AB Vista ramps up gut health portfolio with innovative natural resin acids product

An innovative natural product designed to support gut integrity and improve the performance of production animals is the latest addition to AB Vista’s expanding product portfolio, underlining its commitment to providing cutting-edge gut health solutions to the industry to reduce reliance on antibiotics.

Progres® is a patented product, which protects collagen – the basis of epithelial integrity, thus helping producers to mitigate the impact of different stress factors and improve animal productivity and resilience.

Growing health and environmental concerns about antimicrobial resistance, have had a significant impact on the industry. As the sector adjusts to the demands of animal production with less medication, farmers are searching for alternative nutritional strategies to improve their livestock’s health and wellbeing whilst optimising performance and farm profitability.

Gut health is central to this. A healthy gastrointestinal system is a prerequisite for optimal animal performance and wellbeing. Whatever our approach to gut health, we will aim for a good condition of intestinal epithelium/villi and optimal composition of microbiota. Achieving this will result in effective digestion and absorption of nutrients, as well as improved animal resilience and wellbeing. This in turn means more efficient feed use and less need for medication.

Promoting sustainable production

That is why AB Vista is focused on developing its gut health product portfolio to support its customers in their journey towards more sustainable animal production. The acquisition of Progres®, a product originally developed by Finnish biosciences company Hankkija – is another step towards this direction. 

“Progres® is an exciting natural product based on strong research and scientific background that supports a more sustainable approach to animal production, so it fits well with our whole ethos at AB Vista,” explains AB Vista Managing Director Juan Ignacio Fernandez.

“Adding Progres® to our portfolio expands the support we can provide nutritionists, veterinarians and production managers, looking for strategies and production programmes that deliver improved gut health, nutritional optimisation, and food safety and security. This acquisition also demonstrates our commitment to growing our offer into the wider additives market,” he adds.

Resin acids at work

Progres® supports intestinal integrity (left) and modulates microbiota (right).

The unique active compound in Progres® is natural resin acids derived from rosin, which protects coniferous trees – specifically spruce and pine. In Nordic countries, tree rosin has long been known for its anti-inflammatory and wound healing properties. Now, those same properties can be applied to farm animals.

Resin acids have a dual function in the animals’ intestinal tract. They protect the epithelial barrier by limiting production of certain enzymes that can harm epithelial integrity and they also support the growth of beneficial microbiota in the intestine and reducing the growth of Gram-positive pathogens. 

Although a plant-derived feed material, Progres® should not be confused with plant extracts and other phytogenic feed materials. The active compound of Progres® (resin acids) is known to be controlled during production and the mode of action of resin acids is well researched. Furthermore, the active compound is non-volatile and stable, which makes Progres® an attractive option in compound feed production.

Scientifically proven

The mode of action (MOA) and performance effects of in-feed resin acids (Progres®) have been demonstrated in a ten-year research programme in chickens, pigs, calves and aquaculture.

Progres® has been shown to boost performance in both healthy and disease-challenged birds, with improvements in growth and feed conversion ratio reported. It has also been proven to benefit the wellbeing of birds by improving litter quality (less footpad dermatitis). In layer trials, Progres® improved eggshell quality and reduced the amount of dirty eggs.

In sow trials, animals fed Progres® demonstrated enhanced farrowing and lactation performance, with improved piglet vitality and weaning weights. Trials have also shown that litters of sows fed Progres® required significantly fewer antibiotic treatments.

Conclusion

It is no secret that poor animal gut health can pose a real challenge for commercial animal producers. Animals face a variety of stress factors through their lives – from heat stress to illnesses to social stress – which can result in intestinal inflammation and can seriously impair an animal’s wellbeing and performance.

The good news is that resin acids can reduce the negative effect of inflammation, and the unique ability of Progres® to support gut integrity by reducing the inflammation-induced degradation of collagen has been scientifically proven.

It is an exciting development, and AB Vista will continue to develop the product and leverage its global supply chain to take it into new markets and applications. By increasing its focus on gut health solutions, AB Vista aims to provide the industry with responsible and sustainable nutritional strategies that help producers achieve efficient livestock management and enhance food safety and more sustainable production.

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