Km values key to effective pig and poultry feed, says AB Vista

Knowing how tightly an enzyme binds to a substrate, or the Km value, of commercial phytase enzymes could be the key to enabling pig and poultry producers to make much more effective buying decisions, says AB VistaResearch Director, Dr. Mike Bedford. AB Vista produces animal feed ingredients.

Knowing how tightly an enzyme binds to a substrate, or the Km value, of commercial phytase enzymes could be the key to enabling pig and poultry producers to make much more effective buying decisions, says AB Vista Research Director, Dr. Mike Bedford. AB Vista produces animal feed ingredients.

Increasing demand for up to 85 percent phytate breakdown  to release additional phosphorus for lower feed costs or to eliminate phytate anti-nutrient effects through superdosing  requires phytases with ever lower Km values. The lower the Km values, the tighter the bond between enzymes and substrates. High Km phytases simply cease to act before phytate concentrations get this low.

"Without access to Km values, end users simply cannot differentiate between a phytase capable only of standard phosphorous release levels at 50-60 percent phytate destruction, and one capable of delivering the full benefits of phytate destruction and superdosing," Bedford adds.

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