Drug – bio-affecting and body treating compositions – Designated organic active ingredient containing – C-o-group doai
Patent
1997-04-30
1998-04-28
Spivack, Phyllis G.
Drug, bio-affecting and body treating compositions
Designated organic active ingredient containing
C-o-group doai
A23K 118, A23K 116
Patent
active
057445028
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This application is a 371 of PCT/SE95/01061 filed Sep. 19, 1995.
The present invention relates to an agent for increasing the production of/in breeding and production animals in the poultry industry, to a method of increasing the production with said agent and the use of said agent. The agent consists of at least one type of xanthophylles, preferably naturally produced astaxanthin. It is administered in the feed to breeding and production animals, in the poultry industry, to obtain increased production thereof.
BACKGROUND
In the poultry industry the production of/in breeding and production animals is of great importance to the economy. The problem of low fertility leads to low egg-production and poor hatching results, which reduces the income and raises the production costs. The newly-hatched young birds are subjected to a lot of stress by vaccinations, transports, starvation and changes of environment during the first period of life, which causes infections and sometimes high mortality. The poultry industry and suppliers to the industry has worked for decades on this complex of problems in order to find economical solutions which can also be accepted by the consumers.
In feeding trials using naturally produced astaxanthin mixed in the feed to breeding hens for the purpose of enhancing the yellow colour of the yolks it was surprisingly found that the astaxanthin also improved the production of eggs, the percentage of hatching and the state of health of the hens. Moreover, the consumption of feed went down.
The reason for the enhanced production yield when astaxanthin enriched feed was used is not known, but it can be assumed to be due to antioxidative properties of the astaxanthin and hence the ability to scavenge so-called free radicals. The other xanthophylles do also have antioxidative properties. However, in biological tests astaxanthin was proven to possess clearly the best antioxidative properties compared to other carotenoids (Miki W., 1991, Pure and Appl Chem 63 (1): 141-146).
Astaxanthin belongs to the xanthophylles, which is a large group of carotenoids containing oxygen in the molecule in addition to carbon and hydrogen. They exist abundantly in birds, fishes and crustaceans, and give many of these animals their typical pigmentation. However, they cannot themselves produce xanthophylles so they are entirely dependent on the contents of the feed for their need. The carotenoids are newly produced by plants, fungi and some bacteria.
Xanthophylles have since long been used in the feed for laying hens and in some parts of the world in the feed for broilers. The purpose has solely been to pigment the product, the yolk or fat and skin tissue, to satisfy the demands of the consumers. As sources for pigment both naturally produced xanthophylles and synthetically produced ones have been used (Hencken H., 1992, Poultry Science 71:711-717, Karunajeewa H. & A. Hoffman, 1992, Arch fur Geflugelkunde 56(3):109-112).
In the feed for laying hens on the Swedish market there are predominantly used lucerne and grass meal which contain lutein, corn products containing zeaxanthin and paprika which contains the xanthophyll capsanthin. As an alternative Algatech AB, Sweden, recently introduced naturally produced astaxanthin on the Swedish market.
It has not previously been known that xanthophylles, and among them astaxanthin, have the ability to increase the production of/in breeding and production animals in the poultry industry.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is in a first aspect directed to an agent for increasing the production of/in breeding and production animals in the poultry industry, whereby the agent consists of at least one type of xanthophylles.
In a preferred embodiment the type of xanthophylles is astaxanthin. In a particularly preferred embodiment the astaxanthin exists in a form in which it is esterified with fatty acids. The last mentioned form of astaxanthin may be produced by cultivation of the alga Haematococcus sp.
The agent according to the invention may thus consist of a
REFERENCES:
Hencken, Poultry Science, vol. 71, 1992, pp. 711-717.
Ranstrom et al., Phytochemistry, vol. 20, No. 11, 1981, pp. 2561-2564.
Pinchasov et al., Poult. Sci., 71(9). 1992. 1436-1441.
Inborr Johan
Larsson Lars-Hak.ang.n
Lignell .ANG.ke
Nicolin Curt
Astacarotene AB
Spivack Phyllis G.
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