Sponsored content: AO-Biotics® is a line of fermentation products derived from BioZyme’s innovative fermentation of Aspergillus oryzae to promote resilience.
29 May 2026
Fermentation is one of agriculture’s oldest sciences, yet it remains one of its most powerful. Long before modern nutrition programs were developed, producers understood that fermentation could transform raw ingredients into something more valuable, more digestible, and more beneficial.
Today, advances in nutritional science and microbiology have taken fermentation far beyond traditional practices. Through controlled processes and targeted microbial activity, fermentation can enhance nutrient availability, support gut health, and help animals perform more efficiently.
Sponsored content: AO-Biotics® is a line of fermentation products derived from BioZyme’s innovative fermentation of Aspergillus oryzae to promote resilience.
One example of this modern innovation is AO-Biotics®, a line of fermentation products derived from BioZyme’s innovative fermentation of Aspergillus oryzae (AO) to promote resilience. Built on decades of research and refinement, AO-Biotics delivers prebiotic and postbiotic metabolites that support gut integrity, optimize nutrient utilization, and promote consistent performance across multiple species.
For this article, we’ll specifically discuss AO-Biotics® Amaferm®, our proprietary prebiotic.
Understanding how fermentation works — and why it matters in today’s production systems — can help producers make more informed nutrition decisions that support both animal well-being and operational efficiency.
At its core, fermentation is a natural biological process where beneficial microorganisms break down complex organic compounds. In livestock nutrition, this process can transform feed components into more digestible, bioavailable forms that animals can use more efficiently.
During fermentation, microbes such as bacteria and yeast metabolize carbohydrates, proteins, and other nutrients. As they do so, they produce beneficial compounds known as metabolites.
These metabolites can have profound effects on the digestive environment, microbial balance, and overall nutrient utilization within the animal.
While fermentation has been used for centuries in food production — from silage to yogurt to bread — modern animal nutrition has unlocked new ways to harness its benefits. By carefully controlling the fermentation process, scientists can produce highly consistent, targeted compounds designed to support animal health and performance.
That’s exactly what happens in the production of AO-Biotics.
AO-Biotics is produced through BioZyme’s proprietary fermentation technology, a carefully controlled process designed to cultivate beneficial microbial activity and capture the valuable metabolites those microbes produce.
Rather than adding live microbes directly to feed, AO-Biotics focuses on the prebiotic metabolites created during fermentation. These compounds help create a favorable environment within the digestive tract, supporting the animal’s natural microbiome and digestive processes.
The result: AO-Biotics is designed to support gut integrity, nutrient utilization, and consistent performance outcomes.
The result is a product designed to support three critical areas of animal performance:
These benefits stem from the way fermentation metabolites interact with the digestive system and the microbial populations that live there.
The gastrointestinal tract is one of the most important systems in any animal. It is responsible not only for digestion and nutrient absorption, but also for immune function, metabolic balance, and overall performance.
We know that 70% of the immune response starts in the gut. If we keep the digestive system healthy, chances are the animal stays healthy, increasing efficiency and overall performance.
Inside the gut lives a complex community of microorganisms collectively known as the microbiome. This microbial ecosystem plays a vital role in digestion, breaking down feed components and producing compounds that the animal can use for energy and growth.
However, this environment can easily be disrupted by factors such as:
When the microbial balance in the gut becomes unstable, digestion efficiency may decline. Nutrients that should be absorbed and utilized can instead pass through the animal unused, reducing feed efficiency and performance.
Supporting a stable, balanced gut environment is therefore essential for maintaining optimal animal health and productivity.
This is where fermentation-derived ingredients like AO-Biotics® Amaferm® play an important role, across species.
AO-Biotics Amaferm is a prebiotic research-proven to enhance digestibility. One of the primary ways AO-Biotics contributes to animal performance is by helping support microbial balance in the digestive tract.
Expert insight: AO-Biotics® Amaferm® supports forage degradation and helps increase the surface area available for energy-harvesting bacteria to attach.
