
and cholesterol at the gut through intra-lumenal physicochemical
interaction. Hence, it has been reported to have hypo
cholesterolemic effects (Umaru et al., 2007).
• In chickens saponnin have been reported to reduce growth, feed
efficiency and interfere the absorption of dietary lipids and
vitamins (A & E) (Jenkins and Atwal,1994).
a. Saponins in soybean seeds , lucern leaf meal:

I. Lower surface I. Increases I. Extration with hot

tension and forms respiratory rate water or organic
stable foam with II. Inhibits the solvents ( ethanol,
proteins and activity of certain methanol )
cholesterol enzymes
(chymotrypsin)
II. Haemolysis of III.Low growth
RBC IV.Low egg
III.Alter cell production
permeability
b.Cyanogens:
• Cyanogens are glycosides of a sugar or sugars
and cyanide containing aglycone.
• It can be hydrolysed to release HCN by
enzymes that are found in the cytosol.
• The HCN is absorbed and is rapidly detoxified
in the liver by the enzyme rhodanese which
converts CN to thiocyanate (SCN).
• Excess cyanide ion inhibits the cytochrome
oxidase. This stops ATP formation, tissues
suffer energy deprivation and death follows
rapidly.
Mechanism of action Detoxification

b.Cyanogens in cassava (topica) root, linseed meal :

I. Intact glucosides I. Closed steam distillation with HCL at
not toxic. On 100°C for 3 hrs
hydrolysis release II. Cooking followed by discarding of
HCN inactivates cooked water
cytochrome III.Peeling of skin from topica tubers
oxidase system
c. Glucosinolates or thioglucosinolates (goitrogens ) in rape
seed and mustard seed
I. Glucosinolates are I. Goiter I. Extraction of
hydrolyzed to 2- II. Poor growth glucosinolates with
OH -3-butenyl III. Low egg hot water, dilute
isothiocyanate and production alkali or acetone
5- IV. Liver II. Decomposition of
venyloxazolidinine- haemorrhages glucosinolates with
2-thione-goitroin, V. Fatty liver iron salts or soda
which suppresses ash
iodine uptake by III. Extraction of
thyroid goitrogens with
acetone or water or
steam
d.Estrogens in soybean seeds

Deleterious effect
• Poor growth
• Increased zinc in liver and bone
• Increased deposition of Ca, P and Mn in bone
Detoxification
• Dry or moist heat treatment
• Solvent extraction
 Phenols
a. Gossypol
• Gossypol pigment in cottonseed occurs free
and bound forms.
• In whole seeds, gossypol exists essentially in
the free form, but variable amounts may bind
with protein during processing to yield inactive
forms.
• Free gossypol is the toxic entity and causes
organ damage, cardiac failure and death.
Gossypol in cotton seed meal :
Mechanism of Deleterious effect Detoxification
action
I. Free gossypol at Chicks I. Cotton seed meal
more than 150 I. Poor growth containing less
mg/kg diet is toxic. II. Low feed intake than 0.04% free
II. Binds with protein III. Ascites gossypol may be
IV. Cardiac irregularity used for poultry
V. Reduced oxygen II. If it contains more
carrying capacity free gossypol, use
of the blood iron salts at 1:4
Layers ratio (iron and
I. Olive green gossypol)
discolouration of III. Solid substrates
yolk fermentation with
cretain fungi (
aspergillus )
B.tannins
• Tannin is an astringent, bitter plant polyphenolic compound
that either binds or precipitates proteins and various other
organic compounds including amino acids and alkaloids.
• These compounds are present in numerous tree and shrub
foliages, seeds and agro-industrial by-products (Dube et al.,
2004).
• Tannins have a property of binding to protein to form
reversible and irreversible complexes due to the existence of a
number of phenolic hydroxyl groups (Patra and Saxena, 2010).
• Tannins are water soluble phenolic compounds with a
molecular weight greater than 500 and hydrolysable tannins
and condensed tannins are two different groups of these
compounds(Smitha Patel. et al.,2013).
• The two types differ in their nutritional and toxic
effects. The condensed tannins have more profound
digestibility-reducing effect than hydrolysable tannins.
(Akande et al., 2010).
• Tannins are heat stable and they decreased protein
digestibility in animals and humans, probably by either
making protein partially unavailable or inhibiting
digestive enzymes and increasing fecal nitrogen.
• Tannins are known to be present in food products and
to inhibit the activities of trypsin, chemotrypsin,
amylase and lipase, decrease the protein quality of
foods and interfere with dietary iron absorption.
• Tannins are known to be responsible for decreased feed
intake, growth rate, feed efficiency and protein
digestibility in experimental animals.
• If tannin concentration in the diet becomes too high,
microbial enzyme activities including cellulose and
intestinal digestion may be depressed.
• Tannins also form insoluble complexes with proteins
and the tannin protein complexes may be responsible
for the anti-nutritional effects of tannin containing
foods (Habtamu and Nigussie, 2014).
Tannins in sorghum, rape and mustard meal, salseed meal, mango
seed kernel , leucaena leaf meal, tamarind seed meal

