University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Protein digestibility and quality of selected traditional and alternative protein sources for canine and feline diets

Mioto, Julio Cesar

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/129626

Description

Title
Protein digestibility and quality of selected traditional and alternative protein sources for canine and feline diets
Author(s)
Mioto, Julio Cesar
Issue Date
2025-05-07
Doctoral Committee Chair(s)
Cattai de Godoy, Maria Regina
Committee Member(s)
  • Braz, Camila Urbano
  • Parsons, Carl M.
Department of Study
Animal Sciences
Discipline
Animal Sciences
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
M.S.
Degree Level
Thesis
Keyword(s)
Amino acid digestibility, protein quality, black soldier fly larvae meal, chicken-based ingredients, pet nutrition.
Abstract
The digestibility and quality of dietary proteins are crucial parameters in formulating nutritionally balanced canine and feline diets. Two experiments were conducted to evaluate protein digestibility and quality of alternative (black soldier fly larvae meal; BSFLM) and traditional (chicken-based) protein sources for canine and feline diets using the precision-fed cecectomized rooster assay. In experiment 1, twenty cecectomized roosters (5 roosters/protein source) were assigned to one of four protein ingredients: defatted BSFLM wheat-substrate (BSFLM-W), defatted BSFLM corn-substrate (BSFLM-C), chicken meal (CM), and whole egg powder (WEP). After a 26-hour fasting period, roosters were tube-fed test ingredients. Following crop intubation, excreta samples were collected for 48 hours. Endogenous loss corrections for amino acids (AA) were made using five additional cecectomized roosters to calculate standardized AA digestibility values. Generally, WEP had the highest (P<0.05) standardized indispensable AA digestibility, but BSFLM-C showed higher digestibility for certain AA, such as arginine, surpassing CM and BSFLM-W. Digestible indispensable AA score (DIAAS)-like values were calculated to determine protein quality according to the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) nutrient profiles, European Pet Food Industry Nutritional Guidelines (FEDIAF) nutritional guidelines, and National Research Council (NRC) recommended allowances for adult dogs, adult cats, growing puppies, and growing kittens. The DIAAS-like values revealed methionine + cysteine and phenylalanine + tyrosine as limiting AA in BSFLM and CM, particularly in formulations for growing puppies, kittens, and adult pets, according to AAFCO, FEDIAF, and NRC nutrient profiles. Despite these limitations, both BSFLM sources showed high AA digestibility, suggesting their potential as viable alternative protein sources in pet diets. In experiment 2, standardized AA digestibility and DIAAS-like values were determined using the same procedures and reference nutrient profiles (AAFCO, FEDIAF, and NRC) as described in experiment 1. However, in this experiment, sixteen cecectomized roosters (n= 4 per treatment) were tube-fed test substrates along with corn: spray-dried chicken protein hydrolysate (CPH), spray-dried chicken meat (CC), spray-dried chicken broth (CB), and CM. Overall, CC showed the highest (P<0.05) standardized digestibility values for most AA, closely followed by CPH. CM showed intermediate digestibility, whereas CB presented the lowest digestibility among tested ingredients. Methionine, phenylalanine, valine, isoleucine, leucine, and lysine digestibilities were significantly higher in CC and CPH compared with CB and CM. DIAAS-like values, calculated according to AAFCO, FEDIAF, and NRC nutrient profiles, highlighted tryptophan or phenylalanine + tyrosine as generally the first limiting AA among chicken-based sources, with CC and CPH demonstrating superior protein quality relative to CB and CM. Overall, the results of both experiments emphasize the importance of AA digestibility and composition when evaluating protein ingredients for canine and feline diets. BSFLM appears promising as an alternative protein source, comparable to chicken meal. The traditional chicken-based sources showed variability, with CC and CPH demonstrating superior protein quality compared with CM and CB, highlighting the importance of ingredient processing on protein quality.
Graduation Semester
2025-05
Type of Resource
Thesis
Handle URL
https://hdl.handle.net/2142/129626
Copyright and License Information
Copyright 2025 Julio Cesar Mioto

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