Phytase - Agricultural and Industrial Uses

Agricultural and Industrial Uses

Phytase is produced by bacteria found in the gut of ruminant animals (cattle, sheep) making it possible for them to use the phytic acid found in grains as a source of phosphorus. Non-ruminants (monogastric animals) like human beings, dogs, birds, etc. do not produce phytase. Research in the field of animal nutrition has put forth the idea of supplementing feed with phytase so as to make available to the animal phytate-bound nutrients like calcium, phosphorus, other minerals, carbohydrates and proteins.

Phytase is used as an animal feed supplement - often in poultry and swine - to enhance the nutritive value of plant material by liberation of inorganic phosphate from phytic acid (myo-inositol hexakisphosphate). Phytase can be purified from transgenic microbes and has been produced recently in transgenic canola, alfalfa and rice plants. Phytase can also be produced on a large scale through cellulosic biomass fermentation using genetically modified (GM) yeast. Phytase can also be isolated from basidiomycetes fungi. A strain of transgenic pig can produce phytase, thus reducing their environmental impact.