Vol.
2 Issue-1, SEP 2021 (e-ISSN: 2582-8223)
Impact of Bypass Protein Supplementation in Ruminant
Animals
Manju Lata* and B.C. Mondal**
* Assistant Professor Department of Animal Nutrition, College of Veterinary and Animal
Sciences, GBPUAT, Pantnagar, 263145, Uttrakhand, India
**Professor, Department of Animal Nutrition, College of Veterinary and Animal
Sciences,
GBPUAT, Pantnagar, 263145, Uttrakhand, India
ARTICLE ID: 081
Introduction:
Agriculture including the livestock as an integral component plays an important role in
Indian economy. (DAHD & F,MOA, GOI, 2017-18). Livestock is considered a major source
of income for the poor masses in developing countries including India, where it contributes,
nearly 4.11 percent to total GDP & 25.6% of total Agriculture GDP. (DAHD&F, MOA, GOI,
2017-18; Delgado et al., 2020). The total livestock population is 535.78 million in the
country reflecting an increase of 4.6% over livestock census 2012 and total bovine
population (Cattle, Buffalo, Mithun and Yak) is 302.79 Million in 2019 which shows an
increase of 1.0% over the previous census.
The major constraint in the development of bovine population is poor availability of
nutrients through quality feed and fodder (Sarwar et al., 2002). There is a need of 13.5 and
110.3 million tons of crude protein (CP) and total digestible nutrient (TDN), respectively
(Anonymous, 2006) to fulfill the requirement of bovine animals therefore improvement in
animals demands the efficient use of available feed resources. Area under cultivated fodder
in India is about 8.4 million hectare, which is static since last two-three decades & not
adequate to meet the fodder demand (Ghosh et al., 2016). The cost on feed and fodder
production is further elevated due to climatic aberrations and water scarce conditions. These
factors limit the fodder production and creates forage scarcity thus, force the animals to feed
on wild shrubs and grasses, and this is recognized as one of the primary causes of lower
productivity of milch animals in India (Shankarnarayan, 1984; Patel, 2011). Thus, the
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constant increase in bovine population in India dilutes any effort made in increasing the feed
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supply to these animals, through non-conventional feed resources. However, there is also an
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Vol.2 Issue-1, SEP 2021 (e-ISSN: 2582-8223)
alternative way of increasing the nutrient supply to bovines in these countries, and that is, by
modifying the feeds and the feeding conditions, and also by manipulating the digestive tract,
or through better feeding management. Such an approach can result in increasing the feed
conversion efficiency of feeds within the animal system.
Times when AA balance is critical:
When attempting to reduce the amount of protein fed, thereby reducing the cost of the
diet and increasing the space in the diet for higher energy feeds. For the high
producing dairy cow, energy is usually more in deficit than AA. Lowering protein in
the diet will also reduce the spilling of nitrogen into the environment and lower the
threat of regulation. This becomes an extra bonus and for herds under environmental
regulation may be a primary use of AA balance.
For fresh cows, both to minimize body condition loss as well as increase milk
production.
Suppleme ntation of Bypass Protein:
In India, the total annual availability of protein meals is approximately 19-20 MMT, against a
requirement of about 30-35 MMT. Out of 20 MMT protein meals produced in the country,
approximately 4-5 MMT are exported, which further increases the gap between the
requirement and the availability. Protein is usually the first limiting nutrient for cattle fed
low-quality forages. In India, farmers feed regionally available protein meals to the dairy
animals, along with other ingredients especially in rural villages, remote area and hilly
region. A significant part of these protein meals is broken down to ammonia in first stomach
of ruminants called rumen having a capacity of 50-60 liters. In the feed fraction of nutrients,
which are low or non-degradable in the rumen by the microbes and they are digestible and
absorbable at lower tract and become available to animal called as Bypass Nutrient Fraction.
