HK1100058B - Food and feed supplement and its use - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a food and feed supplement, and its use, where the supplement comprise as the basic component at least one carboxylic acid and/or its salt, an iron component and vitamins B6, B9 and B12 in amounts corresponding to at least that which theoretically can be consumed during the metabolism of the COOH-groups present. The supplement may also contain a desiccant and an antioxidant. The supplement will have a pH in the range 2.0-6.0 when dissolved in water. The supplement is characterized in that the amounts of the vitamins B6, B9 and B12 are in the range of 0,5-30mg, 0,1-10mg and 1-1500 µg/gram dry weight of the content of the pure carboxylic acids in the supplement, respectively. The supplement can be used in animal feed in amounts of 0.5-15 grams dry supplement/kg dry feed.

Description

Food and feed additive and use thereof

The invention relates to food and feed additives containing vitamins. The invention also includes the use of said supplement in food and feed.

It has been found that animals are susceptible to severe stress when fed on standard feeds only, or suffer from fatigue, diarrhea, resistance to fed feed, anemia and the like when high performance is required. In such instances, there is a clear need for additives or supplements to the feed. However, it is often difficult to determine what is the cause of the observed problem, and therefore which additive to use. There are many known additives and dietary supplements, but none have proven to solve all of the above problems. Some additives are primarily used to enhance animal growth, while others claim to improve animal health. Vitamin deficiency may be a partial problem, but it should be understood why this occurs, even when the feed is expected to contain sufficient amounts of vitamins.

A particular problem has been found in racing horses when they are switched from pasture to intensive feeding, for example twice a day. It is very common that changes in the feeding program lead to the formation of gastric ulcers.

It is generally known that the addition of monocarboxylic acids to conventional feeds can promote growth and reduce the frequency of diarrhea. It is known from european patent EP 03176688 that the promotion of growth of piglets can be achieved by using a conventional feed containing 5-25% of a dry mix containing 3-5 parts of calcium formate. However, calcium formate has low water solubility and can be used only in limited amounts to avoid too high calcium content in the feed. The concentration of formate in the additive is very low and the effect is only of the same order of magnitude as when formic acid is added to the feed.

It is further known from german patent DE 19958620 that food or dietary supplements for domestic or working animals are administered to prevent diseases associated with vitamin deficiency and also contain shellfish meat and extracts. According to this patent, the supplement should include many kinds of ingredients, such as soybean oil, carbohydrates, minerals (minerals), and multivitamins. However, the vitamins are not specific and it is difficult to decide what specific problem such additives should solve. From international application WO96/35337 it is also known that animal feed additives and feedstuffs contain 0.2-2.5% by weight of additives including diformate compounds (di-compounds of formicsalts). The additive comprises 20-99 wt% of potassium diformate, 0-50 wt% of sodium di/tetra-formate, 0-25 wt% of calcium formate, 0-4 wt% of drying agent and 0-5 wt% of water. Such additives are indicated for promoting growth and increasing feed conversion, especially at the early (prestarter) stage. Its effect on the frequency of diarrhea was also shown to be positive.

With regard to the use of organic acids in pigeon feed and the risk of anaemia, this is disclosed in the book by Victor Vansalen, "the champion discloses a secret that they have not disclosed (references in Champions regenerative the individual documents," Herman International Publication, Antwerpen, belgium. isbnno. 90-73663-07-05. this book is important in the field of pigeon sports and in the experience revealed by people working with pigeons. their opinions with respect to various feed and feed additives are very different, for example, the example on page 68 states that it is known to use organic acids like citric acid and ascorbic acid (vitamin C) in pigeon feed, but especially acetic acid as one of several actual (actual) acids, should not be used, since it may lead to anaemia, no other organic acids are specifically mentioned in this book and what they may provide positive effects, furthermore in this book, not only vitamin B but also vitamins A, D and E are recommended as additives to pigeon feed. Therefore, there is no clear conclusion from these known areas of pigeon sport and rearing.

The main object of the present invention is to obtain new food and feed supplements that will improve health and performance, especially under stressful conditions, as well as when high performance is required, i.e. during training and competitions.

