Dried Trichoderma Longibrachiatum Fermentation Extract

This ingredient is a dried enzyme extract made by growing the fungus Trichoderma longibrachiatum and collecting the enzymes it releases. The extract carries enzymes, not the live fungus. Tufts veterinary nutritionists say there is no proof that extra enzymes help digestion in pets with a normal pancreas, and that some side effects have been reported with enzyme supplements. Ask your veterinarian if your cat has a digestive condition.

Source: sites.tufts.edu

It is added as a source of cellulase and related enzymes that break down plant fiber. Makers include it on the idea that it helps a cat digest plant ingredients in the recipe. Most enzymes lose activity in the heat used to make dry food, and their benefit in pet food has not been shown.

Trichoderma longibrachiatum is a fungus, a type of mold, that industry grows to make enzymes. It produces large amounts of cellulase, the enzyme that breaks down cellulose in plant cell walls. On a cat food label, fermentation extract means the enzymes were taken from the culture and dried. It is not a probiotic.

The reason is not clear. Tufts veterinary nutritionists point out that cellulase, an enzyme that breaks down cellulose fiber, is made by gut bacteria in animals that eat leaves or hay and is not present in the intestine of dogs and cats. Yet for unknown reasons it is often included in plant-based enzyme supplements. Evidence that it changes digestion in cats is lacking.

Source: sites.tufts.edu

Pettings gives dried Trichoderma longibrachiatum fermentation extract 3 out of 5 and lists it as a probiotic or enzyme ingredient. It appears on 7 of the 149 dry cat foods we list. The score reflects the ingredient on its own and does not depend on where it sits in the ingredient list. Each food's page shows how it scores overall.