A new study has found that biochar made from agricultural waste such as chestnut shells and vine prunings could help deliver beneficial compounds more effectively in animal feed, offering a promising alternative to antibiotics in livestock production.
The research, published in Biochar, explores how biochar can act as a carrier for lysozyme, a natural antimicrobial enzyme commonly found in egg whites. Scientists developed a simple and environmentally friendly method to attach lysozyme onto biochar particles and tested how well the system works under conditions that mimic the digestive tract of young pigs.
“Our goal was to design a sustainable delivery system that protects sensitive bioactive molecules in the stomach and releases them where they are most effective, in the intestine,” said the study’s lead author. “Biochar offers a unique combination of porosity, surface chemistry, and stability that makes it an ideal candidate.”
Antimicrobial resistance is a growing global concern, driven in part by the overuse of antibiotics in both human medicine and agriculture. In livestock farming, especially during stressful stages such as weaning, animals are vulnerable to disease and often require antibiotic treatments. Functional feed additives like lysozyme have emerged as promising alternatives, but their effectiveness is limited because they can degrade in the acidic environment of the stomach.
To address this challenge, the research team tested two types of biochar produced from waste biomass. One was derived from chestnut shells and the other from vine pruning residues. Both materials were shown to effectively bind lysozyme using a mild, water-based process.
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