Effects of microwave or infrared radiation on protein ruminal degradation and in vitro intestinal digestibility in feedstuffs
4 affiliations
- 1School of Animal Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
- 2Department of Animal Sciences, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, MG, Brazil
- 3Department of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
- 4William H. Miner Agricultural Research Institute, Chazy, New York, United States of America
Abstract
Microbial crude protein (MCP) is the main source of amino acids (AA) in the small intestine, followed by rumen undegraded protein (RUP). Due to limited MCP synthesis and increased AA demand in high-producing ruminants, strategies to enhance intestinal protein availability are relevant. This study evaluated the effects of thermal processing on six protein-rich feedstuffs: soybean meal, wheat bran, cottonseed meal, corn gluten feed, whole cottonseed, and whole soybean seed. A preliminary trial using soybean meal determined optimal processing times based on ruminal degradability curves. Two mathematical models (exponential and broken-line) were evaluated to determine optimal processing times for each thermal treatment. Based on the mathematical modeling performed in the preliminary trial, 30 minutes was selected for microwave treatment (MW30) and 92 minutes for infrared radiation (IR92). These time points were then applied to the remaining ingredients. These time points were then applied to the remaining ingredients. After processing, samples were incubated in situ for 16 hours in rumen-cannulated cattle, followed by in vitro intestinal digestibility (ID) assays. Crude protein and dry matter were analyzed, and the total protein available for absorption in the small intestine was estimated. Data were analyzed using a 6 × 3 factorial design with the GLIMMIX procedure in SAS. Whole soybean seed treated with IR92 showed the highest absorbable protein (85%), followed by whole cottonseed processed with MW30 (73.5%). Soybean meal also responded positively to both treatments, particularly IR92 (78%). Cottonseed meal showed moderate improvements, whereas corn gluten feed exhibited reductions in absorbable protein under both treatments. Wheat bran showed a negative response to MW30 but a modest improvement under IR92. Overall, the results indicate that infrared processing is more efficient for soybean-based ingredients, while microwave heating tends to be more advantageous for cotton-derived feeds, reinforcing the need to match processing conditions to ingredient-specific characteristics.
Related
- Baicalin alleviates X-ray radiation-induced intestinal injury by inhibiting GPX4 mediated ferroptosis
- Plant Tissue Structure and Degree of Milling as Determinants of Starch Digestibility and Postprandial Metabolic Responses to Cereal and Legume Products
- Long-Term Outcomes of Interventional Treatments for Lung Cancer Liver Metastases: Transarterial Chemoembolization and Microwave Ablation
- Thoracic Endometriosis Mimicking a Lung Mass: Management With Single‐Stage Biopsy and Microwave Ablation
- Power coupling and plasma parameters of low-pressure microwave argon discharges in capillaries: comparison between surfatron and striplastron launchers
BibTeX
@article{santos2026effects,
title = {{Effects of microwave or infrared radiation on protein ruminal degradation and in vitro intestinal digestibility in feedstuffs}},
author = {Erollykens F. Santos and Valber C. Morais and Elias A. Lopes and Marina M. Ferreira and Fernando A. A. Cidrini and Jardeson S. Pinheiro and Edenio Detmann and Marcos I. Marcondes},
journal = {PLOS One},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0359231},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0359231},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Effects of microwave or infrared radiation on protein ruminal degradation and in vitro intestinal digestibility in feedstuffs
AU - Erollykens F. Santos
AU - Valber C. Morais
AU - Elias A. Lopes
AU - Marina M. Ferreira
AU - Fernando A. A. Cidrini
AU - Jardeson S. Pinheiro
AU - Edenio Detmann
AU - Marcos I. Marcondes
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/08
JO - PLOS One
DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0359231
UR - https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0359231
AB - Microbial crude protein (MCP) is the main source of amino acids (AA) in the small intestine, followed by rumen undegraded protein (RUP). Due to limited MCP synthesis and increased AA demand in high-producing ruminants, strategies to enhance intestinal protein availability are relevant. This study evaluated the effects of thermal processing on six protein-rich feedstuffs: soybean meal, wheat bran, cottonseed meal, corn gluten feed, whole cottonseed, and whole soybean seed. A preliminary trial using soybean meal determined optimal processing times based on ruminal degradability curves. Two mathematical models (exponential and broken-line) were evaluated to determine optimal processing times for each thermal treatment. Based on the mathematical modeling performed in the preliminary trial, 30 minutes was selected for microwave treatment (MW30) and 92 minutes for infrared radiation (IR92). These time points were then applied to the remaining ingredients. These time points were then applied to the remaining ingredients. After processing, samples were incubated in situ for 16 hours in rumen-cannulated cattle, followed by in vitro intestinal digestibility (ID) assays. Crude protein and dry matter were analyzed, and the total protein available for absorption in the small intestine was estimated. Data were analyzed using a 6 × 3 factorial design with the GLIMMIX procedure in SAS. Whole soybean seed treated with IR92 showed the highest absorbable protein (85%), followed by whole cottonseed processed with MW30 (73.5%). Soybean meal also responded positively to both treatments, particularly IR92 (78%). Cottonseed meal showed moderate improvements, whereas corn gluten feed exhibited reductions in absorbable protein under both treatments. Wheat bran showed a negative response to MW30 but a modest improvement under IR92. Overall, the results indicate that infrared processing is more efficient for soybean-based ingredients, while microwave heating tends to be more advantageous for cotton-derived feeds, reinforcing the need to match processing conditions to ingredient-specific characteristics.
SN - 1932-6203
ER -