Purple Swallows Cross the Vast Sea

NIC (2024) nuacid Nutrition Year-End Review

Throughout the year, the spokesperson for nuacid Nutrition—the nuacid Innovation Center (NIC)—as always, At the forefront of acid and health research, we share the latest insights on how modulation of the acidic molecular milieu can positively influence healthy animal husbandry. Sharing NIC’s latest research topics, interpreting industry hotspots and focal points, and outlining the newest pathways in technological evolution. We remain committed to originality and independent thinking. , 20 original tweets about acid molecules, allowing this purple petrel to actively showcase the four magical powers of “acid” in the vast ocean of technology!

This year, acidifiers have attracted increasing attention. Among the 1,137 papers published in the proceedings of the quadrennial National Conference on Animal Nutrition, 139 focused on “Research and Application of Acidifiers,” with universities accounting for 87% of these contributions and enterprises contributing 19 papers (13%). nuacid NIC alone authored 16 papers, clearly demonstrating that, as antibiotic‑free feed continues to gain traction, research on acidifiers is receiving substantial recognition from both the scientific community and the industry. As the industry’s leading innovation force in acid management and healthy aquaculture, nuacid NIC is rapidly emerging as a major player. This year, animal nutrition scientists in the U.S. and Europe published a cluster analysis confirming that, over the past decade, acidifiers have increased growth-promoting effects during the creep-feeding and nursery phases in an antibiotic-free era by 5–20%.

The enthusiasm for scientific research is closely tied to industry trends. According to data from the China Feed Industry Association for January–November, pig feed production declined by 5%, with decreases also seen in enzymes, minerals, and vitamins. Surprisingly, however, acid additives surged by 14%! This is a strong signal that acidifiers are gaining greater recognition within the industry, driven by big data. Consequently, as acidity is the most fundamental condition for the activity of enzymes and microorganisms, it should not be overlooked. At the 2024 annual feed industry conferences held in Shanghai, Fujian, and other provinces, the author publicly called for: Could the term “bacterial–enzyme coordination” in the context of health‑promoting applications be changed to “acid–bacterial–enzyme coordination”?

This year, one of the key strengths of digestive acid function came sharply into focus with the launch of the NIC Digestive Acid Selection Model (NUTRI-ACID 1.0). For nutritionists, the foundation of using unconventional feed ingredients and low‑protein, low‑soybean meal diets lies in enhancing protein absorption and utilization within the animal. Crucial to this process is optimal endogenous enzyme secretion—particularly pepsin, which functions most effectively at a pH of 2.0–3.5. Comprehensive NIC research (2021–2024) revealed that, among 60‑day‑old piglets, 40% had chyme pH values exceeding 4.0 one hour after feeding. In vitro studies conducted by Wageningen University (2020) further demonstrated that protein digestibility from chyme exposed to normal gastric acid conditions and pepsin was higher—by 58%—after subsequent trypsin treatment compared to chyme treated only with acid (without pepsin). If neither acid nor pepsin were applied, digestibility declined an additional 77%. In vivo validation by NIC (2024) confirmed that apparent protein retention during the early nursery phase contributes approximately 40–60%, far surpassing the commonly accepted range of 10–20%. Reduced pepsin activity can impair dietary protein digestion, leading to nutrition‑related diarrhea. NIC posits that internal factors governing digestion are modulated by external influences; when the external environment undergoes fundamental changes, it becomes difficult for internal mechanisms to operate at peak efficiency. For the in vivo digestion of proteins, this external factor is acid. Therefore, a comprehensive system must be established that employs a regulatory strategy based on “digestive acid–diet type–physiological stage” to ensure the rational and effective use of acidifiers.

