Poultry producers who want more flexibility and control over their feed rations have a valuable new tool at their disposal: Cibenza DP100 from Novus International.

"Cibenza DP100 is a real game changer," says Dr Scott Carter, Global Poultry Market Manager for Novus. "This dietary enzyme is formulated to give poultry producers much more control over their protein ingredients. Cibenza DP100 offers the flexibility to incorporate more cost-effective protein sources into diets with no sacrifice in performance, or maximize performance in birds that receive rations formulated with the highest quality protein ingredients."

The use of enzymes in feed rations is not new. In fact they have become a widely accepted and increasingly popular element of many poultry diets. Previously, though, most enzymes focused on optimising energy or phosphorous components of feed rations. Cibenza DP100 is different in that it allows producers to optimise the protein component of poultry diets. And in light of today's high prices for soybean meal, this technology could not have come at a better time.

"The traditional corn and soybean meal diet has been one of the most effective and efficient rations for decades," Dr Carter says. "But significant price increases in corn and soybean meal have prompted producers to look for lower-cost alternatives. Our research and trials have shown that the use of Cibenza DP100 allows producers to use diets formulated with proteins and amino acids that are five to 10 per cent lower than recommended industry standards with no sacrifice in animal performance. This provides significant feed-cost savings for producers."

Protease enzymes naturally occur in the digestive tracts of all animals, including poultry. These protease enzymes break down dietary proteins into their constituent components – peptides and amino acids – that are directly absorbed by the gut. These endogenous enzymes, though, are not as effective as other proteases in breaking down certain protein sources. This is particularly true in younger birds compared to older birds.

In Cibenza DP100, Novus identified and isolated a particularly aggressive, heat-stable, broad-spectrum protease that complements poultry’s endogenous enzymes. The use of Cibenza DP100 allows producers to enhance the digestibility of a broad range of vegetable and animal-based proteins, from highly digestible soybean meal to feather meal, which falls at the other end of the digestibility spectrum.

Another tool Novus is introducing is a perfect complement to Cibenza DP100 and provides poultry producers with even greater control over the feed component of their business.

IDEA^TM is the first assay of its kind. It provides an almost immediate understanding of the digestibility of various protein sources, which allows producers to quickly make changes that can result in significant feed-cost savings.

Novus developed IDEA because there was a need for a rapid cost-effective assay technology that could allow producers to accurately evaluate and quantify protein and amino acid digestibility. The more accurate assessment of the actual quality of protein ingredients eliminates the need to over-formulate for either peace of mind, or insurance purposes. With the knowledge of the quality of their protein source in hand, poultry producers can then more effectively use Cibenza DP100 to expand their protein options to maximize performance or enhance feed-cost savings.

Cibenza DP 100 is just the latest addition to a broad line of Cibenza enzyme products from Novus that also includes: Cibenza^TM CSM; Cibenza DE200; Cibenza IND 900; and Cibenza PHOS. The continued expansion of the company's Cibenza product offering reflects the track record of success that enzymes have enjoyed in the poultry and livestock sectors.

"Novus is deeply committed to the enzyme and fermentation business," notes Nasser Odetallah, Novus global product manager for enzymes. "The enzyme business is perfectly aligned with our corporate mission to make a clear difference in sustainably meeting the growing global demand for nutrition and health. In light of today's escalating ingredient costs – and based on the results that products like Cibenza DP100 can deliver – we really believe we’ve only just begun to scratch the surface of the industry’s demand for enzymes."

For more information on Cibenza DP100, IDEA, and the other customer-focused nutrition-based solutions offered by Novus, visit the company's Web site [click here].