Acid Fires
The role of acidifiers in livestock, poultry and aquatic nutrition
What is an acidifier and what is its function?
Definition of acidifier
How does acidifier work
1- Growth stimulating effects
2- Antimicrobial properties of acidifiers
3- Effect of acidifiers on nutrient digestibility
4- Effect of acidifiers on protein digestibility
5- Effect of acidifiers on intestinal morphology
6- Acidifiers as an energy source in the intestine
What is an acidifier and what is its function
Acidifiers maintain the health of the digestive tract. The health of the digestive tract is one of the important factors in the growth of animals. Bacteria living in the intestine play a very important role in the health of the digestive tract, which includes gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. At an ideal pH in the digestive tract, there is a balance between gram-positive and gram-negative bacterial populations, and this balance is disrupted when the pH changes due to the production of chemical toxins from the breakdown of feed or changes in feed composition, which will result in disease. The increase in harmful bacteria in poultry may begin in the stratum corneum because the stratum corneum provides the time, moisture, and temperature necessary for the growth of harmful bacteria populations. Therefore, ideal pH values are necessary to maintain a balance in the bacterial population of the digestive tract. Acidification of the digestive tract involves the addition of a small amount of acid to the feed to reduce the pH of the feed and the bacterial cytoplasm in order to limit the growth of pathogenic bacteria in the gut. Acidifiers include short-chain fatty acids, volatile fatty acids, and weak carboxylic acids. Formic, acetic, propionic, butyric, lactic, citric and malic acids are likely to play a role in maintaining a healthy digestive tract and reducing pathogenic bacteria such as Salmonella and Escherichia coli in the intestinal wall by reducing the pH to less than 6 and stimulating the growth of beneficial bacteria in the digestive tract. Acidifiers are available in both liquid and solid forms. Their liquid form is primarily provided to poultry in combination with water, and the solid form is consumed as a mixture with the diet. Acidifiers are very suitable due to their ease of use, availability, reduction of pathogenic bacteria, balancing the intestinal microbial population, preventing the degradation of nutrients and ultimately due to their positive effects on the performance of broilers.
How Acidifiers Work
1- Growth-promoting Effects
In most cases, growth-promoting effects in broilers have been reported in response to Acidifier supplementation. The improved growth-promoting effects of Acid Fire could possibly be due to better nutrient utilization of the feed, reduced microbial load of pathogenic bacteria, and provision of a suitable environment for beneficial bacteria in the digestive tract. The improved performance of broilers in response to Acid Fire supplementation is due to increased digestibility of energy and protein in the feed, reduced numbers of pathogenic bacteria, improved immune system, reduced infection rates, reduced levels of ammonia and other harmful metabolites in the digestive tract.
The improved feed conversion ratio is likely due to reduced feed intake and better utilization of nutrients, which leads to increased body weight in broilers supplemented with Acid Fire. Other beneficial effects of Acid Fire include the release of digestive enzymes, phytase enzyme activity, secretion of pancreatic enzymes, and proliferation of intestinal cells.
2- Antimicrobial properties of Acid Fire
Different aspects of the mechanisms of Acid Fire related to antibacterial activity have been obtained in various studies. The way the acids in Acidifier work with harmful bacteria is that undissociated organic acids pass through the bacterial membrane and are dissociated inside the cell at a pH of about 7, producing H+ ions, which reduces the pH inside the cell. Since harmful bacteria are more sensitive to a decrease in pH, these bacteria use energy to remove these ions from the cell, which leads to a decrease in the growth of these bacteria. On the other hand, the produced RCOO- anions are unable to exit the cell, which disrupts DNA synthesis, protein synthesis, and increases the osmotic pressure of the cell. As a result, it leads to a decrease in the growth, reproduction, and intestinal activity of harmful bacteria. Of course, beneficial bacteria such as lactobacilli and bifidobacteria are resistant to pH changes, unlike harmful bacteria such as Escherichia coli and various species of Salmonella.
3- Effect of Acidity on Nutrient Digestibility
The pH values in different areas of the digestive tract are a factor that can control the bacterial population and affect the digestion and absorption of nutrients. Most pathogens grow at a pH close to neutral or slightly higher. In contrast, beneficial microorganisms multiply at acidic pH values (2.6-8.5) and compete with pathogens.
Acidity increases the activity of digestive enzymes by reducing the pH in the digestive tract. Adjusting the pH in different parts is a favorable factor for the proliferation of the beneficial bacteria population of the digestive tract and the digestion and absorption of nutrients.
Pathogenic microbial populations in the small intestine compete with the host for nutrients and lead to reduced fat digestion due to reduced effects of bile acids. This leads to reduced growth performance and increased diseases.
The presence of Acidity in the diet increases the digestibility of minerals, especially phosphorus and calcium. This increase in digestion and nutrient absorption is due to the positive effect of Acid Fire on the microbial population of the digestive tract, especially Lactobacilli. Supplementing the diet with Acid Fire increases the activity of pancreatic enzymes and the expression of intestinal tight junction protein genes, which ultimately leads to improved health and production in the bird. The use of Acid Fire in water and feed can be a useful strategy for controlling pathogens.
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