June 13, 2007

Denmark's Vitfoss says Vitamin E can neutralize bad grains

Newly harvested grains can result to poor productivity and increased mortality in pigs but this can be prevented through Vitamin E, according to Danish animal premix and vitamin manufacturer Vitfoss.

Vitfoss states harvested grain undergoes numerous biological processes which continue until the grain is sufficiently dry for storage which can take 1½ - 2 months. The activity is biggest at unripe and moist grain and should not be harvested until it gets ripe and moist. The drying should be done immediately. At gas-tight storage of the grain the lack of oxygen will stop the activity of the grain.

In grain there are enzymes, which ripen the seeds and the enzymes become active once the grains are grinded. Enzyme activity produces peroxides and free radicals which becomes aggressive to the cell level and reduces the animals' ability to grow and be productive. The good old "news" is that vitamin E can neutralize these aggressive substances, according to Vitfoss.

This phenomenon about newly harvested grain is also called fresh-grain-poisoning. The negative impact on the productivity results in poor reproduction and reduced gain at the pigs and at worse, death due to lack of vitamin E. Vitfoss says application of vitamin E also seem to indicate that there also should be focus on vitamin K. Trials have shown that an increased consumption of vitamin E also increases the need for vitamin K. Increased frequency of bleedings from the stomach/intestine system are symptoms in the herd by lack of vitamin K.

This is the reason why Vitfoss developed a vitamin E product, which contains both vitamin E and vitamin K. The product is called Suplex E-50000/K/Selenium which is applied 1 to 1.5 kilograms for every tonnes of feed. Vitfoss reminds users to carefully read instructions before application to avoid fresh grain problems and ensure productivity with pigs.