I. Mechanism of I. Deleterious I. Detoxification

action effect
I. Bind with I. Reduced growth I. Cold water
proteins II. Poor egg processing
II. Inhibits enzymes production II. Boiled water
(trypsin, amylase, processing
lipase ) in III. Treatment with
intestines dilute acid , alkali
and salt
IV. Extraction with
ether, acetone,
ethanol and
methanol
V. Autoclaving
 Phytate

• Phytate, which is also known as inositol hexakisphosphate, is a

phosphorus containing compound that binds with minerals and
inhibits mineral absorption.
• The cause of mineral deficiency is commonly due to its low
bioavailability in the diet.
• The presence of phytate in feeds has been associated with
reduced mineral absorption due to the structure of phyate
which has high density of negatively charged phosphate
groups which form very stable complexes with mineral ions
causing non-availability for intestinal absorption (Walter et al.,
2002).
• Phytates are generally found in feed high in fibre especially in
wheat bran, whole grains and legumes (Thava & James, 2001).
Phytate – in all vegetable feed ingredients
mechanism of action Deleterious effects Detoxification
I. Six phosphate I. Increased I. Microbial phytase
molecules are requirement of hydrolyzes phytate
bound in one phytic phosphorus and and release
acid molecule. trace minerals phosphorus, calcium
Calcium, magnesium and trace minerals
salts of phytic acid is II. One phytase unit is
phytate. Trace the amount of
minerals phytase that
(manganese, zinc) releases 1 mol
are also bound to iorganic
phytate. phosphoorus per
II. Phosphorous minute from an
present in phytate is excess of sodium
not available to phytate at 37°C and
poultry pH 5.5
III. Phytase which
hydrolyzes phytate is
not produced in
birds intestine
Erucic acid in rape and mustard seeds
I. Erucic acid is a I. Poor growth I. Erucic acid
polyenoic fatty II. Low feed intake upto0.06%in diet
acid, present in III. Poor feed is tloerated
rape and mustard efficency II. Solvent extraction
oil removes oil and
so erucic acid
Argemone in adultrated rape and mustard seed meal
I. Seeds from I. Swelling of leg I. Heating at 240°C
argemone II. Diahorrea for 15 min
maxicana are III. Atrophy of optic
high in nerve
oil.adultrated IV. Edema
with rape and
mustard seed
meal
Mimosine in subabul leaf meal

I. Mechanism of action I. Deleterious effect I. Detoxification

I. Inhibits I. Reduced growth I. eliminated or
biosynthesis of rate inactivated by the
thyronine II. Weight loss heattreatment
III. Enlarged thyroid involved in
gland domestic cooking
IV. Poor reproductive
efficiency
Nimbidins in neem seed meal
I. Low feed intake I. Urea treatment at
II. Poor growth 2.5% of neem seed
III. Low egg meal
production
IV. Toxicity of internal
organs
Nitrates and nitrites
• Accumulation of nitrates from soil to crops. Nitrates get converted
to nitrites.
Effect
• Conversion of haemoglobin to methamoglobin

Oxalates in vegetable and animal feed sources

• Soluble oxalates ( sodium and potassium oxalates )
• Insoluble oxalates ( calcium and magnesium oxalates )
Deleterious effects
• Poor growth
• Decreased serum calcium
• Rickets
• Antivitamins
Antivitamin A ( lipoxygenase in soybean seeds)
Lipoxygenase of Destruction of carotene Heat treatment of
soybean seed oxidizes soybean seed or meal
carotene, a precursor of
vitamin A
Antivitamin D in soybean seeds
Increased requirement Heat treatment of soya
of vitamin D seeds
Antivitamin E in kidney bean
Increased requirement Autoclaving
of vitamin E
Antivitamin B6
Linatine (A peptide Reduced utilisation of Extraction of linseed
containing 1-amino-D- pyridoxine meal with water
prolone in combinatiom Autoclaving
with glutamic acid)
 summary

• The presence of antinutrients in plant protein

sources for livestock feeding is a major
constraint that reduces their full utilization
• Employing appropriate and effective
processing techniques or combination of
techniques could help reduce or eliminate the
adverse effects of these antinutritive
constituents in plant protein sources and
thereby improve their nutritive
• Supplementation of some minerals, animo
acids and vitamins could help reduce or
neutralize the negative effect of antinutritional
factors in plant protein sources for livestock
nutrition.
• Germination combined with dehulling process
improved quality of legumes by enhancing the
bioavailability and digestibility of nutrients
and reducing the antinutrients
REFERENCES
• Handbook of poultry nutrition by
V.Ramasubba reddy
Article
• Important Anti-Nutritional Substances and
Inherent Toxicants of Feeds Yilkal Tadele
• PLANT ANTINUTRITIONAL FACTORS |
Detoxification I.E.Liener
Thank you