Increased Enzymic Activity
Benefits of Sprouts for Feed
Greg Willis (MScAgr)
Review of Published Scientific Literature
Section 1: Nutritional Benefits of Hydroponically Sprouted Grains for Animal Feeding
Nutritional changes upon Germination & Sprouting
Increases in Plant Enzyme Content
Increases in Crude Protein Content

Increases in Protein Quality
Increases in Crude Fibre Content

Increases in Essential Fatty Acids
Increases in Vitamin Content

Chelation of Minerals
Reduction of Anti-Nutritional Factors
Cattle Feeding Trial in WA
References
Summary of Nutritional Benefits upon Sprouting

Section 2: Possible Nutraceutical Benefits of Hydroponically Sprouted Grains for Horses
Statements from Published Literature
Definition: The term “Nutraceutical” was coined in the 1990’s by Dr. Stephen DeFelice, who defined the term as: “A Nutraceutical is any substance that is a food or a part of a food and provides medical or health benefits, including the prevention and treatment of disease.” In view of this definition, it appears reasonable to regard hydroponically sprouted grains and legume seeds as “Nutraceutical feeds”, when considering reported claims of characteristics conferring potential health benefits.
1.) Antioxidant Vitamins A, E, and C
- Disease resistance,
- Skin & Coat condition,
- Nervous
Vitamin-E:
- Immune system competence & Disease resistance,
- Heart, skeletal & respiratory muscle function,
- Oxygen utilization,
- Possible role with Selenium in preventing Muscle Tie-up
- Nervous
Possible roles for Vitamin-C include:
- An involvement in blood capillary strength and fragility, thereby potentially assisting in the reduction of pulmonary bleeding in racehorses.
2.) Alkalising Effect on Body Cells
In racehorses and other performance horses kept in stabled or yarded environments, where access to fresh grass or pasture legumes is not possible, Ulceration of the Gut, as well as Laminitis and Founder diseases are thought to increase in prevalence under conditions of excessively acidic cellular states.
These conditions are most likely induced by a lack of salivary buffering brought about by inadequate grazing, low roughage intakes, high grain intakes and the stresses of high intensity training and stable life.
Anecdotal reports suggest that the feeding of sprouts may have a benefit in preventing the occurrence of, and possibly assisting in the treatment of, Gastric Ulceration in Horses.
Several thoroughbred trainers have reported that Gut Ulcers can be prevented in their racehorses by the feeding of 5 – 10 kg per day of sprouts for the duration of the training preparation.
3.) Source of Chlorophyll
References
Section 3: Observations & Explanations from the Feeding of Sprouted Grains to Ruminants & Horses
Reported Observations from Livestock Owners
Horses
- Reduced recovery time after hard
- Stimulation of appetite, especially during conditions of heat
- Reduction in the incidence of Gut Ulcers in
- Reduction in the incidence of Laminitis in working
- Improvements in behaviour, ie, reduction of “fizz” in working
- Great improvements in general appearance & coat gloss.
- Substantial improvements in hoof quality & strength (reported by farriers).
- Improved conception rates in broodmares on poor quality
- Improved performance of young foals on mares in poor
Beef Cattle
- Surprisingly good weight gains when feeding moderate quantities of sprouts to animals with a very low quantity & quality of alternative feed.
- Improved conception rates in heifers and cows on poor quality.
- Improved weaning rates in herds on poor quality.
- Great improvements in general appearance & coat gloss.
Dairy Cattle
- Improved milk yields in herds with a very low quantity & quality of alternative feed.
- Improvements in milk fat levels.
- Improved conception rates in milking heifers and cows on poor quality.
- Fewer herd health.
- Greatly improved performance of calves reared on sprouts + milk replacer + poor quality.
Sheep and Goats
- Good weight gains on poor quality.
- Improved conception rates in ewes.
- Improved weaning rates in herds on poor quality.
- Fewer herd health.
- Improved milk yields in milking.
- Improved appearance of fleece in fibre.
Possible Explanations for Observations Reported
Sprouted Grains are highly digestible, highly nutritious and succulent feeds, largely due to the greatly enhanced activity of hydrolytic ENZYMES.
Increased enzymic activity results in Sprouts having the following improvements over the original grains .
NUTRITIONAL IMPROVEMENTS:
- Higher in Total Sugars, Soluble Carbohydrates & Soluble Proteins,
- Improved Starch & Protein Digestibilities,
- Improved Protein Quality & Lysine %,
- Increased Crude Fibre %,
- Increased contents of Essential Fatty Acids,
- Increased contents of B-group Vitamins,
- Chelation of Minerals, and
- Reduction in certain enzyme inhibitors and some other Anti-Nutritional Compounds.
NUTRACEUTICAL IMPROVEMENTS:
- Increased contents of Antioxidant Vitamins A, E and C, especially in spouted legume seeds such as Fenugreek & Alfalfa,
- Sprouts have an “Alkalising” effect on body cells, with a consequential pH buffering of rumen or stomach contents, and
- Sprouts are a source of Chlorophyll, deficient in droughted pastures, but important for health of the vascular and immune systems.
1.) Importance of Enzymic Activity in Feeds during times of Drought
