Application and Effect Data Analysis of Yeast Cell Wall in Farm Animal Farming

Application and Effect Data Analysis of Yeast Cell Wall in Farm Animal Farming

introduction

      In modern animal husbandry production, factors such as increased feeding density, increased stress factors, and limited use of antibiotics have driven the demand for functional feed additives. Researchers and farm owners are seeking natural and effective additives to promote animal health and growth. Yeast Cell Wall (YCW), as a natural feed additive for aquaculture, has attracted much attention due to its renewable source and high safety. Yeast cell walls can improve the intestinal environment, enhance animal immune function, and improve feed nutrient utilization, making them a potential "clean label" option for livestock and poultry health management.

What is yeast cell wall, its components and mechanism of action

      The yeast cell wall is mainly derived from yeast strains such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which are extracted and dried through special processes. Its main components are polysaccharides, especially β - glucan, Mannan oligosaccharides (MOS), chitin, as well as a certain amount of protein and minerals. Among them, β - glucan and MOS are the most important functional components: β - glucan can be recognized by animal immune cells and act as an immune activator (biological response regulator), while MOS can act as a prebiotic to promote the growth of beneficial bacteria in the intestine and block the attachment of pathogenic bacteria to the intestinal wall. In terms of its mechanism of action, yeast cell wall improves animal health and performance through various pathways: on the one hand, it can directly regulate immunity, stimulate the activity of immune cells such as macrophages, neutrophils, and T cells, and promote the balanced release of pro-inflammatory factors (such as TNF - α, IL-1, IL-2, IL-6, etc.) and anti-inflammatory factors; β - glucan can enhance the phagocytic function and oxygen free radical production ability of macrophages, thereby improving the body's resistance to pathogens. On the other hand, yeast cell walls have intestinal regulatory functions: their components can promote the secretion of mucin by intestinal epithelial cells (increasing goblet cells) and improve villous structure, thereby enhancing the intestinal barrier. At the same time, they have a prebiotic effect on probiotics such as lactic acid bacteria, helping to maintain a healthy microbiota. In addition, some studies have found that yeast cell walls have antioxidant and anti stress effects, which can help animals maintain normal metabolism and growth in stressful environments such as heat or disease challenges.

Effect and experimental data in pig farming

      The pigs raised on the farm are eating feed. Research has shown that the application of yeast cell walls in pig feed can significantly improve the growth performance and health status of piglets and fattening pigs. Lee et al. (2021) found that adding 0.05% yeast cell wall to the diet of weaned piglets significantly increased average daily weight gain and feed conversion rate (P<0.10), as well as increased dry matter and energy digestibility. However, the incidence of diarrhea in weaned piglets decreased significantly. The piglets supplemented with yeast cell wall group showed a significant increase in the ratio of villus height to crypt depth in the small intestine, as well as an increase in villus width and the number of goblet cells, indicating an improvement in intestinal structure that is conducive to nutrient absorption. The levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF - α, IL-1 β) in the serum of piglets in the same group were significantly lower than those in the control group, indicating that yeast cell walls can also alleviate the body's inflammatory response and enhance immune balance. Other studies have also confirmed that yeast derivatives and cell wall products are highly beneficial to the health of pigs. For example, pigs given yeast cell wall products during pathogen challenge had higher average daily weight gain and body weight than the untreated group. Overall, adding yeast cell walls to the diet of weaned and fattening pigs can improve feed utilization efficiency, reduce mortality rates, and promote pig health by regulating gut microbiota and immune responses.

Effects and experimental data in poultry

      Yeast cell walls have also been shown to improve growth performance and enhance immune function in poultry such as broiler chickens and laying hens. In a study conducted by Poultry Science in 2025, 480 Cobb 500 broiler chickens were fed with 0% (control), 0.025%, 0.05%, and 0.1% dissolved yeast cell wall (YCW), respectively. The results showed that the final weight and total weight gain of the groups with 0.025% and 0.1% yeast cell wall were significantly higher than those of the control group (P<0.05), and the feed conversion rate was significantly reduced. The addition of the group significantly increased the proportion of lactobacilli in the beneficial gut microbiota and reduced the number of pathogenic bacteria such as Salmonella, indicating an improvement in gut microbiota balance. In addition, the mRNA expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1 β and INF - γ in the intestinal tissue of YCW group chickens was significantly reduced, indicating that yeast cell walls can regulate immune responses and promote intestinal barrier health. Another study used a feed containing yeast culture and enzymatically hydrolyzed yeast cell wall components (including β - glucan and MOS), and found that the groups added with different levels of YCW had significantly improved daily weight gain and weight gain/feed ratio during the initial and growth stages. The activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) in the intestine increased, while the concentration of malondialdehyde (MDA) decreased, and the antioxidant capacity of the intestine was significantly improved; At the same time, the levels of IgG, IgM, IgA in intestinal tissue were significantly upregulated along with the expression levels of related genes, indicating enhanced immune function. These data collectively indicate that adding yeast cell walls to poultry feed can significantly improve the growth performance and feed utilization efficiency of chickens (with a decrease in feed conversion rate), and enhance intestinal antioxidant and immune function to improve overall health.