Since 2021, NIC has consecutively measured and compiled the acid-binding capacity for three years across 318 commonly used feed ingredients nationwide (including energy feeds, protein feeds, mineral feeds, vitamins, various acids, and carriers). Simultaneously, data were collected from 80 major piglet feed manufacturers across six major regions in China, continuously measuring pH and acid-binding capacity values along with comprehensive performance indicators. Additionally, extensive foundational data were systematically generated, examining the effects of different types of digestive acids on the acid-binding capacity of diets with varying structures, their antimicrobial inhibitory effects, and their impacts on weanling piglets’ average daily gain, diarrhea rate, protein digestibility, gastric pH, pepsin activity, and intestinal microbiota. Complementing this, meta-analyses were conducted using domestic and international literature—including articles published between 2013 and 2023 in journals such as Journal of Animal Nutrition, Chinese Journal of Animal Husbandry, Chinese Journal of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, J Animal Sciences, and ANIMAL—on the relationship between acids and animal production outcomes. Based on these comprehensive datasets, NIC successfully established the first version of a selection model for exogenous digestive acids in piglets and officially named it “Digestive Acid Selection Model 1.0. For the first time, we have a model and systematic approach to selecting digestive acids in formulations!

This year, NIC has made new advances in the field of intestinal acids. Against a backdrop of intensifying competition among candidate antibacterial molecules for the gut, benzoic acid—valued for its broad-spectrum activity and antifungal effects while being gentle on beneficial bacteria—has gained favor in the nutrition and animal husbandry sectors. However, benzoic acid presents three major challenges: first, it is rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream, elevating blood glucose levels and inducing satiety, thereby reducing feed intake; second, under physiological intestinal conditions, it ionizes quickly, diminishing its antibacterial potency and preventing effective delivery to the distal gut regions where microbial populations are concentrated. Furthermore, its metabolism consumes substantial amounts of glycine, and high inclusion levels can compromise dietary glycine requirements. Consequently, both domestic and international studies have confirmed that achieving antibacterial and growth-promoting effects requires adding 5–10 kg per ton of feed. To address these issues, nuacid Company developed, five years ago, a patented cold-spray coating technology to produce controlled-release benzoic acid. This formulation safely passes through the stomach and releases benzoic acid slowly in molecular form within the intestine, providing sustained antibacterial action for 4–6 hours while reducing the required inclusion level significantly to 2.0–3.0 kg.

In 2023, NIC collaborated with the academician Yin Yulong’s team to evaluate the sustained-release effects of different formulations of benzoic acid in piglets’ intestines using multi-cannulation techniques. The first in vivo trial confirmed that, across various intestinal segments, the encapsulated 2.5 kg benzoic acid maintained a higher intraluminal concentration of benzoic acid molecules than the conventional 5.0 kg formulation, significantly increasing the populations of beneficial bacteria in the ileum and cecum. These findings have spurred the continuous emergence of encapsulated benzoic acid products on the market. In 2024, NIC, together with Professor He Jun from the Institute of Animal Nutrition at Sichuan Agricultural University, demonstrated in the journal Animal that, under intestinal damage induced by high doses of ETEC, dietary supplementation with encapsulated benzoic acid promotes the expression of tight junction proteins, alleviates enterocyte injury, enhances intestinal immunity and antioxidant capacity, reduces inflammation, increases beneficial gut microbiota, thereby decreasing diarrhea and improving the production performance of weaned piglets. Building on Professor He’s research, NIC conducted further pivotal trials in 2024 and found that, when the control diet already contained 5 kg of benzoic acid, adding 1.5 kg during the early nursery phase yielded comparable anti-diarrheal and growth-promoting effects.

《 Heguang Forum | Researcher Hu Youjun: A Reassessment of the Control Effects and Mechanisms of Acidifiers in Preventing Piglet Diarrhea (Part II) 》

This year, under stressful environmental conditions—such as the extensive use of unconventional feed ingredients, rapid growth, or pathogen infection—oxidative stress will inevitably have adverse effects. Consequently, how to modulate oxidative stress through nutrition to enhance the quality of meat, eggs, and milk has become an unavoidable topic. At the heart of oxidative stress lies the accumulation of free radicals that the cell’s ROS-scavenging systems (both enzymatic and non-enzymatic) cannot adequately eliminate. Free radicals contain unpaired electrons and naturally seek to gain a partner electron, which is precisely the definition of an acid under the Lewis acid–base theory. Identifying suitable Lewis acids reveals the fundamental source of antioxidants within the body. Thanks to Gilbert Newton Lewis’s electron‑pair theory of Lewis acids, we now have a clear framework for understanding the regulatory pathways linking nutrition and oxidative stress. Using techniques such as molecular docking, NIC (2024) screened for appropriate Lewis acids and other antioxidant compounds, discovering that a synergistic combination of bioactive modified soy isoflavones (DA) and vine tea flavonoids (DHM) can effectively bind to KEAP proteins. By activating the downstream expression of antioxidant genes via the Nrf2 pathway, this formulation enhances endogenous antioxidant enzyme activity, thereby mitigating mitochondrial damage and apoptosis induced by oxidative stress.

