Rovabio Excel

Introduction
Rovabio Excel is a multi-enzyme feed additive used in animal nutrition to enhance the digestibility of feed ingredients, particularly those containing non-starch polysaccharides (NSPs). It is primarily composed of enzymes such as xylanases and beta-glucanases, which help break down complex plant cell wall components, improving nutrient availability and feed efficiency. Rovabio Excel is commonly used in poultry and swine diets to support growth performance, reduce feed costs, and minimize environmental waste by lowering nutrient excretion.

Manufacturer´s main claims

  • Enhanced Feed Digestibility - Rovabio Excel is designed to improve the breakdown of non-starch polysaccharides (NSPs) in plant-based feed ingredients, increasing nutrient availability for animals.

  • Broad-Spectrum Enzymatic Action - Unlike single-enzyme solutions, Rovabio Excel contains multiple enzyme activities (mainly xylanase and beta-glucanase) to target a variety of feed components, making it effective across different feed formulations.

  • Improved Animal Performance - The product is claimed to support better feed efficiency, growth rates, and overall animal health, particularly in poultry and swine production.

  • Reduction of Feed Costs - By improving nutrient absorption, Rovabio Excel is said to allow producers to optimize feed formulations and reduce dependency on expensive raw materials.

  • Environmental Benefits - The manufacturer highlights that Rovabio Excel can contribute to lower nitrogen and phosphorus excretion, reducing the environmental impact of livestock productio

 

Technical specifications of Rovabio Excel

EU category
Zootechnical additives

Functional group of additives
Digestibility enhancers

Active substance
endo-1,3(4)-beta-glucanase (EC 3.2.1.6)
endo-1,4-beta-xylanase (EC 3.2.1.8)

Enzymatic activity in the product

Solid form:
30,000 VU/g endo-1,3(4)-beta-glucanase
22,000 VU/g endo-1,4-xylanase

Liquid form:
7,500 VU/ml endo-1,3(4)-beta-glucanase
5,500 VU/ml endo-1,4-xylanase


EU approval, minimum content

All poultry species, piglets (weaned), pigs for fattening and sows
1,500 VU/kg feed endo-1,3(4)-beta-glucanase
1,100 VU/kg feed endo-1,4-xylanase

End of period of EU authorisation

7 August 2035

EU code

4a1604i

Production organism

Talaromyces versatilis sp. nov. IMI CC 378536


Product storage stability

The shelf-life of Rovabio Excel formulations was studied across various conditions, evaluating enzyme activity for glucanase and xylanase. The findings include:

  • Solid Formulations (Rovabio® Excel AP/Rovabio® Excel AP T-flex):

    • After 12 months in closed containers:

      • At 20°C: Glucanase recovery exceeded 93% or ~100%, while xylanase recovery was above 82-83%.

      • At 35°C: Glucanase recovery exceeded 82-88%, and xylanase recovery ranged from 77-74%.

  • Liquid Formulations (Rovabio® Excel LC/Rovabio® Excel LC2):

    • After 12 months in closed containers:

      • At 20°C: Glucanase recovery exceeded 94-92%, and xylanase recovery was above 72-79%.

      • At 35°C: Glucanase recovery ranged from 56-58%, and xylanase recovery was between 28-25%.

    • After 4 months at 35°C: Glucanase recovery exceeded 72-79%, while xylanase recovery ranged from 50-54%.

Storage stability in premix and feed

The stability of Rovabio Excel formulations was studied under different conditions in premixes and feed:

  1. In Premixes:

    • Solid Formulations (Rovabio® Excel AP and AP T-Flex):

      • At 20°C (6 months): Recovery values exceeded 95% for glucanase and 83% for xylanase in Rovabio® Excel AP, while AP T-Flex showed recoveries of 100% for glucanase and 84% for xylanase.

      • At 30°C (6 months): Recovery values dropped to 49% for glucanase and 13% for xylanase in Rovabio® Excel AP, and to 57% for glucanase and 36% for xylanase in AP T-Flex.

    • In premixes for sows, stability at 25°C and 30°C for 6 months yielded recoveries of 96% and 92% for glucanase, and 86% and 69% for xylanase, respectively.

  2. In Feed:

    • Solid Formulations:

      • In mash feed stored for 3 months:

        • At 20°C: Recoveries were above 96% for glucanase and 71% for xylanase.

        • At 30°C: Recoveries were 66% for xylanase, and glucanase values exceeded 96% in available data.

        • At 40°C: Xylanase recoveries were above 50%.

      • In pelleted feed (conditioning at 70°C), a reduction of 8-13% for glucanase and 7-10% for xylanase was observed post-pelleting. Recoveries after 3 months were:

        • At 20°C: About 100% for glucanase and xylanase.

        • At 30°C: Above 88% for glucanase and 80% for xylanase.

    • Liquid Formulations (Rovabio® Excel LC):

      • After 3 months in crumbled and pelleted feed:

        • At 20°C: Recoveries were above 88% for xylanase and 90% for glucanase.

