Amino Acids Analysis

Where it helps?

• In production animals, fecal amino acid levels help link diet formulation, protein quality, and amino acid balance to performance outcomes (ADG, FCR, uniformity).
• Identifies inefficient protein digestion and excess amino acids reaching the hindgut, which may drive undesirable fermentation.
• Supports optimization of amino acid formulation, protein levels, and enzyme strategies (e.g., proteases).
• Provides evidence for gut health and feed additive solutions improving nutrient absorption and utilization, especially when paired with downstream fermentation markers.
• Enables monitoring of protein utilization over time, complementing BCFA for branched-chain amino acid fermentation intensity, Protein Fermentation Products for aromatic putrefactive metabolites, and BGA + Ammonia for microbial stress and nitrogen waste.
• For feed additive companies, this analysis provides a clear, mechanism-linked readout of improved protein efficiency and reduced nutrient losses.

How does it work?

We typically analyze feces or digesta (e.g., ileum/cecum/colon), depending on study design and objectives.

• Feces: practical for overall protein digestibility assessment in field conditions.
• Digesta: provides higher-resolution insights into where digestion limitations occur.

What do we measure?

We quantify a comprehensive set of amino acids to evaluate protein digestion and utilization:

• Alanine
• Arginine
• Sum of Asparagine and Aspartic acid
• Cysteine (reported as cystine)
• Sum of Glutamine and Glutamic acid
• Glycine
• Histidine
• Isoleucine
• Leucine
• Lysine
• Methionine
• Phenylalanine
• Proline
• Serine
• Threonine
• Tryptophan (not quantified)
• Tyrosine
• Valine

Interpretation context (recommended):

• Elevated fecal amino acid levels indicate incomplete digestion and reduced protein utilization efficiency.
• Profiles can reveal limiting amino acids, imbalance in formulation, or enzyme inefficiencies.
• When combined with BCFA, Protein Fermentation Products, and BGA + Ammonia data, results provide a complete view of protein digestion, fermentation intensity, putrefactive metabolite formation, and nitrogen-waste outcomes.

Typical use cases

• Protein formulation optimization: refine crude protein levels and amino acid balance.
• Protease validation: demonstrate improved amino acid digestibility.
• Ingredient comparison: assess digestibility of different protein sources.
• Weaning and transitions: monitor adaptation of digestive capacity.
• Gut health challenges: link poor digestion to downstream fermentation issues.

Sample types

• Feces (routine monitoring, on-farm sampling)
• Digesta (ileum/cecum/colon) from controlled trials