FEED SOLUTIONS

BETAINE THE NATURAL JEWEL FROM SUGAR BEETS

In Austria the crystallization of natural betaine has started operating in August 2020 to meet the increasing global demand of natural betaine. With the new crystallization facility in Austria, AGRANA expanded its product portfolio by natural crystalline betaine: ActiBeet® 96 and ActiBeet® 97 for application in feed and drinking water. A unique, modern technology is used in the production while at the same time high quality and safety is assured. AGRANA uses 100% raw materials with zero

waste to derive a 100% plantbased natural betaine product.

Natural betaine as multifunctional nutrient

Sugar beets contain, beside sugar, an interesting nutrient named betaine. Betaine is a multifunctional nutrient described as the methyl derivate of the amino acid glycine. In the body, betaine is a breakdown product of choline. Plants and organisms can accumulate betaine to limit their water loss. In short, Betaine has two main physiological functions, on one side acting as a methyl group donor and on the other side as an organic osmolyte. By the methyl donation, free methyl groups are generated for several metabolic reactions and used for many physiological processes, from genetic activity to protein provision. The second essential function of betaine is to maintain the animal’s mineral and water balance and to prevent dehydration. Dehydration occurs when the body loses more water than it receives. Diarrhea, the use of medications, decreased water intake, or profuse sweating can all lead to cellular dehydration. When the body is dehydrated, cells can lose 28% or more of their water supply. Due to this, the overall cellular activity is significantly reduced. Natural betaine prevents cellular dehydration and maintains the cells regular hydration status. As known the problems at the farm level are multifactorial. As a multi-functional nutrient, betaine is a proven nutritional aid to protect against heat and osmotic stress. It´s an effective nutritional tool to manage gut health under challenging climatic conditions.

ActiBeet® the smart choice for nutritional feed solutions

Beside the quality aspects, natural betaine has several technological advantages as no physiochemical incompatibilities or interactions have been reported, between natural betaine and other feed ingredients added to premixtures and feed. Betaine can be considered as management tool for optimizing the feed efficiency. ActiBeet® as natural betaine can be part of every sustainable nutritional solution as a non-aggressive, non-corrosive and heat stable component for premix and feed production.

For more information, contact betaine@agrana.com