Food or edible material: processes – compositions – and products – Fermentation processes – Of plant or plant derived material
Reexamination Certificate
2000-08-11
2001-12-04
Hendricks, Keith (Department: 1761)
Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products
Fermentation processes
Of plant or plant derived material
Reexamination Certificate
active
06326037
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to microorganisms and their use in treating animal feed and silage.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The use of enzymes and organisms can improve or enhance the performance of animals and the value of the feed the animals receive. For example, WO-A-9210945 discloses such a combination for use in enhancing the value of prepared silage, and WO-A-9617525 relates to enhancement of animal performance using microorganisms. The efficacy of combining the use of enzymes together with organisms producing volatile fatty acids (VFA's) is also described. In this case, better preservation of the silage, better animal performance and a reduction in effluent production were demonstrated. WO-A-9503396 demonstrates that some advantages may accrue when a desired VFA profile is produced during the silage fermentation; it has also been found that this does not produce the desired reduction in heating, on opening the silage clamp.
The production of silage and the associated crop husbandry have over recent years developed to an extent that a number of different processes can be defined. These are: (i) the ensiling of young grass with particularly low dry matter, e.g. less than 25% (common in UK, Ireland and Scandinavia), (ii) the ensiling of higher dry matter, more mature grasses (UK), the ensiling of high dry matter but young grass achieved by wilting (Netherlands); and (iii) the ensiling of whole maize including stova and cob, usually at a dry matter concentration of about 35%, and whole crop cereals, e.g. wheat, at 45-50% dry matter.
Particularly in cases (ii) and (iii), one major problem occurs on a regular basis. This is the phenomenon known as aerobic spoilage. This phenomenon is not well understood. Although there are many differing opinions, the process of aerobic spoilage can be divided into phases. Thus, there is an initial phase in which yeasts and sometimes acetic acid bacteria start to respire the preserving organic acids. After an initial rise in pH, there is a secondary phase in which the activity of bacilli is apparent, and is associated with increasing temperature. A further phase includes activity of various microorganisms including fungi.
In those silages which contain a substantial content of dry matter, i.e. over 30%, the problem of spoilage is particularly acute. Spoilage is seen to a greater or lesser extent once a silage clamp is opened and exposed to air.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention is based at least in part on identifying the aerobic spoilage process as being closely related to heating in the clamp on exposure to the ingress of air. Subsequent examination of such silages showed high concentration of thermophilic Gram-positive organisms, yeasts and bacteria including bacilli and fungi. This apparently demonstrates the onset of a secondary fermentation, akin to that of composting (the primary fermentation being the ensiling process). In this fermentation stage, yeast and moulds predominate. It appears that, in order to prevent spoilage, three main categories of organisms that need to be killed or suppressed are spore-forming bacteria, yeasts and fungi. To eliminate only one category may lead to the proliferation of the remaining categories, so that spoilage is not prevented.
According to this invention, utility in the prevention of spoilage has been identified in materials that, at least in the first instance, inhibit microorganisms that initiate aerobic spoilage, notably yeasts and, at the surface of silage, fungi. An organism capable of doing this may also inhibit the development of other spoilage microorganisms, and may be identified by screening.
An organism of the species
Lactobacillus buchneri
, that meets this requirement has been deposited at the National Collection of Industrial and Marine Bacteria on 13th Feb. 1996. Its accession number is 40788.
As explained in more detail below, this organism has a surprising effect, different from and/or extending beyond that due to its ability to produce VFA's, such as acetic, propionic and lactic acids, that are normally produced in fermentation. The organism produces an antimicrobial substance or effect characterised by its ability to inhibit the growth of a variety of spoilage organisms, and which is stable at 80° C. but inactivated at 120° C. It is reasonable to assume that any such substance (which may possibly be proteinaceous) may be produced by other organisms. Any one of ordinary skill in the art, provided with the information in this specification, will be able to identify whether any given organism, other than that which has been deposited, produces the same substance.
The substance may be isolated and purified by methods known to those of ordinary skill in the art. As such, it may be used directly to treat animal feed or silage. In other words, it may not be necessary to use a microorganism as such in the method of this invention.
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Agricultural Research, Jun. 1995, p. 17, Cook, L.
Seale, D.R. and A.r. Henderson (1985) “Effect of inoculation with Homofermentative and Heterofermentative Lactic Acid Bacteria on Silage Fermentation”, The Edinburgh School of Agriculture, U.K.
Dellaglio, F. et al. (1996) “DNA-DNA Homology, Physiological Characteristics and Distribution of Lactic Acid Bacteria isolated from Maize Silage,”Journal of Applied Bacteriology60(2):83-92.
Driehuis, F., et al., “Improving Aerobic Stability by Inoculation withLactobacillus buchnen” Proceedings of the 11thInternational Silage Conference, 106-107, Sep. 1996.
Muck, R. E. “A Lactic Acid Bacterial Strain to Improve Aerobic Stability of Silages,”Researc Summarines of the U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center, 46-47, Oct. 1997.
Weinberg, Z.G. et al. “New Trends and Opportunities in the Development and Use of Inoculants for Silage,”FEMS Microbiology Reviews 19:53-68.
Mann Stephen Philip
Spoelstra Sierk Fedde
Hendricks Keith
Saliwanchik Lloyd & Saliwanchik
Stichting Institut Voor
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