Nutritional Changes Upon Germination & Sprouting of Hydroponic Feeds
The desirable nutritional changes that occur during sprouting are mainly due to the breakdown of complex compounds into a simpler form, transformation into essential constituents, and breakdown of nutritionally undesirable constituents.
The metabolic activity of resting seeds increases as soon as they are hydrated during soaking or application of water. Complex biochemical changes occur during the hydration and subsequent sprouting. The reserve chemical constituents, such as protein, starch and lipids, are broken down by enzymes into simple compounds that are used to make new compounds.
Sprouting grains causes increased activities of hydrolytic enzymes, improvements in the contents of total proteins, fat, certain amino acids, total sugars, B-group vitamins and decrease in dry matter, starch and anti- nutrients. The increased contents of protein, fat, fiber and total ash are only apparent and attributable to the disappearance of starch. However, improvements in amino acid composition, B-group vitamins, protein and starch digestibility, and decrease in plates and protease inhibitors are the metabolic effects of the sprouting process.
Increases in Plant Enzyme Content
Hydroponic feed is a tremendous source of digestive enzymes. Enzymes act as biological catalysts needed for the complete digestion of protein, carbohydrates & fats. The physiology of vitamins, minerals and trace elements is also dependent on enzyme activity.
Being eaten while extremely young, “alive” and rapidly developing, hydroponic feed has been acclaimed as the “most enzyme-rich food on the planet”. Estimates suggest there can be up to 100 times more enzymes in hydroponically grown grass than in fruits and vegetables, depending on the particular type of enzyme and the variety of seed being grown. The period of greatest enzyme activity in hydroponic feed is generally between germination and 7 days of age. When seed is sprouted, minerals chelate or merge with protein, in a way that increases their function.
NUTRITION
Increases in Protein Quality and Content:
Very complex qualitative changes occur during the sprouting of seeds. The conversion of storage proteins of cereal grains into albumins as well as globulins during hydroponic growing improve the quality of cereal proteins.
The increase in proteolytic activity during hydroponic growing is desirable for nutritional improvement of cereals because it leads to hydrolysis of prolamins and the liberated amino acids such as glutamic and proline are converted to limiting amino acids such as lysine.
The protein content of hydroponically grown grain increased from the time of germination. The absorption of nitrates facilitates the metabolism of the nitrogenous compounds from carbohydrate reserves, thus increasing the crude protein levels.
Dry Matter
Dry matter intake is typically defined as the amount of feed that an animal should consume, regardless of the quality of the feed. The faster a feed is digested, the faster it passes through the digestive tract and the more it allows for an increase in the consumption. Poor-quality roughage such as straw, will have a slower rate of digestion than a high-quality feed such as Living Greens.
Nutritionists and farmers typically use dry matter as the measurement by which livestock are fed. However, it is evident that much of the energy in the consumed dry matter is wasted by the animal in the digestion and processing of the feed. In addition, much of the feed is passed through the animal without being utilized.
The high digestibility of Living Greens feed means that the animal consumes less dry matter to produce the same results. The total amount of digestible matter in Living Greens is over 90% with an average of over 20% protein.
Animals eating Living Greens use less energy for digestion and absorption allowing the unused energy to be channeled into production. The net improvement is in the energy available for production including weight gain, milk and reproduction.
