Yu: Feed Quality Study of 'Canola Meal' Produced in China in Comparison with 'Canola Meal' Produced in Canada for Producers/Industries

Date: December 2019
Term: 2 years
Status: Completed
Researcher(s): Peiqiang Yu, University of Saskatchewan; Brittany Dyck, Charles Guoqing Qi, Canola Council of Canada; Xuewei Zhang, Tianjin Ag Uni, China, Chinese Canola Seed Processing Industry, SaskCanola
SaskCanola Investment: $34,250
Total Project Cost: $86,500
Funding Partners: NSERC

Project Summary

In 2015, researchers initiated a three-year feed program, including four projects conducted at different phases, to compare the feed quality of canola meal produced in China with Canada. Although there were no significant differences found with canola seed, there were some significant differences between Canadian and Chinese canola meal protein sub-fractions, which may be related to processing methods used in each country. Overall, canola meal processing improved availability and utilization of canola protein supplied to animals. Information from this program can provide a guide for the bio-oil processing industry to improve and maintain nutrient quality, and to further develop nutritional strategies that will increase the efficiency of feedstock and co-products use.

In 2015, researchers at the University of Saskatchewan initiated a three-year project to compare the feed quality of canola meal produced in China with canola meal produced in Canada. At that time, China had 13 crushers with a total crushing capacity of 7,000,000 MT per year, bringing their production of Chinese canola meal into the millions of tons. China had also substantially increased the amount of imported canola seed from Canada. Although different processing methods were used in China compared to Canada, there were no available feed quality assessments on 'canola meal' produced in China.

The objectives of this project were to assist in international market development for Canola Council of Canada in China, and to maximize the benefit for canola oil-crop producers, canola processing, livestock, and export industries. In addition, researchers wanted to compare the feed quality of 'canola meal' produced in China with 'canola meal' produced in Canada, and to investigate the actual processing parameters used in Chinese crush plants for canola meal production. Researchers tested the use of molecular spectroscopy as a novel technique to quantify and compare protein molecular structure and quality of test samples. This three-year feed program included four projects conducted at different phases. Systematic sampling process for both Canada and China was arranged by the Canola Council of Canada .

Project 1: Investigate the association of protein molecular structure with bioactive compounds, anti-nutritional factors, chemical profiles and nutrient availability of canola seeds and co-products from bio-oil processing.

For this project, canola seeds and co-product samples from bio-oil processing (canola meal or meal pellets) were obtained from five different bio-oil processing plants in both Canada and China. Although there were differences between canola seeds in Canada compared to China, no differences were detected in the bioenergy profile. However, the results from molecular spectroscopy showed that the chemical profile, nutrient profiles, and inherent molecular structures of canola meal were affected by the bio-processing during its manufacture. Generally, comparisons of canola seeds and co-products (meal or pellets) in Canada, in China, and in-between Canada and China indicated the presence of variations among different crusher plants and bio-oil processing products.

Project 2: Study the association of feed molecular structure properties with nutrient supply and delivery in animals from feedstocks and co-products from bio-oil processing.

For this project, ten crushing plants (five Canadian and five Chinese) with three different batches from each one at three different processing times were used. The objective of this study was to apply ATR-FTIR spectroscopy to reveal feed molecular structure properties of canola seeds and co-products, and the relationship with protein and carbohydrate degradation fractions in ruminant systems. The protein and carbohydrate degradation fractions were evaluated with the updated CNCPS 6.5 (Cornell Net Carbohydrate and Protein System).

The results showed that CNCPS protein and carbohydrate sub-fractions profiles differed in canola seeds and canola meal, which means that bio-processing induced changes in the profiles, in particular with non-digestible fiber (NDF) and cell wall fractions including lignins. The ATR-FTIR spectroscopy indicated that feed protein molecular structure characteristics were related and could be used to predict the CNCPS protein and carbohydrate degradation fractions in ruminant systems. Overall, Canadian crushers showed significant differences in protein sub-fractions, while there was no obvious difference in protein sub-fractions among Chinese crushing plants, except for the undegradable protein fraction that was significantly different.

Project 3. To study the protein molecular structure in relation to degraded and undegraded protein fractions and nutrient supply of feedstocks and co-products from bio-oil processing in ruminants.

