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Since the 1950’ties, most diets fed to commercially raised pigs have been formulated based on plant feed ingredients and without using animal feed sources. Cereal grains have historically been the main stable in pig diets, but because pigs require nutrients rather than specific feed ingredients, it is possible to provide a well-balanced diet that includes all necessary nutrients using a large number of different feed ingredients. Many of these ingredients are co-products from the human food industry, which often are excellent sources of nutrients. Co-products from other industrial processes, such as production of fuel ethanol, are also available and may be used in diet formulations. Over the last few years, new fermentation or processing technologies have been introduced as a way to improve the nutritional value of certain feed ingredients, which may broaden the usage of such ingredients. However, regardless of the ingredient being fed, the value of the ingredient is primarily determined by the concentration of metabolizable or net energy, the concentration and digestibility of indispensable amino acids, and the concentration and digestibility of phosphorus because energy, amino acids, and phosphorus are the most expensive components of diets fed to pigs. Ingredients may also contain anti-nutritional factors that limit the inclusion rate in the diet to all or some categories of pigs and knowledge about acceptable inclusion levels of ingredients is, therefore, required for successful use of these ingredients in diets fed to pigs. Inclusion rate of some feed ingredients may also be limited because of effects on the final products that are marketed from pigs and because any changes in the composition or characteristics of the final products may reduce the value of the product, knowledge about effects on final products are also important. Thus, for successful usage of feed ingredients in diets fed to pigs, it is required that knowledge about the chemical composition, the digestibility of energy and nutrients, and acceptable inclusion rates in diets fed to different categories of pigs is available. It is the objective of the present review to provide this knowledge for a number of plant feed ingredients that are commonly used in diets fed to pigs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Distiller's dried grains with solubles (DDGS) are co-products of the maize ethanol industry. DDGS contains feruloylated arabinoxylans (AXs), which can present gelling, antioxidant, and health-promoting effects. However, AXs presenting high ferulic acid (FA) content can exhibit delayed fermentation by the colonic microbiota. Therefore, partial deferuloylation of AXs from DDGS while preserving the polysaccharide gelling and antioxidant properties could add value and favor the sustainable development of bioethanol plants. The aim of this work was to partially deferuloylated AXs from DDGS using feruloyl esterase and to evaluate the polysaccharide macromolecular characteristics, gelling, and antioxidant properties. The AXs presented FA and FA dimer contents of 3.27 and 0.30 µg/mg polysaccharide, respectively, which decreased to 1.26 and 0.20 µg/mg polysaccharide, respectively, in feruloyl esterase-treated AXs (FAXs). The molecular weight and intrinsic viscosity of FAXs were slightly less than those of AXs. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy data of AXs and FAXs were similar, confirming that the enzyme did not modify the polysaccharide molecular identity. FAX gels (2% w/v) exhibited a decrease in elasticity by 43% in relation to that of AXs gels. The antioxidant capacity of FAXs was reduced by 32% and 43% (DPPH and ABTS method, respectively), compared with that of AXs. The FAX gelling and antioxidant properties were -comparable to those reported for other AXs in the literature. Feruloyl esterase may offer an interesting approach for the design of functional FAXs as value-added products recovered from DDGS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]