Do Tannins Have a Place in Beef Production?

Jun 03, 2022

By Andrea Osorio-Doblado and Darren D. Henry

Tannins can be perceived as “antinutritional factors” in ruminant diets. Indeed, they are; however, when they are provided from low to medium concentrations (< 50 g/kg DM) tannins can improve utilization of feed protein without impairing feed intake or carbohydrate digestibility and there is a potential to also decrease enteric methane emissions from livestock. Tannins can increase the quantity of dietary protein, especially essential amino acids, flowing to the small intestine. This is of high value because protein is usually the most expensive component in ruminant diets.

tannins

Tannins can be perceived as “antinutritional factors” in ruminant diets, however, when provided in low to medium concentrations tannins can positively influence animal performance.

Tannins as a mitigation strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions

Numerous scientists have reported enteric methane production being decreased with the use of tannins. For example, methane production per unit of dry matter was decreased by 17% in dairy cattle fed Lotus corniculatus, which is a legume known for its tannin content, when compared to ryegrass. In addition, this same group observed that cows consuming the Lotus corniculatus produced one-third more milk compared with cows consuming …

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Source : osu.edu

Video: Sweetener Effects on Gut Health - Dr. Kwangwook Kim

In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Kwangwook Kim, Assistant Professor at Michigan State University, discusses the use of non-nutritive sweeteners in nursery pig diets. He explains how sucralose and neotame influence feed intake, gut health, metabolism, and the frequency of diarrhea compared to antibiotics. The conversation highlights mechanisms beyond palatability, including hormone signaling and nutrient transport. Listen now on all major platforms!

“Receptors responsible for sweet taste are present not only in the mouth but also along the intestinal tract.”

Meet the guest: Dr. Kwangwook Kim / kwangwook-kim is an Assistant Professor at Michigan State University, specializing in swine nutrition and feed additives under disease challenge models. He earned his M.S. and Ph.D. in Animal Sciences from the University of California, Davis, where he focused on intestinal health and metabolic responses in pigs. His research evaluates alternatives to antibiotics, targeting gut health and performance in nursery pigs.