This year, Qimei Su achieved three major breakthroughs in regulating the reproductive performance of laying hens! NIC (2024) and Scientists from China Agricultural University First, it was found that flavonoids primarily modulate the Keap1-Nrf2/ARE pathway, activate upstream and downstream key factors, enhance the activity of antioxidant enzymes, and improve the organism’s antioxidant capacity, thereby improving the growth performance, reproductive performance, and immune function of livestock and poultry; and with Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences Animal Joint research by the institute and the laboratory has demonstrated that combining soybean flavonoids with vine tea flavonoids in an appropriate ratio can enhance the activity of endogenous antioxidant enzymes in ovarian granulosa cells of laying hens, reduce malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, improve ovarian antioxidant capacity during the late laying period, regulate the levels of reproduction‑related hormones, slow ovarian aging caused by oxidative stress, improve ovarian function, and boost production performance in hens during the later stages of egg laying.

Take it a step further NIC and Guizhou University Joint research into regulatory mechanisms has revealed that oxidative stress and cellular senescence in granulosa cells are key factors contributing to declining ovarian function. The addition of QimeiSu, a proprietary blend of daidzein and vine tea flavonoids, can alleviate cellular apoptosis and oxidative stress by upregulating the expression of antioxidant genes downstream of the Nrf2 pathway and inhibiting KEAP1 gene upregulation, thereby exerting potent protective effects against oxidative stress in layer granulosa cells. Furthermore, in 2024, the application of the antioxidant QimeiSu across one million laying hens resulted in a significant increase in egg production rates, ranging from 2% to 4%. Behind this achievement lies a coherent trajectory linking fundamental theory to industrial practice and molecular mechanisms, once again inspiring innovators: real-world applications driven by big data can originate from elucidating even the smallest molecular mechanisms!

In broiler farming, under summer heat stress conditions, this antioxidant combination (Qimeisu) has also delivered results! Big data from field trials (n=20,000) show that adding Qimeisu at 200 g/t significantly increased final body weight and average daily gain by 2.0–4.0%, while significantly reducing feed-to-gain ratio by 2.0–3.0%. Carcass yield, eviscerated yield, and dressed yield all improved significantly by 2.0–4.0%, whereas abdominal fat percentage decreased significantly by 10–15%. In meat quality assessments, the addition of Qimeisu markedly increased oxymyoglobin content, resulting in redder meat, extended shelf life, and significant improvements in tenderness and water-holding capacity. NIC (2024) further found that, When Qimei Su is used in combination with amino acid selenium, the protective effect on protein sulfhydryl groups significantly reduces the formation of the black membrane on the egg yolk after boiling (caused by oxidation of sulfhydryls, releasing sulfur that reacts with iron in the yolk), while also markedly increasing the content of amino acid selenium.

Thus, it is evident that the greatest efficacy in scavenging free radicals stems from the ability to mobilize antioxidant enzymes, rather than from the standalone capacity of individual antioxidants. Therefore, by applying Lewis electron theory, selecting appropriate electron‑pair acceptors (Lewis acids) to upregulate the expression of antioxidant genes downstream of the Nrf2 pathway and inhibit the Keap1 gene, we can enhance the activity‑dependent expression of antioxidant enzymes at the source. Consequently, cellular antioxidant capacity is naturally strengthened, leading to reduced oxidation of lipids and proteins in the body, decreased levels of inflammatory cytokines, and improved quality and quantity of meat, eggs, and dairy products. This provides a molecular‑nutritional basis for these effects, or, put another way, establishes the most fundamental point of intervention for improving the nutritional value of meat, eggs, and dairy. Does the formulation contain sufficient electron‑orbital carriers (Lewis acids) to activate the KEAP‑NRF2 signaling pathway?