Another object is to obtain a dry powder with a high concentration of active ingredients that can be part of the intake of nutrients for the consumer and that is still free flowing, and an additive that is stable during production, logistics, storage and handling.

It is also an object that the supplement should be water soluble, since it should be possible to add the supplement to drinking water as well as to a stationary powdered or wet feed.

Another object is to be able to provide the consumer with the various ingredients of the supplement and the supplement itself in predetermined doses, and still within the specifications (flavors) considered necessary to obtain the desired effect, and the supplement should have a desirable taste for the consumer so that there is no rejection in eating or drinking the supplement.

From a health point of view, the literature teaches that it appears interesting to provide nutritional consumers with supplements containing monocarboxylic acids. The inventors therefore decided to start some trials involving the addition of monocarboxylic acids to feed. The test was performed by different pigeon fans in norway and denmark for a total of twenty test groups. These experiments gave positive results with respect to growth and frequency of diarrhea and both appeared promising. However, when the test animals (pigeons) were subjected to prolonged extreme conditions as long-range pigeon racing, fatigue, anemia and resistance to feed intake were again observed for some of the test groups. Clearly, the mere addition of carboxylic acids/salts to feed presents some serious side effects. Fatigue can be interpreted as a lack of various components such as vitamin C, B-complex vitamins, minerals such as magnesium, zinc, etc., essential fatty acids, etc. The relevant literature gives no clear guidance for solving the above-observed problems. Only different vitamins and minerals are added as long as the cause of the problem is not clearMixtures of substances will only be speculative. Lack of vitamin B₉(i.e., folate) hypotheses can be defined from the above-mentioned deficient literature. However, similar definitions are given for vitamin B deficiency 12 (see, for example, the literature, "Animal Nutrition" (Animal Nutrition), P.McDonald et al, fifth edition, 1995, pages 80-93). However, in B₁₂And B₉The interaction between them is also known, since it seems that B is₉Absorption of (B)₁₂The occurrence of (a) is essential and therefore the problem will be what vitamins should be supplemented. Some of the test groups did perform well within the observed symptoms. During the meeting with the different fans responsible for the test group, the inventors got the impression that in the case of the well-performing group, the responsible fans added the vitamin mix, in particular the complex of B vitamins, to the pigeon feed more consciously than the fans of the poorly performing group.

With respect to the above-mentioned problem of the formation of gastric ulcers, it is hypothesized that changes in the feeding regimen will result in an imbalance in the animal's stomach acid (HCl) and in turn in the formation of gastric ulcers. Based on this assumption, it was found that the additives advantageously have a buffering capacity in the pH range of 2.0-6.0 when dissolved in water. It is therefore considered advantageous that the additive comprises at least one buffering component. It was further found by testing that the selected B-vitamins were stable for extended periods of time at the stated pH range, provided that the supplement was not exposed to light.

It is desirable to retain the advantages and positive effects of monocarboxylic acids. The problem is to overcome the long term negative effects observed. The inventors then decided to continue his work to look for new supplements, based on the assumption that the metabolism of carboxylic acids consumes essential (essential) vitamins in some way. In an attempt to compensate for the possible deficiency of vitamins, the role of vitamins in the feed for different animals was studied more thoroughly. Therefore, when organic acids are added to the feed without adding folic acid (vitamin B)₉) In support, anemia was observed in the fur animals.

In addition, there are alreadyOther B vitamins have been reported in the literature to affect blood cell production, although the exact mechanism is not clearly understood. However, with vitamin B₉Together, vitamin B₆And B₁₂Are considered good candidates. Therefore, the inventors decided to add the three B vitamins to a monocarboxylic acid mixture comprising formic acid and its ammonium salt to investigate whether the added vitamins could compensate for the previously observed side effects associated with monocarboxylic acids. Iron has also been added to the new feed mix as reduced hemoglobin levels in blood have been reported in the literature as an indication of iron deficiency. The organic acid was chosen because of the positive effects reported for monocarboxylic acids.

However, other carboxylic acids have also been found to have beneficial properties in additives for this use. The above mixture was dissolved in water and mixed with normal water for pigeon ingestion. Pigeons are reluctant to drink water when the additive is dosed at about 1 g/l. While the dose was reduced to 0.5 g of additive/l, where no resistance to drinking was observed. The vitamin supplement at this dose is still significantly higher than the recommended dose of vitamin supplement for racing pigeons.

