Project Number: 1265-12630-002-05
Project Type: Specific Cooperative Agreement

Start Date: Sep 01, 2006
End Date: Aug 31, 2009

Objective:
Phosphorus (P) is a mineral nutrient required for bone growth and many important energetic metabolic processes in animal, plant, and microbial systems. But P, when discharged into surface water can cause significant water pollution. Runoff from the production and feeding facilities, buildings, feed yards, waste storage areas, lagoons, etc. and runoff from land applied manure degrade water quality and diminish its intended value. The addition of phytase enzymes to animal diets has the potential to improve the phytic acid-P utilization by the animal. Phytases enzymes (myo-inositol hexaphosphate phosphohydrolase) catalyze the hydrolysis of feed grain and fiber phytic acid to myo-inositol and phosphate and thereby allow reduction in mineral P supplementation and excretion. The objectives of the collaborative research project between the Institute for Tropical Biology (ITB) and USDA, Agricultural Research Service (ARS) are to evaluate and optimize dietary phytases enzymes production and utilization in animal nutrition under the joint support of the Scientific Cooperation Research Program of USDA, Foreign Agricultural Service and ARS.

Approach:
The research approaches will include fermentation studies to identify potential fungal strains of high hydrolytic efficiency. Purification of selected enzyme preparation will be made to isolate high-activity phytic acid-degraders and from commercial Aspergillus preparations. Distinctions will be made between phytases¿ activity and that of general phosphatases or hydrolases of inorganic polyphosphates. In controlled experiments, enzyme kinetic parameters will be determined and comparisons of hydrolytic efficiency of the isolates will be validated using selected feed and archived animal manure collections. This work will be carried in the Environmental Management and Byproduct Utilization Laboratory by the cooperating scientist and the experimental results will be prepared for publication in technical journals as well as served as bases for continued research on the use of high activity phytases in diets of Vietnamese poultry strains by FASVM-Nong Lam University scientist in Ho Chi Minh City.