This year, prices for pork, meat, eggs, poultry, and aquatic products fluctuated frequently, while the threat of viral diseases in pigs and poultry persisted. Faced with the intricate relationship between nutrition and viruses, what path should we take? NIC has consistently maintained that vaccination, biosecurity, and nutritional enhancement form a three-pronged approach to mitigating viral health impacts. At the core of this strategy is reducing viral load—both in the environment and within the host—through these three measures.

This year, NIC focused on gout research in Magang geese, a waterfowl breed, employing optimized acid‑efficacy technology to identify molecular pathogenic targets of the disease. A nutritional model has been successfully established, and viable solutions have been identified. Simultaneously, in collaboration with the poultry disease team at the Institute of Animal Health of the Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, viral models were constructed, live‑bird challenge experiments were conducted, and suitable antiviral acids were screened. Using molecular docking techniques, the interaction mechanisms between Lewis acid molecules and disease‑related biomolecules were elucidated. Along Xiamen’s coastal shores, NIC explored “the molecular basis and applications of acid‑mediated antiviral effects”; within the ancient city of Nanjing, we analyzed “mechanisms by which acid formulations reduce viral loads”; and under the gentle breezes and rising sun of western Fujian, we advanced “practical applications of acid nutrition for antiviral protection.” Through interdisciplinary collaboration and innovative thinking, the complex and nuanced relationship between acids and viruses has been unveiled, and the practical implementation of disease‑preventing nutrition is quietly taking shape.

This year, we continued to break with tradition in unconventional ways, boldly leading the market. We brought Acsenn’s latest innovations to the forefront of the feed and livestock sectors, injecting fresh vitality into industry development. Across the vast fields of western Fujian, we integrated foundational nutritional technologies to uncover the subtle principles governing molecular interactions; amid the green mountains and clear waters of southern Jiangxi, we combated viruses, alleviated oxidative stress within animals, and helped boost farming profitability; on Shenzhen’s innovation hub, we explored aquaculture practices alongside industry masters; and even on the international stage in Germany, we shared our successful experiences in the Chinese market, bringing the strength of China to the acid formulation field. We have planted the Acsenn banner in every corner of the globe, leaving behind a steady, resolute footprint in nutritional science. Our presence was felt at industry conferences worldwide, where we joined peers to discuss the future of acid applications in feed and animal husbandry.

As for the intricate relationship between acidity and nutrition, NIC may have only scratched the surface. How does acidity influence the health and vitality of the animal kingdom in subtle yet profound ways? On our journey of discovery ahead, we will continue to delve deeper into the central role of acid–base balance within animal life systems—spanning from the microscopic cellular level to the macroscopic ecosystem—so that we may gain a more intimate glimpse into nature’s deepest secrets and together explore the boundless possibilities of life.

Time flies; the years pass swiftly.

The sunlight of the New Year 2025 will arrive as promised, shining upon every person who is unique. Health stems from fresh, living foods. What is the essence of food’s vitality? It is the vibrant dance of every protein, fat, carbohydrate, vitamin, and mineral molecule within our bodies—metabolism in motion, a continuous cycle of life!

Zooming in on life’s microscopic view, every electron has its orbital path; the orderly flow of electron clouds gives rise to life’s vitality. This is what acid is. The ceaseless interplay of acidity and alkalinity forms the very essence of life—defining it, regulating it, and nurturing it. By uncovering its patterns, we can achieve harmony between the micro and the macro. This, in essence, is innovation. Of course, this world does not become simpler because of the movement of electron clouds; complexity is its true nature, and it is within that complexity that we will ultimately find the meaning of our existence. The world is far from perfect, yet it is utterly unique. Amidst the vast splendor of the stars, let us discover ourselves, affirm who we are, and learn to love ourselves even more.

As the New Year’s bells ring out, from afar at the horizon a flock of waves chases the cresting tide, while purple swallows soar across three thousand seas!

Written by: Hu Youjun

Wen Wei

Zhao Xiaonan
 

E Xiaodi
 

Review: Hu Wenji