Given this addition over a long period, pigeons have proven to withstand stress conditions without problems and perform well even during periods of need for competition. Based on this positive result, further similar tests were started to determine the results and to find the correct balance between the ingredients by extending the test to other species than racing pigeons. Considering the results from these experiments, it was decided to add other B vitamins as well. The addition of an antioxidant, preferably vitamin E, is also considered beneficial. Since iron is essential in hematopoiesis, the iron component, preferably iron fumarate, should also still be included in the supplement. To ensure a free flowing product, a desiccant can be added to the additive to be further tested, the most preferred desiccant that has been found to be MgO.

The scope and specific features of the invention are defined as set forth in the appended claims.

According to the invention, the supplement is essentially characterized in that it comprises at least one carboxylic acid and/or its salt as essential ingredients, and vitamin B₆、B₉And B₁₂In a total amount of 10-50mg/g dry weight supplement, 5-25mg Fe/g dry weight supplement, 0-1 wt% desiccant and 0-1 wt% of an antioxidant, and the amount of salt and carboxylic acid when the supplement is dissolved in water will result in a pH of 2.0-6.0.

Vitamin B₆、B₉And B₁₂The amount of (a) should at least correspond to the amount of-COOH groups of the carboxylic acid that can be consumed during metabolism.

The additive should preferably contain 0.5-3.5 wt% iron fumarate.

According to the invention, the additive is characterized in particular by vitamin B₆、B₉And B₁₂Preferred amounts are in the range of 0,5-30mg, 0,1-10mg and 1-1500 μ g per g dry weight of pure carboxylic acid content of the supplement, respectively.

The new supplement should preferably contain vitamin E as an antioxidant and MgO as a desiccant.

The most preferred carboxylic acid found is the C1-8 carboxylic acid.

The invention also comprises the use of the new supplement for improving performance during stress and competition situations in an amount of 0.5-1.5g dry supplement/kg dry feed.

One particular use of the supplement is for horses in an amount of 1-15 grams of dry supplement per 100kg of horse weight in a mixture with a standard feed.

The use of said supplement in human food can be achieved by administration of 0.1-4.4mg per kg body weight intake per day.

The invention is further illustrated by reference to the following examples.

Example 1

This test was carried out on racing pigeons belonging to the Pigeon Vitality as company of Boschlen, Norway (Porsglunn). The pigeons were supplied with 0.5 g/l carboxylic acid water having a pH of 4 in drinking water daily from the autumn of 2001 and up to the 2002 season ending in 7 months of 2002. The pigeon played in the first game in the spring of that year is expected to perform. They returned to their home for too many minutes compared to the jackpot. As the season progresses, the performance becomes even worse, and after the first race (2-3 weeks), the pigeons lose their performance level. After three weeks they showed all signs of anemia. After only six races, the 6-month test pigeon flock (loft) stopped the race in 2002.

Pigeons from the same flock, same place, same feeding system, same training, same racing system, same management are part of a new trial, wherein the same dose of additive (same carboxylic acid) in the drinking water is added by vitamin B₆、B₉And B₁₂And 6mg iron/kg of additive. The results of this season were best for the once Pigeon Vitality as, which had very good results from the start up until the last game after six weeks. Results of two seasons were compared as shown in table 1.

TABLE 1

Match number	Distance in units of Km (2002/2003)	2002 score first pigeon	2003 pigeon scoring first
				1	150/100	68	100
2	200/200	43	100
				3	200/250	0	94
4	350/300	29	100
				5	400/400	0	100
6	200/100	17	85
				7	Not participated in/550	Is not participated in	100

The scores are calculated so that they can be compared even though the number of pigeons participating in the race may vary. The score S is calculated as S100- ((P-1) × 300)/N points, where N is the total number of participating pigeons and P is the position on the pigeon game result list. A first prize will always give a score of 100 points. Thereafter, the score continues to drop to point 1 to give the birds returned in the last position in the best pigeons 1/3 on the results list. Thereafter, a score of 0 would be given to the remaining pigeons (the remaining 2/3 pigeons that last come back). Table 1 gives the scores of first-class pigeons of the Pigeon Vitality AS test Pigeon flock, which clearly shows a dramatic improvement in race performance in season 2003 compared to 2002.