        • At 30°C: Recoveries were 61% for xylanase, and glucanase exceeded 90%, except in one instance of 48% recovery.

        • At 40°C: Xylanase recovery was 41%, while glucanase recoveries were generally above 90%.

      • In duck feed (stored >1 year): Xylanase retained its activity.

Heat stability

he heat stability of Rovabio Excel was studied using two solid formulations added to feed for chickens for fattening. The findings are as follows:

  • Pelleting Process:

    • Conditioning at 70°C caused a reduction in enzyme activity:

      • In the AP formulation, there was a reduction of 8% for glucanase and 10% for xylanase.

      • In the AP-T Flex formulation, there was a reduction of 13% for glucanase and 7% for xylanase.

  • Post-Pelleting Stability:

    • After 3 months of storage:

      • In mash feed:

        • At 20°C, recoveries were approximately 100% for glucanase and xylanase.

        • At 30°C, recoveries were above 88% for glucanase and above 80% for xylanase.

      • In pelleted feed:

        • Recoveries exceeded 82% for glucanase and were above 90% for xylanase at both 20°C and 30°C.

Homogeneity

The capacity of Rovabio Excel formulations to mix homogeneously in premixes and feed was evaluated in various scenarios:

  • Premixes:

    • In a premixture for chickens for fattening supplemented with Rovabio® Excel AP or AP T-Flex, the coefficient of variation (CV) was consistently below 8% across 10 sub-samples.

    • For a premixture intended for sows with Rovabio® Excel AP T-Flex, the CV was below 4.2% across 10 sub-samples.

  • Mash and Pelleted Feed for Chickens:

    • When added to mash and pelleted feed at recommended use levels, the CV was below 10% for glucanase and below 7% for xylanase (mean enzyme activities: 2,500 viscosimetric U for glucanase and 1,350 viscosimetric U for xylanase).

  • Feed for Sows:

    • With AP T-Flex formulation in mash and pelleted feed, the CV was below 8% for glucanase and xylanase (mean enzyme activities: 2,000 viscosimetric U/kg for glucanase and 900 viscosimetric U/kg for xylanase).

  • Liquid Formulation in Feed for Chickens:

    • When incorporated into feed for chickens for fattening at the recommended dose, the CV was below 3% (mean enzyme activities: 2,054 viscosimetric U/kg for glucanase and 1,185 viscosimetric U/kg for xylanase).

 

Carrier

Solid form Rovabio Excel AP:
Enzyme concentrate: 15-25%
wheat flour: 75-85%

Solid form Rovabio Excel AP T-Fliex:
Enzyme concentrate: 15-25%
Wheat flour: 5-35%

Handling
The European Commission states: "For users of the additive and premixtures, feed business operators shall establish operational procedures and organisational measures to address potential risks resulting from its use. Where those risks cannot be eliminated by such procedures and measures, the additive and premixtures shall be used with personal protective equipment, including breathing protection, eye protection and skin protection

Manufacturer
Adisseo

List of references

EFSA (2013). Scientific Opinion on Rovabio® Excel (endo-1,3(4)-beta-glucanase and endo-1,4-beta-xylanase) as a feed additive for chickens and turkeys for fattening, laying hens, piglets (weaned) and pigs for fattening, ducks, guinea fowls, quails, geese, pheasants and pigeons. EFSA Journal 2013;11(7):3321

EU (2014). COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING REGULATION (EU) No 290/2014 of 21 March 2014 concerning the authorisation of a preparation of endo-1,4-beta-xylanase and endo-1,3(4)-beta- glucanase produced by Talaromyces versatilis sp. nov. IMI CC 378536 as a feed additive for poultry, weaned piglets and pigs for fattening and amending Regulations (EC) No 1259/2004, (EC) No 943/2005, (EC) No 1206/2005 and (EC) No 322/2009 (holder of the authorisation Adisseo France S.A.S.). Official Journal of the European Union. L 87/84-86

EU (2014). COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING REGULATION (EU) No 1138/2014 of 27 October 2014 concerning the authorisation of a preparation of endo-1,4-beta-xylanase and endo-1,3(4)-beta-glucanase produced by Talaromyces versatilis sp. nov. IMI CC 378536 as a feed additive for sows (holder of the authorisation Adisseo France S.A.S.). Official Journal of the European Union. L 307/30-33

EU (2025). COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING REGULATION (EU) 2025/1418 of 17 July 2025 concerning the renewal of the authorisation of a preparation of endo-1,3(4)-beta-glucan’s and endo-1,4-beta-xylanase produced with Talaromyces versatilis IMI CC 378536 as a feed additive for all poultry species, weaned piglets, pigs for fattening and sows (holder of authorisation: Adisseo France S.A.S.) and repealing Implementing Regulations (EU) No 290/2014 and (EU) No 1138/2014. Official Journal of the European Union, http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2025/1418/oj