Drug – bio-affecting and body treating compositions – Designated organic active ingredient containing – Radical -xh acid – or anhydride – acid halide or salt thereof...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-18
2002-09-17
Criares, Theodore J. (Department: 1617)
Drug, bio-affecting and body treating compositions
Designated organic active ingredient containing
Radical -xh acid, or anhydride, acid halide or salt thereof...
Reexamination Certificate
active
06451856
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is in the general field of swine farming and relates to feeding carnitine-supplemented diets to swine during the period of gestation or during the periods of both gestation and lactation to increase pork productivity by, for example, increasing litter and pig weights at birth and at the time of weaning and by increasing the number of pigs born alive in the subsequent reproductive cycle (i.e., the cycle following the cycle of carnitine supplementation). Swine diets of this invention include carnitine, such as L-carnitine or L-carnitine salts, present in the amount effective to increase the litter and pig birth and weaning weights.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Carnitine is a naturally occurring B vitamin-like compound found in humans and other mammals. Carnitine has many functions, but its primarily role is in the transport of fatty acids into the mitochondria. Previous research (U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,124,357 and 5,192,804) has shown that carnitine supplementation of diets increases the lean to fat ratio of pigs. Its beneficial effects of increasing carcass leanness and improving the lean to fat ratio were also shown in fish (U.S. Pat. No. 5,030,657). In addition, carnitine has been shown to improve the hatchability of eggs when fed to laying hens (U.S. Pat. No. 5,362,753).
Carnitine is synthesized in the body from two essential amino acids, protein bound lysine and methionine. The level of enzyme involved in the synthesis of carnitine is extremely low in newborn piglets (Coffey et al., Carnitine Status and Lipid Utilization in Neonatal Piglets Fed Diets Low in Carnitine, J. Nutr. 121:1047-53; 1991). The newborn piglet must quickly switch from carbohydrate transplacental nourishment to a high-fat milk based diet. Thus, during the suckling period, the neonate must quickly develop the capacity to oxidize fatty acids and ketone bodies as fuel alternatives to carbohydrates. Given the role of carnitine in the fatty acid metabolism, its availability to newborns in adequate amounts is essential (Borum, P. R., Variation in Tissue Carnitine Concentration with Age and Sex in the Rat, Biochem J. 176:677; 1978).
The primary source of carnitine in neonatal tissue, at least 2-3 days post partum, is milk (Robles-Valdez et al., Maternal Fetal Carnitine Relationships and Neonatal Ketosis in the Rat, J. Biol. Chem. 251:6007; 1976). The presence of carnitine in the milk should enhance the piglets' ability to utilize milk fat. Coffey et al. compared lipid utilization by pigs nursing from their sow with lipid utilization by pigs fed a milk replacer with or without added carnitine and found that nursing pigs were heavier than pigs fed milk replacer. However, pigs fed the milk replacer with added carnitine grew faster (day 7 to 21) than those fed the milk replacer without carnitine. Carnitine supplementation did not affect lipid or glucose status of the pig.
Other researchers have described the effect of supplemented carnitine on milk production and fatty acid metabolism. Erfle et al. (Effect of Infusion of Carnitine and Glucose on Blood Glucose, Ketones, and Free fatty Acids of Ketotic Cows, J. Dairy Sci. 54:673-80; 1971) infused carnitine into ketotic lactating dairy cows and found improved fatty acid oxidation.
As noted above, the availability of carnitine in the diet of newborn pigs is essential for efficient transition to a high-fat milk diet. However, methods for supplementing the milk diet of nursing pigs with carnitine are presently unavailable. Use of milk replacer containing carnitine as suggested for cows would not be practicable on a large commercial scale. More importantly, milk replacers do not contain all other essential components of the swine milk. There is therefore a need in the art for alternative ways for improving the performance of newborn pigs and particularly for increasing pig and litter birth and weaning weights.
Previous research has suggested that feeding L-carnitine supplemented diets to sows during the last 10 days of gestation and continuing during the entire period of lactation has certain beneficial effects on litter performance. Fremaut, D. et al., Do Lactating Sows Benefit from L-Carnitine Supplementation, Varkensbedrijf, Jun. 20-23, 1993.
Applicants have now surprisingly discovered that feeding sows a diet containing L-carnitine only during the period of gestation substantially increases litter and pig performance both at birth and at weaning. The litter and pig performance was also improved when sow diets were supplemented with carnitine during both gestation and lactation periods. However, feeding carnitine to sows substantially only during lactation was not found particularly beneficial.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to feeding carnitine-supplemented diets to swine during the period of gestation only, or during both gestation and lactation, to increase litter and pig performance and increase pork productivity.
Accordingly, one aspect of the present invention is a method of feeding carnitine-supplemented diets to sows during the period of gestation to increase litter and pig performance at birth and/or at weaning.
Another aspect of the present invention is a method of feeding carnitine-supplemented diets to sows during the periods of both gestation and lactation to increase litter and pig performance at birth and/or at weaning.
Yet another aspect of the present invention is a method of feeding carnitine-supplemented diets to sows during the period of gestation only or during both gestation and lactation to reduce the number of stillborn pigs.
Still another aspect of the present invention is a method of increasing pork productivity by increasing the number of pigs born alive in the subsequent, second reproductive cycle by supplementing a swine diet with carnitine in the first reproductive cycle during gestation only or during both gestation and lactation.
Still another aspect of the present invention is a method of increasing pork productivity by supplementing a swine diet with carnitine and feeding the supplemented diet to swine during gestation only or during both gestation and lactation.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
All patents, patent applications and literature references cited in this specification are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
The present invention relates to feeding carnitine-supplemented diets to swine during the period of gestation only, or during both gestation and lactation, to improve litter and pig performance. Generally, feeding L-carnitine supplemented diets to sows improves pig and litter weights at birth and/or weaning and increases the number of pigs born alive in the subsequent reproductive cycle. The invention also relates to increasing pork productivity by supplementing a swine diet with carnitine and feeding the supplemented diet to swine during gestation only or during both gestation and lactation.
In the practice of this invention, the female swine diet can be supplemented with carnitine from approximately mating. Carnitine can be fed throughout the period of gestation (i.e., from approximately mating to approximately parturition) or for a portion thereof. Carnitine can also be fed from mating and throughout the period of lactation (i.e., from approximately parturition until offspring is weaned or lactation is terminated by decision of the herdsperson) or for a portion of lactation period. Most preferably, for the efficient use of carnitine, carnitine is supplemented throughout the period of gestation or a portion thereof, i.e., not during lactation.
L-carnitine supplemented diets can be fed according to the present invention for a portion of the gestation or lactation period. In one preferred embodiment, the diet is fed five days after breeding until farrowing, i.e., 109 days out of 114 days of gestation. The diet can also be fed for a shorter period during gestation, for example for at least 5 days, and preferably for at least 10 days, during the first 90 days of gestation. In another preferred embodiment, carnitine is supplemented fo
Blum Rene A.
Blum Stephen A.
Goodband Robert D.
Musser Robert E.
Nelssen Jim L.
Criares Theodore J.
Darby & Darby
Kim Jennifer
Lonza Inc.
LandOfFree
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