Example 2

The possible effects on the above-mentioned gastric/intestinal mucosal erosion problems experienced by horses were also investigated. 10 horses, which had developed gastric/intestinal mucosal erosion, were fed twice daily. Contrary to normal procedures, they now receive a new supplement of 40-50 grams (dry weight) mixed with normal feed twice a day for 14 days. The horse weight was 450-500 kg and therefore an additive corresponding to 10 g dry weight additive/100 kg horse weight was added. At the end of this new feeding cycle, gastroscopy showed that the gastric/intestinal mucosal erosion had healed. The horses are thus allowed to start a race in which they perform quite well. All tests were performed on sick horses with erosions of the gastric/intestinal mucosa.

According to further studies, it was found that the above effect can be achieved by adding 5-25 g of supplement per 100kg of horse body weight to a standard feed.

Example 3

After the above tests on pigeons and horses, these tests were performed on racing dogs (dog team). This test started in the fall of 2003 and aimed at finding the appropriate dose level and paying attention to the vitality and fur of the dogs along with the blood samples. Blood was taken from two test groups, one without any new supplement, while the other test group was given 2,5 grams of supplement per kilogram of feed per day, corresponding to 1,0-1,5 grams of supplement per dog (25-35 kg). Blood samples were analyzed for blood cell concentration before the start, after 2 months and after the end of this season. The results of these tests confirm that the new supplement gives similar results to dogs as to pigeons and horses. There were no signs of anemia in dogs and elevated blood cell levels were found after the test period (6 months). Observation of the vitality of the dogs showed that their health was very good throughout the test period. The fur of all dogs proved to be very excellent, resulting in a premium in large dog shows.

Example 4

In addition to treating gastric/intestinal mucosal erosion, the primary purpose of this example is to find appropriate dosage levels and record comprehensive observations. All observations were made by the Bjerke Dyre hospital of oslo (Olso), a veterinarian of a hospital specializing in fast running horses (trotter) and sprinting horses (gallop horse). Observations of the overall vitality of horses confirmed their very good health status after treatment with organic acids and selected vitamins. Furthermore, 14 horses participating in the trial maintained their vitality after the disease treatment and performed well during and after the race. Several improvements were recorded as described in table 2.

TABLE 2

Observation of	Number of horses tested improved%
		Appetite stimulation	70％
Disease and disorder	85％
		Health care	50％
Skin and fur	30％
		Pastern dermatitis (paster dermatiss)	100％
Erosion of gastric/intestinal mucosa	100％
		Motivation for training	50％
Achievement of a match	50％
		Disorders of the gastrointestinal tract	100％

From the above examples on different animals, it can be seen that vitamin B is added₆、B₉And B₁₂Should at least correspond to the amount of-COOH groups which can be metabolized have been reached by the new addition. Based on the results from all experiments and information found in the literature, the inventors have derived the following recommended dimensions for use in the additives according to the inventionTable 3 for biotin content.

TABLE 3

Population	B6(mg/kg feed)	B12(mu g/kg feed)	B9(mg/kg feed)	Fe (mg/kg feed)
					Poultry raising	1-7.4	15-40	0.5-4	80-90
Pigeon	1-5	20	1	-
					Pig	3-6.2	20-60	0.6-5	57-62
Cattle	4-6.2	30-50	-	30-40
					Sheep (sheep)	-	15	2	30
Fish	8-12.3	30-50	4-10	-
					Horse	3-3.7	20	10	40-100
Rabbit	1-1.2	5	0.2-0.5	-
					Maximum amount (average)	12	60	10	100
Feed additive (2.5g/kg feed)	41	500	45	32
					Water additive (0.5 g/l)	10	120	11	8

Recommendations for vitamin addition to different species are given as vitamin supplement per kg of feed and are expressed in terms of the amount of vitamin used as new supplement per kg of feed (last 2 rows in table 3). The addition of the additive was given in two doses, 2.5g/kg feed and 0.5 g/l water for pigeons respectively. The calculation of the dose from liter to kg of feed comes from the experience of one pigeon drinking 50 ml and eating 40 g of feed per day on average.

