Structural and ultrastructural analyses to understand the degradability of DDGS in ruminal fluid

• Grant number: 24/22789-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: April 01, 2025
• End date: March 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Animal Husbandry - Animal Nutrition and Feeding
• Principal Investigator: João Paulo Rodrigues Marques
• Grantee: Ana Julia Heidorne Conti
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Zootecnia e Engenharia de Alimentos (FZEA). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Pirassununga , SP, Brazil

Abstract

DDGS, distiller's dried grain with solubles, is a byproduct of the ethanol synthesis process from corn and very important for animal feed due to its high protein content. Recently, the Brazilian community has made a great effort to use DDGS for protein supplementation in animals. In view of the continuous growth of Brazilian livestock, alternative protein sources to soybeans are sought by producers; in addition, the use of DDGS promotes the reuse of waste from the corn-based ethanol production industry, also generating sustainability for an industry in continuous expansion. Despite the importance of this food source, little is known about its structural and ultrastructural composition. Therefore, this study aims to characterize DDGS using light and electron microscopy, correlating the cells and tissues present therein with their composition throughout degradability. To this end, DDGS samples before and throughout in vitro digestibility will be fixed, dehydrated, infiltrated with historesin, sectioned on a rotary microtome, and the slides containing the sections will be stained with toluidine blue for routine analysis or by histochemical tests to detect protein, starch, and lignin. Concomitantly, the samples will be analyzed under a scanning electron microscope and also subjected to bromatological tests. This project aims, in addition to training human resources, to establish research in line with the growing demand for studies on the use of this important co-product of the corn industry, DDGS, for animal nutrition, favoring the development of understanding of how particle digestion occurs by the ruminal microbiota, providing understanding at the cellular level before, during and after the in vitro digestion process.