“AO-Biotics® Amaferm® allows for greater degradation of forage and greater surface area for energy-harvesting bacteria to attach. Prebiotic-stimulated bacteria also generate more volatile fatty acids (VFA), which can bridge the gap in energy requirements,” said Chris Cassady, Ph.D., BioZyme Director of Technical Sales & Research.
“If a prebiotic can improve the digestibility of forage by 17%, resulting in 16% more VFA production, the cow can meet her energy needs, regardless of the pasture DM and protein levels.”
AO-Biotics Amaferm has more than 150 peer-reviewed and published research trials and studies. It is made in Saint Joseph, Missouri, USA, under a proprietary fermentation process, and sold around the globe.
One of the primary ways AO-Biotics contributes to animal performance is by helping support microbial balance in the digestive tract.
The metabolites produced during fermentation can encourage the growth of beneficial microbial populations while helping maintain a stable digestive environment. A balanced microbiome allows animals to break down feed more effectively and extract the nutrients they need.
When the microbial ecosystem in the gut is functioning properly, animals are better able to:
This balance ultimately contributes to more predictable performance outcomes.
Feed represents one of the highest costs in livestock production. Because of this, improving how efficiently animals utilize nutrients is a key goal for producers.
Fermentation-derived metabolites can help support this goal by enhancing the digestive process and improving nutrient availability.
By assisting in the breakdown of complex feed components and supporting microbial activity in the gut, AO-Biotics helps animals make better use of the nutrients present in their diets.
Production value: When animals extract more value from every pound of feed, the entire production system benefits.
Improved nutrient utilization can contribute to:
When animals can extract more value from every pound of feed, the entire production system benefits.
Consistency is one of the most valuable traits in livestock production. Whether producers raise cattle, swine, sheep, goats, poultry, or other species, predictable performance allows for better management decisions and improved economic outcomes.
A stable digestive environment is an important part of achieving that consistency.
The fermentation metabolites in AO-Biotics help support gut integrity and digestive stability by promoting a balanced microbial population and a healthy gastrointestinal environment.
This stability can help animals better navigate common production challenges, including:
By supporting the digestive system during these challenges, AO-Biotics contributes to more reliable performance outcomes.
The growing interest in fermentation-based solutions reflects a broader shift within the livestock industry. Producers and nutritionists are increasingly focused on nutritional strategies that support natural biological processes within animals.
Rather than simply adding more nutrients to the diet, modern nutrition programs aim to help animals utilize those nutrients already present more effectively.
Fermentation-derived ingredients like AO-Biotics Amaferm fit well within this approach. By supporting the microbial ecosystem within the digestive tract, these ingredients help unlock the nutritional potential already present in the feed.
This focus on digestive efficiency aligns with several key goals in livestock production:
As research continues to expand our understanding of the gut microbiome, the value of fermentation-based nutrition solutions is becoming even clearer.
BioZyme has been a leader in fermentation technology for decades. The company’s commitment to research, innovation, and quality has helped bring scientifically grounded nutrition solutions to producers across multiple species.
AO-Biotics is produced through BioZyme’s proprietary fermentation process, which carefully controls microbial activity to generate beneficial metabolites that support digestive health and nutrient utilization.
Every step of the process — from microbial cultivation to fermentation conditions — is designed to ensure consistency and quality in the final product.
BioZyme approach: Fermentation science is used to deliver ingredients that support animal performance while helping producers achieve their production goals.
This dedication to fermentation science allows BioZyme to deliver ingredients that support animal performance while helping producers achieve their production goals, regardless of species or location.
At the end of the day, animal performance begins in the digestive system.
When the gut environment is stable, microbial populations are balanced, and nutrients are efficiently utilized, animals are better equipped to grow, produce, and thrive.
Fermentation-derived ingredients like AO-Biotics help support this foundation by providing beneficial metabolites that promote gut integrity, digestive balance, and improved nutrient utilization.
By harnessing the power of fermentation — one of agriculture’s oldest and most trusted sciences — modern nutrition programs can help animals reach their full potential while supporting the long-term success of livestock operations.
To learn more about the anything but ordinary AO-Biotics that BioZyme produces, visit BioZyme AO.
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