Summary
Oligosaccharides are non-digestible chains of sugars naturally found in animals’ breastmilk which are beneficial for the development of young livestock gut health. Early weaned animals lack oligosaccharides from their mother’s milk which causes imbalance in gut bacteria composition, inflammation, and frequent diarrhea. Brewer’s spent grain is a by-product of beer making which is particularly rich in fibers (e.g. cellulose). Rumen microbiota consists of hundreds of species (e.g. bacteria, archaea, and yeast) that are able to digest fibers into oligosaccharides and fatty acids.
In this project, we propose to develop an industrial process to transform brewer’s spent grains into prebiotic feedstock for non-ruminant animals. Grains will be digested by an artificial rumen system to generate feedstock containing high-value bioactive oligosaccharides while recycling by-products of food and beverage industries. The technology is currently at the concept formulation level and can potentially be developed from lab- to industrial-scale prototype involving commercial partners.
General information
- PI: Nhat-Tan Vuong (GR-LUD / IIE)
- Start date: 01.06.2023
- Duration: 3 months