Livestock bears the brunt of endotoxin contamination and qll too often, this results in hoof infections, ear or tail necrosis, liver disease and diminished performance due to an overactive immune system.
To help feed producers, farmers and animals combat endotoxins, the multidisciplinary team of experts at Dr Eckel Animal Nutrition in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, has spent two years of intensive development to produce the best available solution to endotoxins and finally, Dr Eckel's latest product innovation was launched on February 4, 2021. Its name is Anta®Catch and Dr Eckel states that farmers and producers can get the threat posed by endotoxins under control with this highly effective product.
Endotoxins, the silent danger
Better genes and intensive feeding have resulted in more productive livestock.
However, one problem is becoming more acute - endotoxin contamination. The latest research confirms what farmers have been saying all along, that endotoxin-related problems are not isolated cases and can occur even on very well-managed farms.
For example, 50 percent to 100 percent of piglets are affected by tail, ear or foot pad necrosis from as early as their first day of life, and as many as 90 percent of slaughtered bulls have tail necrosis due to high levels of endotoxins.
But these visible symptoms are just the tip of the iceberg.
Endotoxins stimulate the immune system, which costs the animal a lot of energy—energy that is no longer available for growth and performance. It is not only fattening cattle and swine that are affected: endotoxins also pose a serious threat to the welfare and health of dairy cows, poultry and aquaculture produce, and the profitability of the respective farms.
Specialist wanted
'Feedback we had been receiving from customers for some time increasingly indicated the presence of high endotoxin levels. The available options did not seem to be helping much,' explains Iris Kröger, Technical Sales Manager at Dr Eckel.
'It was clear that we needed something new. So we decided that we would be the ones to find it.'
The team of specialists at Dr Eckel is known to overcome challenges with unusual solutions. After all, Dr Eckel has been considered a pioneer and visionary of innovative feed additives for more than 25 years.
So the family business took a brave and confident approach in this new venture and, backed by development funding by the state of Rhineland-Palatinate and the EU, developed a specialist product from scratch to be used specifically against endotoxins and to achieve the highest effectiveness possible.
The Dr Eckel development team took a two-pronged approach: the careful selection of raw materials to counteract endotoxins effectively and the development of a unique process to activate Anta®Catch.
Double-activated and triple-mode action
The secret of Anta®Catch's success lies in this careful selection of raw materials and the production process, which is why it is double-activated and has a triple mode of action and this is how it works.
First, the product is activated through the rectification of the cations on its surface, enabling Anta®Catch to immobilise endotoxins over a wide pH range, effectively catching up to 99 percent of the endotoxins. Then, the micronised ingredients—that is, substances that have a particularly small particle size—ensure optimal bioavailability.
Anta®Catch's special triple mode of action kicks in simultaneously and it supports the formation of an intact intestinal barrier, contributes to the effective protection of the liver against endotoxins and thus promotes liver function.
Consequently, Anta®Catch comes with the promise of strong and healthy animals, top performance and animal-friendly and profitable production.
Catch, seal, detox support
Only Anta®Catch has this double activation and triple mode of action which protects poultry, ruminants, swine and fish effectively against endotoxins. This is an enormous step towards improving animal welfare and farm profitability, says the company.
