Development of Quebracho (Schinopsis balansae) Tannin-Based Thermoset Resins

One of the major challenges currently in the field of material science is finding natural alternatives to the high-performing plastics developed in the last century. Consumers trust synthetic products for their excellent properties, but they are becoming aware of their impact on the planet. One of the most attractive precursors for natural polymers is tannin extracts and in particular condensed tannins. Quebracho (Schinopsis balansae) extract is one of the few industrially available flavonoids and can be exploited as a building block for thermoset resins due to its phenol-like reactivity. The aim of this study was to systematically investigate different hardeners and evaluate the water resistance, thermal behavior, and chemical structure of the quebracho tannin-based polymers in order to understand their suitability as adhesives. It was observed that around 80% of the extract is resistant to leaching when 5% of formaldehyde or hexamine or 10% of glyoxal or furfural are added. Additionally, furfuryl alcohol guarantees high leaching resistance, but only at higher proportions (20%). The quebracho-based formulations showed specific thermal behavior during hardening and higher degradation resistance than the extract. Finally, these polymers undergo similar chemistry to those of mimosa, with exclusive reactivity of the A-ring of the flavonoid.

Effects of Supplementation with a Quebracho Tannin Product as an Alternative to Antibiotics on Growth Performance, Diarrhea, and Overall Health in Early-Weaned Piglets

This study assessed the feasibility of using a vegetable extract, MGM-P (quebracho tannin product), as an alternative to antibiotics for weaned piglets; it investigated MGM-P effects on growth performance, diarrhea, and overall health in early-weaned piglets. In total, 24 piglets were allocated to three treatment groups fed basal diets supplemented with 0, 0.2%, or 0.3% MGM-P for 20 days. The addition of 0.3% MGM-P to the diet of early-weaned piglets improved diarrhea incidence, hematological parameters, and intestinal mucosa structure. Furthermore, the addition of 0.2% or 0.3% MGM-P to the diet of early-weaned piglets did not affect their overall health. Importantly, MGM-P had no effects on average daily gain (ADG), average daily feed intake (ADFI), or feed conversion ratio (FCR). Gut morphology analysis showed that treatment with 0.3% MGM-P enhanced the jejunal villus height (p < 0.05) while reducing the ileal crypt depth (p < 0.05) and colon mucosal thickness (p < 0.05). Collectively, the findings suggested that the use of MGM-P as an alternative to dietary antibiotics could improve diarrhea incidence in early-weaned piglets without negative effects on growth performance or overall health.

296 Effects of Phytogenic Additives Combinations on in vitro Methane Production and Ruminal Fermentation

Replacing synthetic feed additives by plant secondary metabolites (PSM) as essential oils, saponins and tannins has been proposed, due to their potential to reduce methane (CH4) emissions, without adverse effects on ruminal fermentation. This study aimed to evaluate the use of oregano essential oil (OR), quillaja saponin (QS), and quebracho tannin (QT) extracts and their combinations as feed additives on in vitro CH4 production and rumen fermentation parameters. The design was an incomplete factorial arrangement in a randomized complete block with seven treatments using batch culture. Dietary treatments were: control (CON), without plant extracts; OR (0.07% dry matter [DM] basis of the diet); QS (0.05% DM); QT (1.00% DM); and binary combinations QT+QS (1.00 and 0.05% DM, respectively); OR+QS (0.07 and 0.05% DM, respectively); and OR+QT (0.07 and 1.00% DM, respectively). The forage to concentrate ratio was 51:49. Forage was composed of corn silage (42.0%) and perennial ryegrass and white clover hay (9.0%); concentrate was based on high–moisture corn (33.0%), soybean meal (15.0%), vitamin and mineral salt (1%). All combinations decreased the net CH4 and its production (P ≤ 0.038 and P ≤ 0.027, respectively). However, the interaction between QT and QS decreased CH4 yield (P = 0.046), whereas OR and QS interaction, trended to decreased CH4 yield (P = 0.068) and the in vitro DM disappearance (IVDMD; P = 0.055). In contrast, the interaction between OR and QT decreased the IVDMD (P = 0.036). The gas output, partitioning factor and pH, were unaffected (P ≥ 0.066) by PSM, separately or in combinations. The results suggest that QT+QS is the best PSM combination to reduce the amount of CH4 per g DM degraded without adversely impacting rumen fermentation and diet digestibility. Although OR+QT or OR+QS are also an alternative to reduce CH4, its combination may also reduce diet digestibility.

