Name: FeedCheck Soy
Cost: Contact your local Canadian Biosystems (CBS Inc.) representative or distributor for price information
Available at Canadian Biosystems websites (link)
Intended use
A FeedCheck Soy device is used for on-site quality assessment of soybean meal, specifically by analyzing the urease enzyme activity within the soybean meal. Ensuring the quality of soybean meal is important for its efficacy in animal nutrition. One crucial aspect of this quality control involves evaluating the presence of antinutrients, particularly the trypsin inhibitor, which can hinder protein digestion. Properly heating soybeans is crucial to deactivate this inhibitor, delicately managing the balance between underprocessing, which leaves behind residual antitrypsin, and overprocessing, which triggers unwanted Maillard reactions. These reactions can reduce the availability of amino acids by interacting with sugars.
A key player in this quality assessment is the urease enzyme, naturally present in soybean meal. Interestingly, urease and antitrypsin exhibit similar sensitivities to heat. Consequently, testing for urease activity serves as a reliable indicator of the degree of underprocessing in soybean meal.
How does it work?
A sample of soybean meal is introduced to a urea solution. As the urease enzyme catalyzes the hydrolysis of urea, ammonia is released, causing a rise in pH. This change in pH can be quantified using an indicator dye such as phenol red. The presence of more red dots on the surface of the tested soybean meal indicates a higher level of urease activity, suggesting greater underprocessing and, consequently, elevated levels of antitrypsin. The following image shows the difference in the red dot formation on three soybean meal samples (properly cooked, undercooked, and overcooked) following the reaction with the urea solution.
This method of assessment is not only valuable for ensuring the nutritional quality of soybean meal but also for safeguarding the efficiency of protein digestion in the gastrointestinal tract, as antitrypsin interference can compromise this vital process.
Using the device
Upon receiving your FeedCheck Soy kit, please ensure the following items are included: a 16-fluid-ounce bottle of the reaction reagent, five petri dishes, five transfer pipettes, one measuring spoon, and a user guide.
Upon receipt, promptly store the reaction reagent in the refrigerator. If any of these items are missing, please contact your CBS representative for a replacement kit or the missing item.
To utilize the FeedCheck Soy with your soybean meal samples, follow these steps:
- Retrieve the reaction reagent from the fridge and pour a sufficient amount into the container based on the number of samples to be analyzed. Refer to the user guide for guidance on the amount needed.
- Allow the solution to reach the room temperature.
- Grind the soybean meal sample and weigh approximately 2 grams or one teaspoon of the sample into one of the petri dishes.
- Swirl the sample until it is free of clumps.
- Fill a transfer pipette with the room temperature reaction reagent and evenly add it to the sample, starting from the edges of the petri dish and working towards the center. Repeat this step twice or until the sample is uniformly covered with the reagent.
- Swirl the petri dish until the sample is saturated.
- Start the timer and let the sample stand for five minutes, if necessary, during that time add extra drops of the reaction reagent to ensure the sample does not dry out.
- Count the red dots and evaluate the sample using the FeedCheck Soy scale provided in the user guide. As mentioned, the more red dots on the surface of the tested soybean meal indicate a higher level of urease and antitrypsin activity in the feed sample.
Some precautions to keep in mind:
- Do not use the transfer pipette to measure any other liquid.
- Do not return the working solution to the storage bottle, as contamination may occur, reducing the stability of the reaction reagent.
References
Canadian Biosystems websites (link)
Özer, İ. (2021). Classification of Urease Activity in Full-Fat Soybean Production by Extrusion Using Machine Learning Algorithms. Balkan Journal of Electrical and Computer Engineering, 9(3), 290-296. (link)
Mohammad was the PIP team Research Associate (2021-2024) with extensive experience in poultry nutrition. He wrote science articles for newsletters and worked on developing adaptations and recommendations to support the adoption of new managerial tools, products, services, and practices by the poultry industry.
Looking at his poultry industry perspective, Mohammad has been serving the poultry industry through his extensive experience in feed formulation as an animal nutritionist over the past ten years. He was also a university lecturer for 10 years. Mohammad was a member of the Animal Care and Use Committee (ACUC) at the U of A. Mohammad graduated with a Ph.D. degree in Animal Science from the University of Alberta with a Postdoctoral fellowship before moving to his Research Associate position with the PIP team. Serving the poultry industry as an animal nutritionist for more than a decade, Mohammad loves teaching and worked as a university lecturer in Iran and a teaching assistant at the U of A. Mohammad was inspired by Dr. Frank Robinson, practicing the inquiry-based learning method when working as a TA in his “Principles of Animal Agriculture” class. “I have a strong passion on poultry nutrition and have always loved to help poultry producers with optimizing the poultry systems. The challenging part of working with live animals is that you need to be on call even as a nutritionist. However, the joy of seeing healthy animals and help with their welfare overcome the challenging part.”
