Huvezym® is an umbrella brand for a new range of products developed for efficient fibre degradation in the context of animal production, and as a technological aid in fermentation processes.
Huvepharma® introduces two products in the range to start with: Huvezym® neXo and Huvezym® Gas
Huvezym® neXo is an enzymatic complex positioned as a digestibility enhancer for monogastric species. The product is available in the US, different Asian and LATAM countries and MENA. An EU launch will take place in the second phase of the roll out.
Dr. Erik Vanderbeke, Global Marketing Director Enzymes at Huvepharma® commented: "Being on the frontline of enzyme development brings responsibility to lead the way in terms of innovation and developing state-of-the-art solutions that deliver high added value to our customers. The Huvezym® range is a reflection of that. Huvezym® neXo in particular is an addition to the existing fibre-degrading enzymes range of products, a differentiated concept and brings high added value to our customers (both zootechnically and economically). This is directly in line with the growth strategy of Huvepharma."
Huvezym® Gas, meanwhile, addresses a completely different market segment: biogas production. As a technological aid, the product is already available in the EU and Huvepharma® is now exploring non-EU markets where biogas production is gaining momentum. The targets are biogas production systems that use fibre-rich agricultural organic waste.
Natalia Soares MSc, Global Product Manager Enzymes at Huvepharma, recently talked to Feedinfo about the importance of fibre degradation and the prospects Huvepharma® has for the Huvezym® range.
[Feedinfo] Ms. Soares, can you talk about the development phase for the Huvezym® range? How did Huvepharma®'s proprietary fermentation process help speed up its development?
[Natalia Soares] The development of the Huvezym® range is the result of a process that has been running for over five years. And the research and development into fibre-degradation will continue. Huvezym® is the result of scientific research, in collaboration with top research institutes, which helps us better understand the full mode of action of fibre-degrading enzymes and how different enzymes interact.
The first step in the process was to identify which enzymes make a real and measurable difference in hydrolyzing the different molecules in the fibre matrix and validating whether the extent of that degradation can contribute to any additional benefit in terms of animal performance. This step was the key to developing Huvezym®. Our fermentation know-how, optimization of production processes and previous experience in formulating products helped us bring scientifically validated new concepts all the way to being commercial products.
[Feedinfo] How does Huvezym® neXo differ from the company's other feed enzyme products?
[Natalia Soares] Huvezym® neXo is an optimized enzymatic complex for the efficient hydrolysis of fibre. The complexity of fibre structure and the different molecules that constitute it paved the way for the development of Huvezym® neXo. Such complex substates such as fibre demand an enzymatic complex to degrade them. Using xylanase as the base enzyme, our research looked into which enzymes bring additional value to the fibre degradation target and further contribute to better animal performance and intestinal health. The spotlight was given to the cellulose degrading group of enzymes.
Our research, both in vitro and in vivo, showed that specific combinations of xylanases and cellulases outperformed other commercial or tailored products. The value of a cellulase complex is shown through the increase in animal performance and nutrient digestibility and positive microbiota shifts. From a concept product, we moved into process development and then to optimizing fermentation using a strain that yields the combination of target enzymes. Huvezym® neXo is an enzymatic complex standardized for xylanase and two different cellulases, the only product in the market with this set of activities. The validation of its efficacy was carried out in various animal species and diets with excellent results.
With Huvezym® neXo we are able to take the most out of fibre, by:
- efficiently hydrolyzing soluble non-starch polysaccharides (usually related to viscosity)
- efficiently hydrolyzing insoluble non-starch polysaccharides (usually related to nutrient release and cage effect)
- producing a unique profile of degradation molecules (usually related with arabinoxylan oligosaccharides - AXOS and XOS formation, known for their prebiotic potential) which are used by the animal's microbiota
[Feedinfo] Surely by now, the industry is very much aware of the anti-nutritional effects of fibre and the benefits of optimised fibre degradation. Or do you disagree with this comment?
[Natalia Soares] Aware yes. But the baseline is not awareness. As long as we keep calling it fibre means we are not giving it the needed attention.
Fibre doesn't exist as such. It is a variable complex of different molecules with very specific biological functions. Over time we started to address fibre looking at its NSP (non-starch polysaccharide) content, we even refer to the soluble and insoluble NSPs or fermentable and non-fermentable. We also accept that NSP degrading enzymes have a role both in hydrolysing soluble and insoluble NSP, making xylanase a familiar word. All these being a step forward.
Science is also moving forward, and fibre degradation is a core issue. But many questions still remain.
- What happens to the degradation products of fibre?
- How are they used by the animal's intestinal microbiota?
- Is the degradation profile influenced or shifted by the choice of enzyme?
- Which enzymes are of interest?
- How different is the degradation profile between different substrates/raw materials?
- Can we optimise or control it?
- To what extent do we really want to degrade fibre?
To take the most out of fibre, from the animal nutrition and health perspective, we need to be able to translate the newest science into practice. As long as the market keeps swinging from single xylanase products to enzyme formulations to enzymatic complexes - as if all these products were the same and did the same - that means awareness is still not high enough.
[Feedinfo] Can you disclose Huvepharma®'s current production capacity for Huvezym® neXo? Will you have sufficient supply, or will you need to expand output to meet the expected increase in demand for the range?
[Natalia Soares] Capacity will not be an issue. Following its growing plans, the production capacity at Huvepharma® has been increased over the last years. In 2019 an additional 3,000 m3 of fermentation capacity was added to our production sites in Peshtera, Bulgaria, bringing our total to more than 10,000 m3 in available fermentation units.
[Feedinfo] Can you briefly discuss the other product that is part of the Huvezym® range: Huvezym® Gas?
[Natalia Soares] Huvepharma® was already present in the biogas sector with a cellulase based product Cellugaz®. During our fundamental research phase for product development, enzymes from the cellulose degrading group gained more and more interest. The insights on its mode of action and its interaction with enzymes from the xylan-degrading enzymes group also led the way for the development of a new product for the biogas sector.
Fermentation in biogas reactors can be enhanced by supporting the growth of specific microbial populations. For biogas reactors fed with agricultural organic waste (energy crops, animal excreta, crops residues, etc.) the fibre content is high. The ability to 'break' fibre and release nutrients that can be used by the target microbial population to ferment is of high interest, as it will increase the methane gas yield. With this in mind, it was an easy decision to bring to the biogas sector a new and advanced fibre degrading enzymatic system with a highly efficient cellulase complex, a tool to optimise biogas production yield.