The protein can be divided in two parts, for the ruminant animals, in most of the feed,
major part is degradable in rumen ‘Rumen Degradable Protein’ (RDP) and a small but
variable amount of dietary protein escape rumen degradation ‘ Un-degradable Dietary Protein
(UDP) or By pass protein. UDP which enters the lower tract is absorbed mostly as amino
acids following enzymatic digestion. Of the RDP fraction, substantial part is utilized as the N
source for rumen microbes, for protein synthesis, while the rest is absorbed as ammonia.
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Only part of absorbed ammonia is recycled back to rumen as urea via saliva, the rest excreted
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Vol.2 Issue-1, SEP 2021 (e-ISSN: 2582-8223)
out through urine. The host animal gets amino acids requirement from two sources i.e.
microbial protein and UDP, both flowing to lower tract. In growing animals and high yielding
animal’s microbial supply is limited then the demand of amino acids at the tissue level, so to
support the demand, it is necessary to provide proteins in the form of UDP or escape proteins
or protected proteins.
When chemically treated protein meals replace untreated one, then due to less degradability
of the protein, excessive loss of both nitrogen and energy could be avoided, resulting in an
increased energy and nitrogen balance and causing increase in milk yield and different milk
constituents. In a typical diet, approximately 40% of the protein eaten must be true protein
that escapes degradation, whereas 60% of the protein value can be a mixture of protein and
non-protein nitrogen that is degraded and incorporated into the rumen microbes (Tarique et
al., 2010). Usually, protein meals are degraded in the rumen to the extent of 65-70 per cent,
leading to wastage of nitrogen by its excretion through dung and urine. These protein meals
are treated suitably, so as to reduce their degradability in the rumen from 60-70% to 25-30%,
in a specially designed airtight plant. Cost of treatment of protein meals is less than a rupee
per kg and on feeding one kg treated meal in comparison to untreated; there is increase in
milk production by more than a liter. Bypass protein technology is being provided to the
dairy cooperatives and private agencies (Gulati et al., 2001).
Important features for bypass protein Supplements:
High level of crude protein, Optimal essential amino acid Profiles
About 70-80% of the protein to be in a rumen undegradable form and 75-80% of the rumen
undegradable protein to be digestible in the small intestine.
Effects of Bypass Proteins on Animal Performance:
Biochemical and nutritional basis by which bypass protein show its effect on animal
Performance.
Additional supply of amino acids at intestinal and tissue level.
Lower ammonia production in the rumen because proteins are fermented to ammonia
and low degradation of protein will lower ammonia.
Lower urea synthesis in liver as ammonia is being absorbed at lower level.
Energy saving process as urea synthesis is at lower level.
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Excess amino acids go for Gluconeogenesis.
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Vol.2 Issue-1, SEP 2021 (e-ISSN: 2582-8223)
Protection of protein can be achieved by various methods:
1. Naturally Protected Proteins:
The protein of most of the feed resources is bypass to some extent.
Percentage of UDP in Common Feed and Fodder.
Feed UDP % Feed UDP %
Maize (grain) 65 Blood meal 76 – 82
Barley 21( 11-27) Fish meal 71 – 80
Sorghum 52 Meat meal 53 – 76
Bajra 68 Brewers dried 53
Oat grain 14–20 Corn gluten 53
Wheat grain 20–36 Wheat bread 29
Cotton seed 41–50 Corn silage 27
meal
Linseed meal 11–45 Rice straw 63
Ground nut 30 Wheat straw 45
meal
Rapeseed meal 23 Para grass 52
Soybean meal 28 ( 15–45) Cow pea 32 – 45
Sunflower meal 24 Berseem 37 – 52
Subabul 51 – 70 Alfa-Alfa 28
(NRC, 1985; Dutta et. al., 1997)
2. Formaldehyde Treatment;
It is most widely used chemical treatment for the protection of protein. Normally
formaldehyde added i.e. 3-4 kg of commercial formalin (37-40% HCHO) per 100 kg of CP or
1-1.2 g HCHO/ 100 g CP. The most successful procedure, developed by Ferguson et al.