Example 5

Organic acids known from the literature may be beneficial for rheumatism. In addition, three B vitamins B₆、B₉And B₁₂Has been described as a possible therapy for depression inhibition (ref.; Taylor MJ. et al, The Cochrane Library, stage 2, 2003; Hintikka J et al, BMC Phsychiatry 2003; 3-17). It is therefore of interest to test the combination according to the invention in preliminary studies on humans. The test was performed on a group of 10 persons all suffering from either rheumatism or depression or a combination of these.

These people are given supplements once daily for more than three weeks, and the people report their experience after this period. The main organic acid in the additive isFormic acid and ammonium formate, administered at 3mg per kg body weight for acceptable daily intake. Vitamin contents are within the recommendations for humans, as for example by Knut T&Hansteen's "The Vitamin reduction" Hilt&Hansteen, ISBN 82-7413-566-0 recommended and based on the recommended daily and tolerance levels of the authorities (northern Europe, EU and USA), even though folic acid and vitamin B are expected to interact with organic acids₁₂The content of (b) is increased. However, according to the medical literature, no negative biological effects (bieffects) have been reported for adults who have ingested or 400 mg/day B over a period of 5 months₉Or 10 mg/day over a 5 year period.

All reports were positive. Pain from rheumatism disappeared and a remarkably high spirit and good mood were achieved. In addition the tested persons reported increased vitality and better sleep at night. There were no observed or reported negative effects, even though both reported "gastric discomfort" on the first 2-3 days, but then returned to normal. The dosages of vitamins administered with daily intake of supplements are shown in table 4.

TABLE 4

Human being	B6(mg/day) adult/child	B9(mu g/day) adult	B9(mu g/day) Children/pregnant women	B12(μ g/day) adult/child
					Contraceptive agent	4/1mg	200μg	Baby 30 mug	3/1μg
Long-term prophylactic agent	8/2mg	400μg	Infantile 50 μ g	5/2μg
					Supportive treatment	50/4mg	800μg	100 mug for school-age children	50/2μg
General treatment	250/8mg	Maximum 1500 ug	800 ug for pregnant woman	100/3μg

Example 6

Numerous trials were performed on pigeons, humans, horses and dogs in order to determine the amounts of B-vitamins and iron for different species. The additive used during these tests contained 330 mg formic acid/formate and 60 mg lactic acid per gram of additive. The results of these tests are described in table 5 and illustrate the average values of the respective vitamins for the different species. The values are given in milligrams of vitamin per day per gram of 100% formic acid/formate per kilogram body weight.

TABLE 5

Composition (I)	Pigeon	Human being	Horse	Dog
					B6	1.55	0,33	1.24	0.62
B9	2.05	0.44	1.64	0.82
					B12	0.0095	0.0020	0.0076	0.0038
Fe	2.5	0.5	2.0	1.0

The recommended amount of new supplements will vary depending on the species and their age and the duration of treatment. Usually 2.5g of supplement per kg of feed is considered optimal, but amounts of 0.5-15 g dry weight supplement per kg feed have been found to give the desired results. The upper range is in most cases shown to be overdose (over-dose), which is a limiting condition as they usually require additional feed and vitamin supply, or for the early stages of treatment. All B vitamins are water soluble and any excess will be excreted. Another reason to ensure that it is in a safe zone is that the oxidative metabolism levels of carboxylic acids are different for different species and still not understood enough scientifically.

The recommended supply of iron will depend on the activity of the species. Since iron is widely distributed in the feed in question and because the effectiveness of iron absorption increases during the desired phase, the above-mentioned formulations are relatively low compared to the commonly recommended formulations. During these tests, iron fumarate, which contained 32% iron, had been used as the iron source. This has been corrected for by table 3. The recommended amount of iron in the additive is found to be in the range of 5-25mg Fe/g dry additive, preferably in the range of 10-15 mg Fe.

