* Photo: PhD. Cristina Latasa, from Recombina, during her conference: “Differentiation between drug and pronutrient”

Pronutrients, enzymes and mycotoxin binders were the protagonists of the 4th session of the XXXI Biovet International Symposium, which was held from May 26 to 29 at the Chamber of Commerce of Tarragona. Producers and distributors of the poultry and swine sector, from all over the world: China, Mexico, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Romania, United States, Peru, Guatemala, Ireland, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Bangladesh and Argentina, attended the meeting.

Professor of the Rovira i Virgili University (URV), Tarragona, Miquel Mulero, was the moderator of this session, which took place on May 29th. PhD. Cristina Latasa, from Recombina, opened the session with a lecture entitled: “Differentiation between drug and pronutrient”, in which she highlighted: “Veterinary drugs restore, correct or modify organic functions. Its mechanism of action is based on the interaction with a receptor, whose union provokes specific mechanisms, such as the modification of cells and their functions, modifications at the level of proteins, enzymes, amino acids or elimination-blocking of a certain metabolic pathway”.

Meanwhile, pronutrients “activate the expression of tissue-specific proteins, without modifying their function, improving the integrity, functionality and immune response in a specific organ or system, so that they improve the physiology and protection against diseases and not they have the negative effects of antibiotics, whose use in animals can compromise their use in humans” she explained.

Regarding Antibiotics Growth Promoters (AGPs), Latasa summarized: “Subinhibitory concentrations of penicillin, virginiamycin, flavomycin, chlortetracycline, erythromycin or colistin, among others, are added to feed as growth promoters, since they regulate and maintain the balance of the intestinal microbiota that can be affected by stress or digestive disorders changes. Despite this, its use in animals is contraindicated, since it may compromise its use in humans”.

PROTEASES
PhD. Sara Borrell, from Biovet Regulatory Affairs Department also gave a presentation entitled: “Enzymes: Proteases” in which she highlighted “the growing demand for proteins and amino acids necessary in the diet of production animals, to reach the conversions that the industry needs”. She also mentioned that “the key to the properties of proteases is to improve the efficiency of feed, maintaining intestinal health.”