POSSIBILITIES OF DRIED DISTILLERS’ GRAINS WITH SOLUBLES APPLICATION IN FEED MIXTURES

The possibility of utilization of dried distiller’s grains with solubles (DDGS) in feed mixtures for feed production was investigated. Samples of maize hybrids ZP 548 and ZP 655b and DDGS obtained from hybrids ZP 548 and ZP 548c were used as components of the mixtures.The total protein content ranged from 12.42 % to 31.18 %, moisture from 5.49 % to 9.55 and ash content of 1.85 % to 4.37 %. The contents of NDF, ADF, ADL, hemicellulose and cellulose fibers ranged from: 13.90 % to 48.13 %; 2.96 % to 20.69 %; 0.27 % to 2.44 %; 10.69 % to 30.17 %, 2.62 % to 18.32 %, respectively. In vitro dry matter digestibility ranged from 55.20 % to 89.76 %. It was concluded that the samples of DDG obtained from red and yellow maize hybrids kernel are very suitable as components for the preparation of animal feed mixtures.

Effects of Using Corn Dried Distillers’ Grains with Solubles (cDDGS) as a Partial Replacement for Soybean Meal on the Outcomes of Pig Fattening, Pork Slaughter Value and Quality

The present study set out to determine the effects of incorporating cDDGS into starter, grower, and finisher diets (containing 5%, 10%, and 15% of cDDGS, respectively) on growth performance, carcass and meat quality, and cost effectiveness of pig fattening. Sixty-four pigs (mean body weight of 15.0 ± 2.1 kg) were divided into two groups (n = 32) and fed a control diet (cereal–soybean meal-based) or cDGGS-containing diets (with soybean meal partially replaced with cDDGS). Live weights of pigs as well as weight gains/daily weight gains across all fattening phases did not differ between the two groups of fattener pigs studied (p > 0.05). Addition of cDDGS decreased feed intake per pig during the grower (p < 0.05) and finisher (p < 0.01) phases, and, as a result, throughout the entire fattening period (254 vs. 245 kg for control and cDDGS groups, respectively; p < 0.01). The feed conversion ratio (FCR) for the entire fattening period was significantly less for cDDGS-fed fatteners (2.77) than for controls (2.91; p < 0.05). Carcass weights, fat thickness, and meatiness did not vary between the two groups of animals (p > 0.05). Loin depth was greater in the cDDGS group by ~5 mm (p < 0.05). Slaughter value was higher for the cDDGS group (76.1% vs. 77.0%, p < 0.05). The total cost of fattening and total cost of 1 kg of body weight decreased in cDDGS compared with the control subset of fatteners by ~7% and 8% during the grower and finisher phases, respectively (p < 0.01). The simplified direct surplus per pig was approximately 63% higher for the cDDGS group. Our results indicate that even moderate inclusion of cDDGS to concentrate mixtures (or a partial replacement of soybean meal with cDDGS) may improve FCR without any substantial changes in meat and back fat characteristics as well as significantly decrease the cost of feeding and increase the profitability of pig production.

Impacts of bunk management on steer performance and ruminal hydrogen sulfide concentrations in steers fed modified distillers grains with solubles

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the impacts of bunk management on dry matter intake (DMI), growth performance, carcass characteristic, and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) concentrations in beef steers fed modified distillers grains with solubles (MDGS; DM basis). In Experiment 1, 139 steers (440.4 ± 31.0 kg) were randomly assigned to one of 16 pens with pen randomly assigned to one of two treatments: 1) Control (CON, bunks managed to be devoid of feed prior to feeding), or 2) Over-fed (OVF, bunks managed to have minimum of 2.54 cm of feed remaining each morning) during adaptation. Following adaptation all steers in experiment 1 were transitioned to CON bunks and followed to finishing. In Experiment 2, 126 steers (445.4 ± 40.63 kg) were randomly assigned to one of 16 pens. Treatments in Experiment 2 were arranged in a 2 × 2 factorial and include the two bunk management strategies utilized in Experiment 1 (OVF or CON) and either 25% MDGS or 50% MDGS (DM basis). Ruminal H2S was measured via rumenocentesis during dietary adaptation. There were no differences (P ≥ 0.13) observed in either experiment for growth performance due to bunk management. In Experiment 1, OVF steers had greater (P = 0.001) DMI during adaptation; however, overall DMI was not different (P = 0.14) between treatments. In Experiment 2, DMI (d 0 to 104) tended to decrease (P = 0.09) with greater MDGS inclusion. Hot carcass weight, ribeye area, marbling score and quality grade were not affected (P ≥ 0.48) by either bunk management or MDGS inclusion. In Experiment 2, back fat (1.30 versus 1.17 ± 0.042 cm) and yield grade (3.2 versus 3.0 ± 0.11) were greater (P = 0.03) for CON steers compared to OVF but were not affected (P = 0.59) by MDGS inclusion. In Experiment 1, H2S tended (P = 0.07) to be greater in steers on OVF compared to CON. In Experiment 2, bunk management strategy did not impact (P = 0.82) H2S concentrations. There was a MDGS inclusion × day interaction for H2S with steers fed 50% MDGS having greater (P &lt; 0.01) H2S concentrations compared to steers fed 25% MDGS on days 28 and 35. Bunk management strategy during adaptation did not impact growth performance but did reduce intake in Experiment 1. Yield grade decreased when OVF bunk management was applied throughout Experiment 2. Response of hydrogen sulfide concentrations in the rumen were variable and likely influenced by inconsistencies in bunk management and resulting DMI during the early portions of the feedlot study.

