Proteins
Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins
Proteins for Sufficient Energy
Important for a Healthy Diet
In the case of simultaneous deficiencies in carbohydrates and fats, proteins or proteins can be used by the animal’s organism for energy production. Under normal circumstances, the maintenance of body heat and the provision of energy for all of the organism’s functions are handled by carbohydrates and fats.
Proteins serve their function in building the body’s own protein substances and cannot be replaced by any other nutrient, as neither fats nor carbohydrates contain the nitrogen necessary for protein synthesis. This means that the intake of sufficient, high-quality proteins is of vital importance for any organism.
Protein Requirements
Especially Important for Young Animals
This means that the body must be supplied with enough protein to form as much body protein as it has consumed since the last intake. However, during muscle building or growth, much more protein is required than has been used since the last feeding.
This is why the protein requirement of young animals is much higher than that of adult animals.
Absorption in the Stomach and Intestines
The Quality is Key
For a long time, the reason for the differences in the utilization of various proteins was unknown. It was only when it was discovered that the protein supplied to the body is broken down into its components in the organism and then converted into body protein that the differences in the utilization of various proteins could be explained.
The proteins absorbed through the feed are broken down into their amino acids with the help of enzymes in the stomach and intestines, then absorbed by the intestinal walls and transported to the cells via the bloodstream.
This means that the value of the feed supplied should not be measured by its protein content, but by the amino acids contained in the protein.
Overview of Amino Acids
- Alanin
- Arginin
- Asparagin & Asparaginsäure
- Cystein
- Glutamin & Glutaminsäure
- Glycin
- Histidin
- Prolin
- Isoleucin
- Leucin
- Methionin
- Phenylalanin
- Serin
- Threonin
- Tryptophan
- Tyrosin
- Valin
Amino Acids
Essential for the Organism
Although we distinguish between essential and non-essential amino acids, this should not lead to the assumption that the organism does not require non-essential amino acids for the synthesis of its own proteins. The organism is simply able to produce or convert these amino acids itself.
To make this possible, it is necessary to provide the organism with an adequate amount of nitrogen in the form of non-essential amino acids, regardless of which of the non-essential amino acids supplies the required nitrogen content.
As previously mentioned, there are approximately 20 to 25 different amino acids, and a protein contains between 50 and 5000 compositions, depending on the type of protein. The structure of a protein from these 50 to 5000 compositions can be so diverse that it is almost unlikely that this particular protein, in its amino acid composition and amino acid quantity, meets the needs of a specific animal.
Limiting Amino Acids
Not all amino acids are of equal value
For this reason, the essential amino acid that does not meet the requirement is called the limiting amino acid.
This means that the value of the offered feed protein is determined by the amino acid that does not meet the required amount, even if all other essential amino acids are present in amounts 10, 100, or even 1000 times the required amount.
A commonly used example illustrates this:
Take a book and open any page. Now, try to form as many complete alphabets as possible from the individual letters on that page. You will quickly realize that this task is limited by the letter that appears the least often (e.g., “Y”). All other letters, like “E” or “R,” can be abundant, but they are useless in forming more complete alphabets.
The biological value of the offered feed protein is thus higher the more “complete alphabets” can be assembled.
Dear reader, a comprehensive understanding of the utilization of individual amino acids, their synthesis, and the specific amino acid requirements for different animal groups would far exceed the scope of this information. The considerations made thus far about amino acids should only serve to convince the animal owner or breeder of the necessity not to feed their animals a one-sided diet, but to offer them a balanced and complete feed as much as possible.
The biological value of proteins, essential and non-essential amino acids, crude protein and pure protein content, protein synthesis, nitrogen content in proteins, amino acid requirements, and the balance between energy intake and amino acid needs should be terms that every feed manufacturer must primarily engage with.
We would just like to point out that over 90% of the protein in our products is already in its hydrolyzed form, the amino acids, in their natural L-form, the only form that the body can utilize. The intake of pure amino acids frees the body from having to absorb the protein, allowing these amino acids to be immediately absorbed by the intestinal walls and made available for cell construction.
Proteins for Your Animal
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