The carboxylic acid/salt mixture used during the test included formic acid, ammonium formate and lactic acid. The organic acid dose for prophylactic treatment according to our test may vary from species to species; for example, in the range of 3 mg/day per kg body weight in humans to 50 mg/day per kg body weight in horses. It was found that vitamins should be preferred as vitaminsThe vitamin B complex is added as all B vitamins (i.e., all B vitamins, including B)₆、B₉And B₁₂) Are incorporated into different enzyme systems and are not clearly understood because of their interactions and metabolic pathways. However, as indicated above, vitamin B₆、B₉And B₁₂It is necessary to be present in the recommended amount. Thus, according to our experiments on birds, animals and humans, vitamin B is present in the new supplement₆Should be in the range of 0.1-2 mg/daily dose per kg body weight, B₉In the range of 0.2-2.5 mg/day per kg body weight, B₁₂In the range of 1-10 micrograms per day per kilogram of body weight.

Vitamin B as an additive₆、B₉And B₁₂Usually corresponding to 3-10% of different B-complex vitamins designed for animal and human use. The vitamins may also be added in the form of ingredients known to have relatively high concentrations of the vitamins.

The most useful carboxylic acid found is C_1-8The carboxylic acids, most preferably the acids, will be formic acid, citric acid, lactic acid, propionic acid, ascorbic acid, fumaric acid and benzoic acid. It has also been found that salts of the acids can be used advantageously, especially in order to impart a desired pH to the supplement. Mixtures of such acids and salts may be used. The new supplement should preferably be in the form of a dry powder that allows the supplement to flow freely. Useful desiccants are silica (silica) MgO, CaO, etc., as long as they are acceptable for animal feed and humans. The novel supplement may contain antioxidants such as anthocyanins (anti-cyanins), tocopherols (vitamin E), astaxanthin and carotenoids for retarding oxidative degradation. In the case of standard feed lacking these elements, the new supplement may optionally contain minerals including K, Ca, Fe, Mg and other standard nutrients, among others. The above new supplement was found to be beneficial especially for horses, dogs, pigeons and humans. Other animals suffering from similar problems may therefore benefit from feeding such supplements. If the additive is used in combination with a fishing ground, it should be mixed with a standard feedAnd then it is necessary that the mixture can be applied without changing the components of the additive. Even human consumption does not cause problems and seems to be only beneficial.

In theory, different components of the new supplement can be added one by one to the standard food/feed of the consumer. However, such processes present practical problems in using the correct amounts of the different ingredients. Furthermore, the observed interaction between the components may be difficult to obtain.

Claims (8)

1. A vitamin-containing food and feed supplement for improving health and performance, the supplement comprising:

at least one C_1-8Carboxylic acid and/or its salt as essential component; and

vitamin B₆、B₉And B₁₂Said vitamin B₆、B₉And B₁₂Respectively is the at least one C_1-80.5-30 mg, 0.1-10 mg and 1-1500 micrograms/gram of dry weight of carboxylic acid and/or its salt, wherein the vitamin B₆、B₉And B₁₂Is present in a total amount of 10-50mg/g dry weight of the supplement to compensate for the vitamin B due to carboxylic acid metabolism₆、B₉And B₁₂Loss of (2);

5-25mg iron/g dry weight of the supplement; and

0-1 wt.% of an antioxidant; and the amount of the carboxylic acid and/or its salt will give a pH of 2.0-6.0 when the additive is dissolved in water.

2. Additive according to claim 1, characterized in that it contains 0.5-3.5% by weight of iron fumarate.

3. The supplement according to claim 1, wherein the supplement contains vitamin E as an antioxidant.

4. Additive according to claim 1, characterized in that it contains a drying agent.

5. Additive according to claim 4, characterized in that the drying agent is MgO.

6. Use of a supplement according to any one of claims 1-5 for the preparation of a feed for improving performance during stress and competition situations, said supplement being used in an amount of 0.5-15 g dry supplement/kg dry feed.

7. Use of a supplement according to any one of claims 1-5 in horse feed, said supplement containing 1-15 g dry weight of said pure carboxylic acid being mixed into a standard horse feed per 100kg horse weight.

8. Use of a supplement according to any of claims 1-5 in food products for administration of said supplement containing 0.1-4.4mg dry weight of pure carboxylic acid per kg body weight per daily intake.