A Dilute-and-Shoot UHPLC-MS/MS Isotope Dilution Method for Simultaneous Determination and Confirmation of Eleven Mycotoxins in Dried Distillers Grains with Solubles

Background Natural contamination of mycotoxins in dried distiller’s grains with solubles (DDGS) as a mainstream animal feed ingredient poses risk to animal health. Objective A regulatory method was needed for the agency to simultaneously detect eleven mycotoxins of high regulatory priority in DDGS. Methods Ten grams of DDGS sample were extracted twice with acetonitrile/water under mildly acidic condition. Two aliquots from the combined crude extract were taken and processed separately: (1) diluted 400-fold with solvent for analysis of deoxynivalenol and fumonisins B1 and B2; (2) pH adjusted to 7.5, then diluted 15.7-fold for analysis of aflatoxins B1, B2, G1, G2, ochratoxin A, zearalenone, and T-2 and HT-2 toxins. Uniformly-labelled 13C-isotopologues of these mycotoxins were added as internal standards to the diluted extracts for quantitative analysis by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC–MS/MS). Results. The linear quantitation ranges (µg/kg) were: aflatoxin B1, B2, G1, and G2, 1.57 to 105; zearalenone, 16.3 to 1090; T-2 toxin, 3.14 to 208; HT-2 toxin, 48.2 to 3220; ochratoxin A, 0.47 to 31.4; deoxynivalenol, 240 to 16000; fumonisin B1 and B2, 320 to 21200. Accuracies for these analytes at each of three fortification levels range from 70.7% to 100%, with corresponding relative standard deviations between 1.4% to 10.5%. True recoveries were all higher than 83%. Conclusions This method was successfully validated to meet the agency’s performance guidelines for regulatory methods. Highlights This method is easy, quick and robust to simultaneously quantify and confirm presence of eleven regulated mycotoxins in DDGS.

Oil Recovery from Fractionated Dried Distillers Grains with Solubles (DDGS) Using Enzymes

Oil recovered from dried distillers grain with solubles (DDGS) can be a high-value product over animal feed to provide an additional profit to ethanol plants currently operating at slim profit margins. Fractionations of DDGS and enzymatic hydrolysis were considered in this study to improve the oil recovery from DDGS. A combination of sieving and then air aspiration was used to separate the original DDGS into three different fractions: light, medium, and heavy. The heavier fraction had up to 24% increased oil content compared to the original DDGS. Commercial enzymes, protease, cellulase, and hemicellulase were tested separately and in combinations at 55 °C for 3 h at 130 rpm to determine their effect on oil recovery from the original and fractionated DDGS. Oil recovery was significantly improved (around 20%) following enzyme hydrolysis of the sieved aspirated heavy fractions of DDGS compared to the original DDGS. More than 90% of oil recovery was achieved by using a combination of cellulase and protease enzymes. Increasing the temperature above 55 °C without any enzyme did not impact oil recovery using the heavy-fraction DDGS. Overall, fractionation and enzymatic hydrolysis showed promise to increase oil recovery from DDGS without any current ethanol plant design changes.

Occurrence and concentration of mycotoxins in maize dried distillers’ grains produced in Brazil

The presence of mycotoxins in dried distillers’ grains with solubles (DDGS), a by-product of bioethanol production from maize, has been a matter of concern due to the increasing global utilisation of this ingredient in animal feed. In this study, 186 samples of maize DDGS produced in Brazil were analysed for the presence of major mycotoxins: aflatoxins (B1, B2, G1, and G2), fumonisins (B1 and B2), zearalenone (ZEN), deoxynivalenol (DON) and ochratoxin A (OTA). Samples were provided by the local industry between January 2017 and October 2020, and mycotoxins were quantified by LC-MS/MS. More than 98% of the analysed samples were contaminated with mycotoxins, from which 59.9% had a single mycotoxin, 29.9% two mycotoxins, and 9.1% more than two mycotoxins. The most prevalent metabolites were fumonisin B1 and B2, being detected in 98.8% (mean 3,207 μg/kg) and 97.6% (mean 1,243 μg/kg) of the samples, respectively; aflatoxin B1 had the third highest positivity, with 32.3% (mean 1.47 μg/kg), followed by ZEN, with 18.01% (mean 18.2 μg/kg), DON, with 12.9% (mean 59.6 μg/kg), and OTA was not detected. Co-occurrence of total aflatoxins (AFT = aflatoxin B1+B2+G1+G2) and total fumonisins (FBT = fumonisin B1+B2) was observed in 32.07% of the samples analysed for these mycotoxins. Co-occurrence of AFT and ZEN was found in 7.84% of the samples analysed for such mycotoxins, while FBT and DON co-occurred at 13.01%. AFT, FBT, DON and ZEN co-occurred in only one sample (0.84%). Except for FBT, a considerable number of samples presented the evaluated mycotoxins below their respective limit of quantification (LOQ) with percentages of 67.61% for AFT, 81.99% for ZEN, 87.07% for DON and 100% for OTA. Since the production of bioethanol and its by-products is growing worldwide, including in Brazil, mycotoxicological monitoring of maize DDGS is crucial to identify the effects of mycotoxins occurrence in animal feed formulated with this ingredient.