Tannery Wastewater Recalcitrant Compounds Foster the Selection of Fungi in Non-Sterile Conditions: A Pilot Scale Long-Term Test

This study demonstrated that a microbial community dominated by fungi can be selected and maintained in the long-term under non-sterile conditions, in a pilot-scale packed-bed reactor fed with tannery wastewater. During the start-up phase, the reactor, filled with 0.6 m3 of polyurethane foam cubes, was inoculated with a pure culture of Aspergillus tubingensis and Quebracho tannin, a recalcitrant compound widely used by tannery industry, was used as sole carbon source in the feeding. During the start-up, fungi grew attached as biofilm in carriers that filled the packed-bed reactor. Subsequently, the reactor was tested for the removal of chemical oxygen demand (COD) from an exhaust tanning bath collected from tanneries. The entire experiment lasted 121 days and average removals of 29% and 23% of COD and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from the tannins bath were achieved, respectively. The evolution of the microbial consortium (bacteria and fungi) was described through biomolecular analyses along the experiment and also developed as a function of the size of the support media.

Can a Corn-Derived Biosurfactant Improve Colour Traits of Wine? First Insight on Its Application during Winegrape Skin Maceration versus Oenological Tannins

In winemaking, oenological tannins are used to preserve wine colour by enhancing the antioxidant activity, taking part in copigmentation, and forming polymeric pigments with anthocyanins. As a novel processing aid, in this study, a biosurfactant extract was evaluated as a solubilizing and stabilizing agent of anthocyanins in red wine. The biosurfactant extract under evaluation was obtained from a fermented residual stream of the corn milling industry named corn steep liquor (CSL). Two red winegrape varieties (Vitis vinifera L. cv. Aglianico and Cabernet sauvignon) were studied for anthocyanin content and profile, and colour traits, during simulated skin maceration for 7 days at 25 °C, as well as polymerization and copigmentation at the end of maceration. A model wine solution was used as a control, which was added either with the CSL biosurfactant or with four different oenological tannins (from grape skin, grape seed, quebracho, and acacia). The results showed that CSL biosurfactant addition improved the colour properties of skin extracts by the formation of more stable compounds mainly through copigmentation interactions. These preliminary results highlighted that the effectiveness of CSL biosurfactant is variety-dependent; however, there is no significant protection of individual anthocyanin compounds as observed for delphinidin and petunidin forms using quebracho tannin.

PSIX-35 Quebracho Tannin Influences Lipolytic Activity in Mature Porcine Adipocytes

Fat deposition in pork enhances flavor of meat; however, too much fat is an undesirable commodity in a health-conscious society. Therefore, manipulating the nutritional components of a swine diet to aid in the deliberate deposition of fat for the purpose of flavor while avoiding overconditioning is an aim in production. Nutrient additives, such as condensed polyphenolic tannins, inhibit pre-adipocyte maturation, but the role on lipid metabolism in mature adipocytes (MA) remains unclear. Therefore, it is hypothesized that quebracho tannin will alter lipid metabolism in porcine MA. Subcutaneous adipose tissue was collected from 5 ± 0 month old (n = 3) barrows weighing 37.7 ± 1.84kg. Tissue was enzymatically dispersed (collagenase type II) to isolate lipid filled adipocytes. After enzymatic separation the cells were rinsed and divided into 2 groups for separate incubation periods plus tannin treatment: 1) 2 hr incubation time with/without tannin (Quebracho Schinopsis lorentzii; 0M, 0.1mg, 0.5mg, and 1mg) or 2) 24 hr incubation time with/without tannin (0M, 0.1mg, 0.5mg, and 1mg). Approximately 4x105 cells/well were cultured in triplicate/treatment dose at 37 °C with 5% CO2 in atmosphere. Upon termination of the culture period, media was processed for analysis of glycerol content to determine lipolytic activity using an enzymatic colorimetric assay. The MIXED procedure of SAS for factorial treatment design was utilized to determine the effect of time and tannin treatment on lipolytic activity in cultured MA. Glycerol content was significantly higher (P£0.001) in tannin treated cultures. Time tended (P = 0.1) to influence the magnitude of lipolytic activity. Hence, quebracho tannin appears to augment lipolytic activity in cultured porcine MA. Determining the effect of tannin on lipolytic regulators will support the supposition that tannins influence MA lipid metabolism.