- Animals are normally provided with a good supply of endogenous enzymes. The pancreas produces fluid which contains amylase to digest carbohydrates, lipase to digest fats and protease to digest Ruminants and horses also possess vast numbers of bacteria, protozoa and fungi throughout their digestive tracts to digest carbohydrates via fermentative processes. However, under conditions of stress – such as during periods of drought, or for horses, during weaning or periods of boredom or intense training or racing (especially when constantly stabled without access to fresh green pasture), the efficiency of feed digestive processes can decline. Feeds may not be fully digested and effectively utilized under such conditions, and the immune system may suffer as well.
- Especially important when animals are under conditions of stress is that all feeds offered must be highly digestible, and together with this will often come a necessity for a good contingency of plant digestive enzymes within the pasture, forage, hay, grain or other form of feed
- Grains and legume seeds contain abundant However, while grains and seeds are dry, enzymes are largely inactive, due to “enzyme inhibitors“, until given moisture to activate germination. Enzyme inhibitors in some grains and legume seeds (for example trypsin inhibitors in raw soybeans and certain other beans and peas) need to be inactivated by heating or other processes, before they can be safely fed to ruminants and horses (and, more particularly, monogastrics such as pigs, poultry, dogs or humans). However, heating, cooking roasting, extrusion, steam-flaking and grinding processes can also inactivate beneficial digestive enzymes within grains and seeds. Fortunately, during germination and sprouting, many of the undesirable enzyme inhibitors are neutralized, whilst at the same time the activity of beneficial digestive enzymes is enhanced.
- All fresh grasses, legumes, plants, fruits & vegetables contain enzymes needed for the digestion of their own However, enzyme concentrations vary dramatically with the state of health of the material – with stress factors such as water deprivation and drought, nutrient deprivation, frosting or disease severely depressing enzyme levels.
- When feeding freshly sprouted grains and seeds, we are providing animals with “living feed” which has a rich supply of enzymes which results in all nutritional components being highly digestible and extremely
- Sprouts have been acclaimed as the “most enzyme-rich food on the planet”. Some human nutritionists estimate that there can be up to 100 times more enzymes in sprouts than in fruit and vegetables. The period of greatest enzyme activity is generally between germination and 7 days of age.
2.) Importance of Highly Nutritious Feeds during times of Drought
- When feeding freshly sprouted grains and seeds to ruminant livestock or horses, we are providing these animals with a rich supply of highly digestible nutrients in an appealing, succulent, high moisture alkaline form which stimulates appetite and rapidly improves metabolic processes throughout the entire
- Despite sprouted feed having a very low dry matter content (commonly 80-85% moisture), when feeding sprouts in the magnitude of approx 0 – 4.0% of Body Weight (equating to approx 0.5% BW of grain before being sprouted), we are supplying the microbial populations within the rumen of cattle and sheep or the digestive tract of horses with naturally pH balanced feed containing rapidly available:
- Simple Sugars,
- Soluble Proteins & Carbohydrates,
- Amino Acids,
- Essential Fatty Acids,
- Soluble & Insoluble Fibre, as well as,
- B-group and other important Vitamins and bioavailable Minerals which all assist in overall digestion &
- At this level of feeding – for example a 400 kg mare receiving 0% BW, or 12.0 kg of sprouted barley (15% DM) per day – when assuming 20% CP (DM basis) – we are supplying the microbial populations within the equine small & large intestine & ceacum with 12.0 kg x 15% x 20% = 360 grams of crude protein. This is in addition to significant metabolisable energy, plus other nutrients as stated above, all in a highly utilisable form which should also assist in pH buffering of gut contents.
This supply of crude protein is approx 50% of stated daily requirements and very important to stimulate microbial digestive processes. With small amounts of additional forage supplied – as either pasture or hay, etc – it can be appreciated how sprouted feeds can significantly boost animal performance, despite their very high moisture contents.
3.) Improved Efficiency of Animal Metabolism during times of Drought
- It should be recognized that when feeding ruminant livestock and horses during times of drought or other conditions of sub-optimal feed availability, it is an interesting biological fact that all metabolic processes become highly When animals are losing body fat, they can utilise dietary energy with very high efficiency, meaning that responses to supplied feedstuffs is often greater than will be predicted from conventional feed response calculations.
Given all the above, it should be understandable as to why sprouted feeds can greatly improve animal performance, despite their very high moisture contents, especially under conditions of drought, or when animals are on poor quality roughage based diets.
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