Lignin liquors contain mannose, a sugar which has been shown to bind to salmonella and prevent it from attaching to the intestinal mucosa, thus inhibiting colonization. In addition, lignin sulfonates migrate to the ceca of poultry where they are fermented by bacteria. Establishing an active bacterial colony in the ceca tends to exclude salmonella bacteria. Although these are positive features, they are not currently commercially attractive. Sugars that naturally occur in hardwood liquors will combine with feed proteins, such as soybean meal, and alter the protein so that it is not as easily digested by bacteria.
Bacteria thrive in the cow's rumen.
In this symbiotic realtionship the cow supplies the bacteria with grass, water, and a warm environment, and the bacteria digest cellulose, releasing energy that would otherwise be unavailable to the cow. To support their own metabolism, the bacteria also digest and re-synthesize protein. This is an excellent system in nature, but it creates a bottleneck for farm production. To increase milk production, more protein must be supplied to the cow. Unfortunately, when high levels of protein are fed, the bacteria begin to interfere.