NSP enzymes research receives a renewed focus

While the feed industry is yet to fully understand non-starch polysaccharide (NSP) enzymes despite 25 years of research, a renewed focus is seeing more exploration than ever before.

AB Vista, which established the first international INSPIRE Forum one year ago to initiate collaboration to address the industry research shortcomings, believes that a number of universities and academic organisations have since accelerated research into the complex work of NSPs.

“NSP enzymes have huge potential and can bring real commercial value to the animal production industry, so it’s vital to know all we can about them – yet as an industry, we’re not quite there,” AB Vista Managing Director Richard Cooper says.

“But since the INSPIRE Forum, NSP research really seems to have propelled across the globe; a number of universities have conducted independent studies, which have complemented the projects we fund ourselves. While there is still more work to be done, we feel closer than ever to understanding these complex enzymes.”

AB Vista’s Research Director Mike Bedford adds: “At the rate of our research, within two years we expect to have a very good idea about the mode of action of xylanase enzymes. In fact, we are already applying tools discovered from this research to help screen for better-performing NSP products.

“And this is really the key reason behind INSPIRE; to research and apply science that brings value commercially to the animal production industry.”

The INSPIRE Forum was hosted by AB Vista on March 31- April 2 in 2014 in Pitlochry, Scotland.