What are the nutritional and physiological mechanisms of feed additive potassium diformate?

 Since the ban on feed resistance, the application of potassium diformate in the livestock and poultry industry has received more and more attention. It is mainly manifested in that potassium diformate can regulate the PH value of animals and indirectly participate in the metabolism of animal protein and fat. From its physiological mechanism of action, potassium diformate in animals indirectly participates in many physiological metabolic processes in the body by synthesizing a variety of nutrients. So, what are the nutritional and physiological mechanisms of potassium diformate?

1. Inhibit bacteria, improve meat production and meat quality

The antibacterial and growth-promoting mechanism of potassium diformate is similar to that of formic acid, which is mainly achieved by adjusting the pH in the digestive tract. After potassium diformate enters the gastrointestinal tract of animals with the diet, it is easily decomposed in a weakly alkaline environment, and the released H⁺ promotes the decrease of the pH of the gastrointestinal tract. The non-dissociated potassium diformate can freely pass through the microbial plasma membrane and diffuse into the cytoplasm. Once it enters the cell, where the pH is close to 7, the organic acid will dissociate from H⁺, lower the cytoplasmic pH, and destroy the living environment of harmful bacteria. Make it difficult to reproduce.

Organic acids can prevent pathogenic microorganisms from colonizing in the animal intestines, reduce the fermentation process and the production of toxic metabolites, and play a beneficial role in the intestinal microflora. Many studies have reported that the addition of potassium diformate (0.6% to 1.8%) to the diet can reduce the number of E. coli in the gastrointestinal tract and feces of weaned piglets, but the impact on the number of lactobacilli has been reported to be mixed. Papenbrock et al. challenged weaned piglets with Salmonella and found that the combined use of coarse feed and 1.2% potassium diformate in the diet can reduce the reproduction of Salmonella in piglets, reduce the probability of infection in pigs, and have a trend of reducing the number of E. coli in the intestinal tract.

2. Improve the digestion and utilization of nutrients by animals

Potassium diformate can stimulate animal food intake, endogenous secretion production and nutrient absorption, and play a role by changing the pH in the gastrointestinal tract, increasing gastric emptying time and improving pepsin activity. Potassium diformate is slowly released in the digestive tract and has a high buffering capacity, which can inhibit the increase and reproduction of undesirable microorganisms in the diet and gastrointestinal tract, play a physiological protection role for the gastrointestinal mucosa, and facilitate the effectiveness of nutrients in the diet. Utilize, improve its digestion, absorption and retention rate, which is conducive to the deposition of nutrients. In addition, potassium diformate can effectively prevent stress syndrome caused by diarrhea, and play a very important role in maintaining and stabilizing the ion balance and function of the animal's intestinal tract.

3. It has the effect of resisting payment and improving immunity

Betaine has an obvious sedative effect, enhances the hypnotic effect of barbital, anti-noxious stimulation and antipyretic effect. Chickens are highly susceptible to coccidiosis and affect the ion balance in the intestine. Although anticoccidial drugs can change the ion concentration of parasite cells and kill the parasites, they also affect the host cells, especially the intestinal ion concentration and thus affect the intestine. Normal function. Betaine provides methyl as a cell osmotic protection agent, which can maintain the normal osmotic pressure of animal cells, prevent dehydration caused by the loss of water in the cells, stabilize the intestinal ion balance, and improve the resistance of the chicken body.

In addition, potassium diformate is a kind of organic acidulant. Compared with other acidifiers, potassium diformate has the advantages of convenient transportation, low corrosiveness, and less irritation.