Vitamul

Energy is the major cost component in diets for high performing animals. Due to its high energy density, fats and oils are important sources in feed formulation.

Improving the energy efficiency of these raw materials is of high interest from an economical point of view. The gut of young animals is not yet fully developed and the production of bile salts and lipase are not yet on a high level. This will give problems with a proper digestions of fat and oils. 

Fat digestion has 4 different steps. In the first step, fats are pre-digested in the stomach and proximal duodenum. The fat mass will split into smaller particles, thereby increasing total fat surface area. In the second step, the pancreatic lipase is actively splitting triglycerides into mono- and diglycerides and free fatty acids. During the third step there is a big need of bile salts. Young animals have not enough bile salt production/recirculation. Fat has to be solubilized in the watery environment of the animal’s intestine, which is an inefficient process (especially in young animals and for saturated fat). During the fourth step, the solubilized fat will be absorbed. Factors such as age, fat composition, fat level of the feed and quality of the fat affect the fat digestion. 

Vitamul, the nutritional emulsifier 

Emulsifiers are molecules with a hydrophilic and a hydrophobic part. The emulsifier will stabilize a liquid mixture from 2 liquids which are normally not mixable (e.g. oil and water). The emulsifiers will be placed on the surface between the two liquids. Vitamul is a strongly hydrophilic emulsifier. The hydrophyliclypophylic balance (HLB) of Vitamul is around 17 - 18: oil will be mixed in water. Since the intestinal tract of the animal is a watery environment, the best possible micelle formation and fat absorption will only be achieved with a hydrophylic emulsifier.