Evaluation of the effects of inclusion of increasing levels of an alternative source of hemicellulose on the palatability and digestibility of healthy adult dogs

• Grant number: 25/00246-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: March 01, 2025
• End date: February 28, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Animal Husbandry - Animal Nutrition and Feeding
• Principal Investigator: Thiago Henrique Annibale Vendramini
• Grantee: Ellen Freitas Marcena
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia (FMVZ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Fibers have gained prominence as one of the main categories of study for the development of foods in the pet industry, due to their potential benefits to intestinal health, including the production of short-chain fatty acids and other metabolites. The addition of fibers to the diet also promotes greater diversity in the microbiota and reduces the presence of potential intestinal pathogens. Among the main fibrous ingredients used in dog diets is beet pulp; however, its large-scale production is still limited in countries such as Brazil. Beet pulp has hemicellulose as one of its main fibrous components, which can be extracted from several sources, being mainly found in the cell walls of plants. Several oligosaccharides can be derived from hemicellulose, promoting benefits to intestinal health. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of including increasing levels of an alternative source of hemicellulose in place of beet pulp, focusing on palatability and digestibility in healthy adult dogs. Eight adult dogs will be fed the following diets: control food (CC), formula with 4.0% beet pulp; food 33% (A33), formula with replacement of 33% of the beet pulp by an alternative source of hemicellulose; food 66% (A66), formula with replacement of 66% of the beet pulp; and food 100% (A100), complete replacement of the beet pulp. The experimental design adopted will consist of two contemporary 4x4 Latin squares.