Food or edible material: processes – compositions – and products – Treatment of live animal
Reexamination Certificate
2001-01-22
2002-05-14
Sayala, Chhaya D. (Department: 1761)
Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products
Treatment of live animal
C426S053000, C426S074000, C426S623000, C426S630000, C426S635000, C426S637000, C426S650000, C426S656000, C426S658000, C426S807000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06387419
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF INVENTION
The present invention pertains to the field of pig breeding. Specifically there is provided a method whereby optimum performance of piglets during the first period of their life can be achieved without the use of medicinal aids such as antibiotic growth promoters and iron-containing injectable preparations.
TECHNICAL BACKGROUND AND PRIOR ART
In present-day intensive pig breeding a very high production efficiency is required to obtain an economically feasible production. Thus, to illustrate the high level of efficiency that is generally aimed at, each sow should preferably produce about 25 live offsprings at weaning per annum and the weight of piglets is increased by a factor of five during the first four weeks after birth. To achieve such a high level of efficiency including the extremely high rate of weight gain it is a requirement that the piglets are constantly supplied with all essential macro- and micronutrients and that it can be avoided that they suffer from infectious diseases and other adverse health conditions including suboptimal gastrointestinal function.
One significant problem which is associated with highly intensive rearing of piglets is that the suckling animals will develop anaemic conditions, unless a supplementary source of iron is provided. At birth, piglets have a total body reservoir of iron which is about 50 mg. During the first 3 to 4 weeks of life (the suckling period) their weight gain is so rapid that the daily requirement for iron is about 7-10 mg in order to maintain a physiologically normal level of hemoglobin in their blood, i.e. about 90-120 g per l. However, the daily supply of iron from the sow's milk is only about 1 mg and inevitably, a serious and often fatal, anaemic condition will occur within a few days after birth, if a supplementary iron supply is not provided.
Other micronutrients (or trace elements) which are not supplied in physiologically required amounts in sow's milk include metal ions such as zinc and copper ions. A shortage of such micronutrients will give rise to a reduced weight gain efficiency and increased susceptibility to infectious diseases.
Another prerequisite for a high rate of weight gain and good health conditions in piglets is that the capacity of their gastrointestinal tract to digest and absorb nutrients is at an optimum level, in particular around the time of weaning. In intensive pig breeding it is aimed at weaning the piglets as early as possible in order to obtain as many piglets per sow as possible. Thus, it is not uncommon to wean piglets at an age of 3 to 4 weeks where the diet of the piglets is changed suddenly or gradually from the natural nutrient source, sow's milk, to solid pre-starter or starter feed formulations.
One further significant condition for an effective gastrointestinal function, especially under weaning conditions, is that the surface area of the intestinal mucosa wherefrom digested nutrients are absorbed into the blood stream is as large as possible and that there are optimum physico-chemical conditions, including the pH, for nutrient absorption at the mucosal surfaces. An important factor that determines the intestinal mucosal surface area is the length and number of intestinal villi.
In intensive farm animal production, diarrhoea or scouring in young animals is another serious problem which presently is predominantly prevented or treated by the use of antibiotics. However, a widespread use of antibiotics in animals is associated with a highly undesirable selection of antibiotic resistant bacteria which may be transferred to humans or healthy animals. Therefore, alternative means of prevention of scouring is needed.
Currently used measures that can be taken to secure an appropriate performance of piglets during the suckling period and at and after weaning include (i) administering to the piglets a supplementary supply of iron and other physiologically required micronutrients such as copper and zinc, (ii) administering antibiotic growth promoting and disease controlling substances and (iii) supplementing during suckling the sow's milk diet with a pre-starter feed formulation generally having a composition which is close to that of the sow's milk.
Presently, a supplementary supply of iron is normally provided by giving newborn piglets an injection of an iron-containing substance such as an iron dextran. Evidently, this method of supplying iron is very labour-consuming and in addition, it involves a risk of spreading infectious microorganisms via the injection needle and of causing a stress condition in the animals. An alternative method of supplying iron to suckling piglets is disclosed in WO 93/13783. This method implies the administration during the first two weeks after birth of an oral composition that comprises bioavailable iron and which may be ingested voluntarily by the suckling piglets in sufficient amounts to maintain a physiologically appropriate blood composition of the animal.
However, the above iron-containing composition must be administered in relatively high amounts to secure an adequate iron supply which from a cost point of view implies that this way of supplying iron is not competitive with the conventionally used iron injection. This is a significant problem as the profit margin in pig breeding is generally relatively small.
The current practice of using antibiotic growth promoters is increasingly being objected to by consumers and health authorities due to the risk of selection of antibiotic resistant bacteria and therefore the use of such substances is restricted or even banned in several countries.
Accordingly, there is a need for alternative growth promoting substances which do not only enhance the growth of piglets but which also prevent diarrhoea caused by infectious agents. Substances which have been studied as potential substitutes for antibiotic growth promoters include viable microbial cultures such as lactic acid bacteria and yeast; organic acids including e.g. formic acid and citric acid and salt of organic acids; enzymes such as proteases, cellulases, glucanases or xylanases; oligosaccharides including fructooligosaccharides, xylooligosaccharides, lactulose or lactitol and various plant preparations e.g. of garlic. All of such compounds have been administered to piglets by incorporating them into pre-starter or starter feed formulations. However, during the suckling period and the early post-weaning period, the consumption of dry feed materials by piglets is so limited that the above compounds cannot be administered in effective amounts via feed compositions and hence these attempts to substitute antibiotic growth promoters have generally been unsuccessful.
In addition to the above compounds, several dietary fibre products such as citrus pectin, guar gum and similar polysaccharides have been tested for possible growth promoting effects but in animal experiments no effect on weight gain has been observed.
It has been reported that copper or zinc ions, when administered to piglets at about 10 times the physiological requirement may have a growth promoting effect at a level comparable to that obtainable by antibiotic growth promoters. However, a widespread use of these metal ions is a matter of considerable environmental concern, as they will accumulate in cultivated soil via the use of manure as fertilizer. Therefore, the use of copper and zinc as growth promoters has been restricted or banned in many countries.
It has now been found that it is possible to design a method of supplementing the diet of suckling and newly weaned piglets with functional feed supplement substances such that all of the above problems associated with current pig breeding and feeding practices can be effectively reduced or avoided. Thus, the method of the present invention provides: (i) a physiologically adequate oral iron supply at a cost level that is competitive with iron supply by injection, (ii) a growth promotion effect at a level which is similar to that of the currently used antibiotic substances without any health risks or adver
Biofiber-Damino A/S
Hunton & Williams
Sayala Chhaya D.
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