180 Using condensed tannins in plant materials more effectively with livestock

A large variety of plant species contain condensed tannins and a few of these have been developed as improved varieties for grazing or for feeding as long-stem, chopped or pelleted hay or as silage. Extracts of tannin-containing plant materials (e.g. quebracho tannin) and tannin-containing by-products of plant materials (e.g. grape marc) have also been fed to livestock. Interactions between livestock and condensed tannins and associated phenolic compounds are complicated and we have much to learn to understand and manage them better. Although many studies have been done on tannin-livestock interactions, many more are needed and especially studies done in conjunction with tannin chemists. Research to date suggests that very few plant materials have ideal condensed tannins for improving the long-term productivity of ruminant livestock (beyond productivity gains from reduction of internal parasites). Moreover, we know little about nutritional consequences relative to micronutrients such as copper and iron from long-term and frequent intake of condensed tannins. Given that grapes contain condensed tannin and associated phenolic compounds that are important to the wine industry, there is research on these compounds in grapes and wine that may be very useful to livestock scientists and producers who are interested in applying some of their concepts and knowledge to livestock. Some of this information will be discussed in my presentation.

Effects of Dietary Quebracho Tannin on Performance Traits and Parasite Load in an Italian Slow-Growing Chicken (White Livorno Breed)

Tannins have shown numerous biological activities and are very appreciated in food animal production, especially for their antimicrobial, antiparasitic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antivirus effects. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of two levels of dietary Quebracho tannin (QT) on growth and performance traits, and possible effects on intestinal parasite load in Italian White Livorno pullets. A 140-day trial was carried out on 180 35-day-old females, fed on two levels of dietary QT inclusion: 0%, 1% and 2%. Birds were reared under free-range conditions. Dietary Quebracho tannin may be used up to 1% in growing female White Livorno chickens without any adverse effects. The results observed in this study on the use of dietary QT at 2% might have not reflected the real effect on performance traits due to the initial inclusion of dietary QT at 3%. Nevertheless, by reducing QT to 2%, a progressive normalization of body weight gain, feed intake and feed conversion ratio was observed, resulting in compensatory growth. QT was demonstrated to drastically reduce fecal outputs of Nematodes eggs (Ascaridia spp. and Heterakis spp.) and Coccidia oocytes (Eimeria spp.). The inclusion of 2% produced highly dry droppings.

Inclusion of quebracho tannin extract in a high-roughage cattle diet alters digestibility, nitrogen balance, and energy partitioning

Condensed tannins (CT) might improve animal and system-level efficiency due to enhanced protein efficiency and reduced CH4. This study evaluated the impact of quebracho tannin (QT) extract fed at 0%, 1.5%, 3%, and 4.5% of dry matter (DM), within a roughage-based diet on apparent digestibility of DM, organic matter (OM), fibrous fractions, and N retention and energy partitioning of growing steers (236 ± 16 kg BW). A Latin rectangle design with eight animals and four periods was used to determine the whole-animal exchange of CO2, O2, and CH4 as well as the collection of total feces and urine over a 48-h period, using two open-circuit, indirect calorimetry respiration chambers. Following the removal of steers from respiration chambers, rumen inoculum was collected to determine ruminal parameter, including volatile fatty acids (VFA) and ammonia. Animals were fed a 56.5% roughage diet at 1.7% BW (dry matter basis). Dry matter and gross energy intakes were influenced by the level of QT inclusion (P ≤ 0.036). Digestibility of DM, OM, and N was reduced with QT inclusion (P &lt; 0.001), and fiber digestibility was slightly impacted (P &gt; 0.123). QTs altered the N excretion route, average fecal N-to-total N ratio excreted increased 14%, and fecal N-to-urinary N ratio increased 38% (P &lt; 0.001) without altering the retained N. Increased fecal energy with QT provision resulted in reduced dietary digestible energy (DE) concentration (Mcal/kg DM; P = 0.024). There were no differences in urinary energy (P = 0.491), but CH4 energy decreased drastically (P = 0.007) as QT inclusion increased. Total ruminal VFA concentration did not differ across treatments, but VFA concentration increased linearly with QT inclusion (P = 0.049). Metabolizable energy (ME) was not affected by the QT rate, and the conversion efficiency of DE-to-ME did not differ. Heat energy decreased (P = 0.013) with increased QT provision likely due to changes in the DE intake, but there was no difference in retained energy. There were no differences for retained energy or N per CO2 equivalent emission produced (P = 0.774 and 0.962, respectively), but improved efficiency for energy retention occurred for 3% QT. We concluded that QT provided up to 4.5% of dry matter intake (about 3.51% of CT, dry matter basis) does not affect N and energy retention within the current setting. Feeding QT reduced energy losses in the form of CH4 and heat, but the route of energy loss appears to be influenced by the rate of QT inclusion.