Cereals breeding challenges to reduce anti-nutritional factors from feed

Matilda Ciucă¹, Cristina-Mihaela Marinciu¹, Liliana Vasilescu¹, Eugen Petcu¹, Daniel Cristina¹, Iulia Vărzaru²

¹NARDI Fundulea

²NRDIABN Baloteşti

 Keywords: cereal breeding, anti-nutritional factors, biotechnology 

Abstract: Cereal grains, such as wheat, maize, barley, sorghum and oats are foundational components of animal feed globally, providing essential nutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, vitamins, and minerals. In addition, cereal grains have high amounts of dietary fiber and antioxidants which have beneficial effects on human health linked with the utilization of whole grain products. The germ has high content of vitamins B and E, unsaturated fats, high quality protein, carbohydrates, and minerals while the bran mostly consist insoluble carbohydrates such as cellulose, antioxidants, protein, traces of vitamin B and minerals, and also anti-nutritional components like phytic acid. In cereal grain endosperm is the major component consisting mainly of starch and protein, and small amount of minerals and vitamins.
Despite their nutritional benefits, cereals often contain various anti-nutritional factors (ANFs) that can impair animal growth, nutrient absorption, and overall health. These ANFs include phytic acid, tannins, non-starch polysaccharides (NSPs), protease inhibitors, and lectins, among others. Overcoming the challenge of ANFs in animal feed is increasingly relevant as the demand for efficient and sustainable animal production rises. Cereal breeding, particularly through advanced biotechnological methods, has emerged as a promising strategy to reduce ANFs while maintaining or enhancing the nutritional quality of feed. However, numerous challenges hinder progress in breeding cereals with reduced ANF levels. This paper explores these challenges and the future directions for cereal breeding to improve animal feed quality.