ИСТИНА

Feed grains are the most important source of domestic animal feed globally. Feeds are the most expensive component of meat production process. Cows and sheep need 8kg of grain for every 1kg of meat produced, pigs - about 4kg, while poultry consume 1.6 kg of feed per 1 kg of meat. Fodders are blended from various raw materials including corn, wheat, oats, barley, and rice, among many others. Starch, and non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) such as cellulose and beta-glucans, pectins, xylans, and mannans, are present as major structural and energy storage materials in cereals. Modern approach to the breeding of farm animals, poultry, and aquaculture follows several guidelines to fit the requirements especially for organic products and low carbon footprint. Carbohydrases, namely xylanases and beta-glucanases, are widely used in animal nutrition for modification of NSPs to improve the quality of feeds and productivity of animals. More detailed information on the mode of action of individual enzymes under different application conditions could be obtained by means of modern chromatography and mass-spectrometry methods. They are used in the analysis of sugars and plant polysaccharides, alcohols, organic and amino acids and other microbial metabolites. These methods are extremely efficient in biochemical properties and catalytic performance evaluation of new enzymes derived from natural and recombinant strains. The mode of action of xylanases and beta-glucanses over the water-soluble individual polysaccharides or total extractibles from fodders are analysed by gel-permeation chromatography. HPAEX-PAD chromatography followed by MS verification shows even more detailed information about the cleavage of glycoside bonds in plant polysaccharides.