The feed product, a mixture of phytogenic compounds, has been adapted for the swine sector from the company’s calcium bolus product that was originally developed to prevent calcium deficiency, known as hypocalcemia, in dairy cows.
The pig feed product can be provided in powder or pellet form. The European market is the company’s initial focus for the launch.
Based on active ingredients of plant origin, the supplement has been designed to boost piglet health post weaning via a targeted modulation of ion channels in the gastrointestinal tract, which increases the epithelial absorption capacity of nutrients in the gut, Joohee Yang, product manager, told us.
The team says it is applying the knowledge gained in the human field with ion channel modulators to the animal feed sector.
“PerformaNat strives to improve animal health by integrating ion channel modulators into the field of animal nutrition. The health-promoting effect has already been proven in extensive laboratory and feeding studies,” said Yang.
Results from those trials have not yet been disseminated but are due to be published in peer reviewed journals.
Background
PerformaNat was founded in 2015 as a spin-off of the Institute of Veterinary Physiology of the Freie Universität Berlin; its CEOs and cofounders are Dr Julia Rosendahl and Dr Katharina Schrapers.
The German company received financial support through the country’s EXIST research transfer program as well as funds from PROFUND INNOVATION, the Free University's service facility for business start-ups.
The startup has also been backed by angel investors and venture capital since and says it is open to exploring partnerships with additional distributors.
The company's dairy cattle bolus is already in use in the German, Austrian and Swiss markets.
