A cooperative project compared the rate of in-vitro breakdown among available soybean-based protein ingredients. The study was conducted jointly by scientists with Hamlet Protein and colleagues at Aarhus University in Denmark. Hydrolysis was measured by determining the k-value indicating the rate of degradation of amino acids.
The study compared Hamlet Protein, comprising a high quality soybean meal subjected to enzymatic treatment, with three soy protein concentrates, two extruded soy products and two fermented soybean meal products. Hydrolysis was measured in-vitro in an aqueous suspension adjusted to pH 8.0 at 39 C in the presence of an enzyme solution.
The rate of hydrolysis over a 120-minute period was determined as a measure of protein degradation. The rate was numerically higher in the Hamlet Protein sample subjected to enzymatic treatment compared to an untreated, selected, high-quality soybean meal. Statistically significant inferior rates of degradation were recorded for the three soy-protein samples and the two fermented soybean meals that were evaluated. There was a statistically significant difference between the two extruded soybean meal samples, one of which was inferior to both the Hamlet Protein sample and the high-quality soybean meal.
The initial evaluation that was performed in-vitro suggests that enzymatic treatment, as used in the patented Hamlet Protein process, would enhance digestion and absorption. Hamlet Protein will conduct live bird studies to confirm earlier trials demonstrating an advantage in early feed conversion and growth rate when a proportion of Hamlet Protein displaces conventional soybean meal in starter diets for chicks and poults.
* Bible, M. R. et al In-vitro evaluation of protein kinetics of soy-based ingredients. Proceedings of the 2023 Poultry Science Association.