Effects and experimental data in aquaculture

      In the field of aquaculture (fish, shrimp), the application of yeast cell wall components has also shown the potential to promote growth and enhance immunity. The Caspian River Trout (Salmo trutta caspius) experiment showed that the addition of β - glucan and MOS to fish feed resulted in a decrease in feed conversion rate and a significant increase in weight gain. This result indicates that yeast derivatives have a positive impact on the growth performance of freshwater fish. Other studies on marine or freshwater fish farming have also found that adding yeast components can improve digestive enzyme activity, enhance resistance to bacterial infections, thereby increasing survival rates and growth rates. In shrimp (such as Pacific white shrimp), the immune regulatory effect of yeast cell wall is more prominent. A study conducted by Songkhla University of Technology in Thailand showed that adding inactivated yeast cell walls at doses of 0, 1, and 2 g/kg to small-sized white shrimp feed (initial weight ≈ 7.15 g) resulted in no significant differences in final body weight, growth rate, feed conversion rate, and survival rate among the groups after a 4-week experiment. However, the group supplemented with 1-2 g/kg yeast cell wall showed significantly higher total blood cell count and granule cell count than the control group, and stronger bacterial clearance ability in vivo, indicating that the yeast cell wall in the feed significantly enhanced the non-specific immunity of shrimp. In another study, supplementing low fish meal feed with 4% yeast hydrolysate (rich in cell wall components) showed significant improvements in the growth performance, intestinal tissue structure, and disease resistance of white shrimp. Overall, yeast derived products can enhance the health status of shrimp and fish by activating the blood lymphocytes of crustaceans and improving antioxidant capacity, although the impact on growth performance varies depending on research conditions.

Effects and experimental data in ruminants

      In ruminant animals such as cattle and sheep, yeast cell walls are often used to improve rumen fermentation environment and enhance resistance. Feeding high-energy diets can easily lead to rumen acidosis, while yeast supplementation can effectively buffer rumen pH and promote beneficial microbial growth. Salinas Chavira et al. (2015) found that adding 1-3 g/head/day of enzymatic yeast cell wall to the diet of fattening cattle (initial weight of approximately 239 kg) under high summer temperatures (THI of about 80) significantly increased dry matter intake and average daily weight gain linearly in the later stages of the experiment (P<0.01). This indicates that yeast cell walls can alleviate the adverse effects of heat stress on feed intake and weight gain. In terms of rumen digestion, the addition group showed a slight decrease in the proportion of acetic acid in the rumen, an increase in the proportion of propionic acid, and a decrease in the ratio of acetic acid to propionic acid, indicating that fiber fermentation capacity may be improved. In dairy cows, although the results of supplementing MOS alone are relatively unstable, researchers have observed that supplementing yeast (including its cell wall components) can increase feed intake and milk production. For example, an early study indicated that supplementing with live yeast products can increase the feed intake and milk production of cows. Overall, yeast cell walls have positive effects in alleviating nutritional stress in ruminants, promoting fiber digestion, and enhancing immunity, which has positive implications for the health management of high-yield dairy and beef cattle.

Conclusion and Promotion Suggestions

      Based on the above experimental data, yeast cell walls have shown significant application value as functional feed additives in various types of farmed animals. Its main mechanisms of action include immune regulation, maintenance of intestinal health, promotion of nutrient utilization, and stress resistance, which can help animals improve growth performance and disease resistance, and improve feed conversion rate. To achieve optimal results, targeted applications can be applied according to different animal species and production stages:

      Pigs: It is recommended to add yeast cell walls to the diet of weaned piglets and fattening pigs, especially when piglets are susceptible to intestinal stress after weaning. This can enhance the intestinal barrier, increase feed intake and weight gain, and reduce diarrhea and mortality rates.

      Poultry: Adding yeast cell walls to the feed of broiler chickens or laying hens during the molting period can stabilize the gut microbiota, increase weight gain, and reduce feed conversion rate; At the same time, strengthen the prevention and control of pathogenic bacteria (such as Salmonella) and improve immune indicators.

      Aquatic animals: Fish fry and shrimp have weak immunity during the seedling stage, and are suitable for supplementing yeast cell wall components such as β - glucan/MOS in feed to enhance resistance to fish, crustacean diseases, and transport stress; It can also be used in high-density aquaculture or when feeding natural bait rich in pathogenic bacteria.

      Ruminant animals: Adding yeast cell walls to the feed of cows and beef cattle during stress stages such as the alternation of dry and wet seasons, high temperature weather, or sudden changes in feed composition (such as sudden increase in grain quantity) can increase feed intake, alleviate rumen acidosis, and maintain high yield and high-quality production.

      In summary, yeast cell wall, as a natural and safe feed additive for aquaculture, promotes animal health and production performance through multiple pathways such as improving animal immunity and intestinal health, and enhancing feed utilization efficiency. Reasonable combination of feeding can significantly improve the efficiency of aquaculture and is an important choice for promoting the application of functional feed additives in modern farms.

Reference materials: Multiple studies and public literature
      pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov、pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov、escholarship.org、pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov、pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov、doaj.org、pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov、pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov、pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
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