(1967). Generally there is increased fecal nitrogen and decreased urinary nitrogen which
indicates effectiveness of protection. The use of formaldehyde to protect dietary protein for
ruminants is based on the premise that bound formaldehyde markedly reduces the solubility
of the protein at pH 6.0, thereby rendering it highly resistant to microbial attack in the rumen,
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without significantly reducing its digestibility in the small intestine. Other aldehydes like,
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Vol.2 Issue-1, SEP 2021 (e-ISSN: 2582-8223)
acetaldehyde, glutaraldehyde, glyoxal are also effective but they don’t possess any advantage
over formaldehyde which is comparatively cheaper and easily available.
Advantages of formaldehyde treatment in the production of bypass protein:
Protein sources differ in their rumen degradability. Some protein meals contain
naturally available rumen bypass protein (30 to 50 % of total CP) viz. cottonseed meal,
toasted soybean, toasted groundnut meal, maize gluten etc., which can be used in bypass
protein feeds. The cost of these ingredients is high, whereas, rapeseed meal, sunflower meal,
guar meal etc. are available at cheaper rate but rumen protein by-pass content in these meals
is low. Such protein meals having high rumen degradability can be subjected to heat or
chemical treatment for increasing the level of rumen by-pass occurring. These by-pass
protein meals can enhance the post ruminal supply of critical amino acids (Prasad and Reddy,
1998). Protein meals treated with formaldehyde in sealed chambers, where these undergo
formation of complexes resist degradation in the rumen. The process occurs under
occupational health and safety procedures (Owens et al. 1990). This attributes to HCHO-
binding to the proteins by formation of methylene bridges, which makes them resistant to
microbial attack.
Treating protein meals with formaldehyde has the following advantages:
Desired level of protein protection can be achieved. Less expensive than heating.
Under and over protection of proteins can be eliminated.
The bio-availability of the essential amino acids can be maximized.
Helps to control salmonella and reduce mould growth in feedstuffs.
Ope rational health and safety aspects:
Formaldehyde is widely used in industry and occurs naturally as a constituent of many foods
including dairy and meat products, coffee, fruits, smoked. Formaldehyde is converted to
formic acid by the action of the formaldehyde dehydrogenase enzyme; formic acid is
metabolized to carbon dioxide and water, or incorporated into the one carbon pool or
excreted in the urine as a sodium salt (Owens et al, 1990). Hence, mammalian systems have
the biological pathways to effectively metabolize ingested formaldehyde and there is no
evidence to suggest that formaldehyde is a carcinogen when consumed orally (FDA, 1998).
The formaldehyde present in treated feedstuffs is metabolized by ruminants and does not
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significantly change the naturally occurring levels of formaldehyde in meat and milk (Atwal
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Vol.2 Issue-1, SEP 2021 (e-ISSN: 2582-8223)
and Mahadevan, 1997). Formaldehyde is approved for use as a feed additive to protect
proteins from ruminal degradation, to preserve silages, to maintain animal feeds or feed
ingredients free of salmonella, to control fungi and to improve the handling characteristics of
oilseeds and meals, and animal fat pre- mixes (FDA, 2004). For treatment of protein meals,
level of formaldehyde used is not more than 0.8 per cent. After two days of incubation,
formaldehyde level in protein meal is detected below 2 ppm. So, handling of treated protein
meals is not a serious problem from animal and consumer health hazard point of view.
3. Alkali Treatment (NaOH): 1 %, 2 % and 3% supplementation may increase in
rumen bypass ability by 4-5 %.
4. Alkali Treatment (NH4 OH): 0.3%, 0.5% and 1.0% supplementation may increase in
rumen by pass ability by 7-8 %.
5. Heat Treatment: It is the combination of time and heat which decreases the
solubility of proteins by creating cross linkages both within or among peptide chains
and to carbohydrates. It is done by two methods- Jet sploding method and Extrusion
method.In jet sploding method, high temperature treatment of protein is done at 315o C
for short time. In extrusion method, heat treatment is done along with steam. But it
has disadvantage that, it causes mallard reaction and produces melanoidins.
6. Oesophageal groove closure: Oesophageal groove is functional in young animals
and nonfunctional in adult ruminants. In adult’s animals, certain chemicals activate
oesophageal groove like salts of Copper, Silver, Zinc, Sodium etc.
