Is Oligosaccharide Is Safe for Pets?

Isomaltooligosaccharide (IMO) is a starch sugar product made from starch through enzymatic conversion, refining, and concentration. Its main components are oligosaccharides such as isomaltose, panose, isomaltotriose, and tetrasaccharides with glucose molecules bound by α-1,6 glycosidic bonds.

Physiological effects of Isomaltooligosaccharide

1. Direct effects:

It is difficult to be digested by digestive enzymes in the stomach, has low sweetness and calories, and does not increase blood sugar and blood lipids; it promotes the proliferation of intestinal bifidobacteria, inhibits the formation of harmful bacteria and corrupt substances, increases vitamin content, and improves the body's immunity; it prevents tooth decay, is not used by streptococci in the mouth, and is not decomposed by enzymes in the mouth; and non-digestible oligosaccharides can function as water-soluble dietary fiber.

2. Indirect effects:

IMO can promote food digestion and absorption, maintain normal intestinal function; restore normal intestinal flora during antibiotic treatment, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy; improve diarrhea and constipation, inhibit pathogens and spoilage bacteria; improve the body's immunity and play an immunomodulatory role; reduce intestinal carcinogens, improve serum lipids, and reduce cholesterol levels; increase the absorption of minerals such as calcium and magnesium, which is beneficial to the body's synthesis of B vitamins.

Safety is guaranteed

IMO in the "Feed Additive Variety Catalog (2013)" have been recognized by the state and are applicable to laying hens, weaned piglets, dogs, cats and other animals. The working mechanism of oligosaccharides ensures the health of animals.

Research and application progress of IMO in the feed industry

As a new type of green feed additive that replaces antibiotics with oligosaccharides, IMO has obvious advantages over other oligosaccharides and antibiotic substitutes.

1. Compared with antibiotic substitutes such as probiotics, organic acids and plant extracts, functional oligosaccharides have obvious advantages in stability, processing performance and safety.

2. Compared with oligosaccharides such as xylooligosaccharides, fructooligosaccharides and mannoligosaccharides, isomaltooligosaccharides have application advantages in terms of cost-effectiveness, processing performance, greenness and safety. 

Isomaltooligosaccharides have shown strong advantages in improving the intestinal microecology of animals. They have been promoted and applied in the feed fields of pigs, chickens, ducks, cattle and aquatic products. In the future, it is believed that with the continuous advancement of IMO in the field of pet feed, it can more effectively maintain the intestinal health of pets.