In this project, various sources of canola seeds and co-products (canola meal or pellets) from ten different crushing plants in Canada and China, with multi-source samples from each crushing plant, were used. The protein and carbohydrate degradation fractions for dairy cows were evaluated with the updated CNCPS 6.5 (Cornell Net Carbohydrate and Protein System).

Researchers found that protein molecular structure changes induced by bio-oil processing are closely related to protein and carbohydrate degradable and undegradable fractions, and can be used as predictors for protein and carbohydrate supply in ruminants. However, further large-scale in vivo research is needed to confirm the relationship between processing-induced protein molecular structure changes and protein utilization and availability in the ruminants. The results showed significant differences in all rumen degraded and undegraded protein fractions with crusher plants within Canada, while there was no significant difference among crusher plants within China except ruminally undegraded protein fraction. The differences in the seeds type may be the reason for the differences in rumen degraded and undegraded protein fractions among the different crusher plants and between Canada and China.

Project 4. To investigate the relationship between rumen dry matter (DM) and protein degradation, and intestinal digestibility of rumen undegraded protein in canola seeds and meal from different crushing plants in Canada and China.

For the project, thirty canola seed samples (15 Canada, & 15 Chinese), 21 meal samples (6 Canadian, 15 Chinese), and 9 meal pellets samples from Canada were obtained by the Canola Council of Canada from 5 different crushing plants in each country, each providing three different (seed, meal or pellet) batches from three different processing times. The rumen DM and protein degradation, rumen undegraded protein intestinal digestion and protein molecular structure affected by bio-oil processing were examined using three different experiments, including rumen in situ, three step in vitro protein digestion and FT/IR molecular spectroscopy techniques.

Researchers found no significant differences between canola seed in Canada and China, or among crusher plants within Canada or among crusher plants within China. However, the results showed that canola meal in Canada was significantly lower in dry matter and crude protein in situ rumen degradation, and significantly higher in rumen undegraded protein intestinal digestibility than canola meal in China. As well, Canadian meal and pellets were not significantly different in rumen degradation and intestinal digestibility of bypass protein. The differences between Canadian and Chinese canola meal may be related to processing methods used in each country.

Overall, the results showed that canola meal had lower dry matter and rumen protein degradation and higher rumen undegraded protein intestinal digestibility than canola seed because the processing steps during crushing induced changes that had the ability to shift protein digestion from rumen to intestine. Canola meal processing improved availability and utilization of canola protein supplied to animals. Information from this program can provide a guide for the bio-oil processing industry to improve and maintain nutrient quality, and to further develop nutritional strategies that will increase the efficiency of feedstock and co-products use.

Scientific publications.

Walaa M.S. Gomaa, X. Zhang, H. Deng, Q. Peng, Gamal M. Mosaad, H. Zhang, P. Yu. 2019. Vibrational Spectroscopic Study on Feed Molecular Structure Properties of Oil-Seeds and Co- Products from Canadian and Chinese Bio-Processing and Relationship with Protein and Carbohydrate Degradation Fractions in Ruminant Systems. Spectrochimica Acta Part A: Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy. DOI: 10.1080/05704928.2019.1581622.

W.M.S. Gomaa, Quanhui Peng, Luciana L. Prates, G.M. Mosaad, Hazem Aamer, Peiqiang Yu. 2018. Application of FT/IR-ATR Vibrational Spectroscopy to Reveal Protein Molecular Structure of Feedstock and Co-products from Canadian and Chinese Canola Processing in Relation to Microorganism Bio-Degradation and Enzyme Bio-Digestion. Spectrochimica Acta Part A: Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy, 204: 791–797. DOI: 10.1016/j.saa.2018.06.100.

W.M.S. Gomaa, G.M. Mosaad, Peiqiang Yu. 2018. On a Molecular Basis, Investigate Association of Molecular Structure with Bioactive Compounds, Anti-Nutritional Factors and Chemical and Nutrient Profiles of Canola Seeds and Co-Products from Canola Processing: Comparison Crusher Plants within Canada and within China as well as between Canada and China. Nutrients, 10 (4), 519, 1-25. DOI:10.3390/nu10040519

W.M.S. Gomaa, Quanhui Peng, G.M. Mosaad, Huihua Zhang, Peiqiang Yu. 2018. Protein Molecular Structure in Relation to Biodegradation and Nutrient Supply of Oil-Seeds and Co-Products from Bio-Oil Processing. Animal Feed Science and Technology, 243: 125-139. DOI: 10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2018.06.00

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