PetFood PRO 4/2024

INGREDIENTS

New Study shows that Fungal

Protein is Highly Digestible for

Dogs and improves their Gut

Health

As consumers increasingly prioritize sustainable, natural ingredients in pet food, a new study reveals that

Finnish biotech company Enifer's mycoprotein PEKILO®Pet enhances dog health by boosting gut microbiome

diversity and increasing the production of short-chain fatty acids.

The study by the Research Laboratory

in Canine Nutrition (LENUCAN) at the

Federal University of Parana (UFPR) in

Brazil has found that Enifer’s PEKILO®Pet

mycoprotein ingredient enhances dog

health by increasing the prevalence of

potentially probiotic bacterial genera and

decreasing the prevalence of bacterial

genera associated with certain cancers, as

well as increasing the production of shortchain

fatty acids (SFCAs).

The study also found that diets containing

20% PEKILO®Pet had a high protein

digestibility of 83.9%, highlighting the

potential of this upcycled mycoprotein as

a sustainable and nutrient-rich ingredient

for pet food.

The 42-day study of 16 one-year-old

beagles (eight male, eight female), with an

average weight of 10.43kg and inclusion

rates of 4, 8, 12, 16, and 20 percent, found

statistically significant increases in gut

microbiome diversity with PEKILO®Pet

inclusion in their diet. Even using the

smallest inclusion rate (4%), PEKILO®Pet

increased the health-beneficial microbes

in the dog’s gut and decreased harmful

bacteria.

Previous research shows that the gut

plays an important role in animal health.

In particular, the microbiome in the gut

is known to affect both the absorption

and metabolism of nutrients and the

dog’s protective functions. Probiotics

have beneficial effects on pets, such as

modulating the immune system, helping

to reduce stress, protecting against

pathogenic bacteria, and supporting

healthy growth.

“Our findings confirm that even at low

inclusion levels, PEKILO®Pet enhances

beneficial gut bacteria while reducing

harmful ones, which could have farreaching

health benefits for dogs, from

improved digestion to enhanced immune

function,” says Heikki Keskitalo, Business

Development Manager and co-founder

of Enifer.

Additionally, the study found statistically

significant increases in the production

of short-chain fatty acids (SFCAs) and

branched short-chain fatty acids (BFCAs),

with increasing PEKILO®Pet inclusion

in the diet – with previous research

highlighting the benefit of SFCAs to

dogs. Also, including PEKILO®Pet did not

change the dogs’ fecal quality, with a dry

matter of 29.7% and a score of 3.9%, with

no significant changes in Score, pH, or

ammonia content.

Finally, no significant differences were

found in the palatability of reference diets

and the diets containing 4%, 8%, or 16%

PEKILO®Pet protein, meaning the dogs

were very happy to consume PEKILO®Pet.

“These results are incredibly exciting

for the future of sustainable pet food.

Our PEKILO®Pet mycoprotein not only

addresses the growing demand for

natural and environmentally friendly

ingredients but also significantly boosts

the gut health in dogs and is well digested,

making it a win-win for pet health and the

planet,” continues Keskitalo.

The study’s findings are significant, as dog

owners are increasingly drawn to pet diets

that reflect their own personal values

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Technology & Marketing