7. Tannic acid Treatment: Tannins are polyphenolic compounds. They have greater
affinity towards proteins. It has been found that 4% tannin content in diet has
increased the protein and amino acid flow to lower GIT and is absorbed in lower GIT
and improved the nitrogen retention in animals, thus concluding 4% tannin can be
used as protein protectant. Condensed tannin protein complex is insoluble even under
acidic conditions.
8. Use of analogs and de rivatives of methionine: Amino acid derivatives are free
amino acids to which a chemical blocking group has been attached to amino group or
acyl group. Amino acid analogs are produced by substitution of amino group of amino
acid with hydroxyl group .e.g. Isopropyl DL- methionine, t-butyl DL- methionine.
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Vol.2 Issue-1, SEP 2021 (e-ISSN: 2582-8223)
Most commonly studied analog is methionine hydroxyl analog of 2-hydroxyl-4-
methyliobutanoic acid.
9. Post ruminal Infusion: Proteins and amino acids are directly infused into
abomasums or duodenum instead of being a part of diet. Among these, formaldehyde
treatment is most commonly used and economically feasible.
10. Feed Processing:Normal procedure in the manufacture of feed ingredients can
influence the magnitude of protein degradation in the rumen. Certain grain processing
can either increase or decrease rumen degradation of Proteins. Increased ruminal
degradation may be the result of disruption of the protein matrix, whereas heat applied
or generated during grain processing can decrease ruminal degradation of proteins.
11. Plant Secondary Compounds: These are mainly secondary metabolism compounds
these are generally not utilized in metabolic process these include lignin, tannin,
terpenenoids, volatile essential oils, alkaloids etc. these have potential to be used as
protein protectant in the rumen. Tannin has got good attention, although it is
considered as antinutritional factor but as it is a protein suppresser or decreasing is
digestibility so it can be used in the ruminant animal at lower level; for monogastric it
is toxic.
12. Decreasing Retention Time in Rume n: Less stay in rumen environment mean less
degradation because feed or protein is getting less exposure to enzyma tic action.
Faster pass of feed in the rumen is the explanation. Factors influencing the rate of
passage include food intake, specific gravity, particle size, Concentrate to roughage
ratio, rate of rumen degradation etc.
Optimization of treatment for protein meals:
To avoid over or under protection, protein meals need to be given optimum chemical
treatment, so that their digestion in the intestine can be maximized. Maximum protection of
protein meals was obtained at 9-10 days of incubation in airtight conditions. Lysine and
methionine are reported to be the most limiting amino acids for milk production (Schwab,
1995; Xu et al., 1998).On protection, availability of limiting amino acids increased
significantly.
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Vol.2 Issue-1, SEP 2021 (e-ISSN: 2582-8223)
Table 1: Level of essential amino acids available for absorption in unprotected and
protected protein meals:
(Source: Gulati et al., 2002)
Advantages of Bypass Protein Supple mentation:
Easier to meet the requirement of high milk producing animals, higher availability of
amino acids per unit of feed.
Better utilization of those protein meals having higher rumen protein degradability.
Improves fat percent in milk and milk yield.
SNF content of milk can be increased with Bypass protein supplement.
Better economic returns, for same input cost.
Positively influenced wool growth and quality in sheep.
Improves growth in young animals caused through protein supplementation, the
young stock can attain early maturity to start the reproductive life at an earlier age.
Bypass protein supplementation can improve the reproductive efficiency of breeding
buffalo bulls and cross bred bucks, both with respect to sexual behavior, including
libido score as well as the seminal attributes like ejaculate volume, mass activity and
sperm count per ml.
Better resistance against diseases in growing and lactating animals.
Conclusion:
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No need of Bypass proteins supplementation for maintenance of animals. This is required for
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medium and high lactating and growing animals. Good increase in live weight gain in
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Vol.2 Issue-1, SEP 2021 (e-ISSN: 2582-8223)
growing animals. It Increases dry matter intake and in milk production by 10-15 % in
lactating animals so therefore reduces milk production cost.
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