EP2317870A1

EP2317870A1 - Feed supplement and method of its production

Info

Publication number: EP2317870A1
Application number: EP09798162A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Rimantas Lukse; Tomas Lukse; Almantas Simkus
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2008-07-15
Filing date: 2009-07-07
Publication date: 2011-05-11
Also published as: WO2010008259A1; LT5640B; LT2008053A; EP2317870A4

Abstract

Animal feed supplement and method of its production. This animal feed supplement contains microalgae Spirulina, it is in the form of fresh Spirulina biomass, and it also contains molasses. The ratio of the components is as follows: 6-33% of Spirulina biomass, the remaining part - molasses. Also, it may contain fructose: 6-67% of mass. Animal feed supplement production method is distinguished for the fact that the biomass of microalgae Spirulina is rinsed with water having pH=5.2 to 5.5, vacuumed to 65-70% humidity, and preserved by having mixed it with molasses preheated to 47-67oC. The biomass of microalgae Spirulina preserved in molasses is sprayed in the grain cultures at the following ratio of the components: biomass of Spirulina in molasses - up to 6% of mass, whereas grain cultures - from 3% to 97% of mass.˙

Description

FEED SUPPLEMENT AND METHOD OF ITS PRODUCTION

Technical Field This invention relates to production of an animal feed and, in particular, production of a feed supplement.

Background Art

Application of the dried biomass of microalgae Spirulina for feeding animals in powder or tablet form. It was described in the scientific literature: A.Jl. Honuvuyκ, CA.

CeMβπoβ «CIJHPyjIHHA B PAIJHOHAX CBHHEH (Spirulina in the ration ofpigs)», see magazine «Cβunoβodcmβo» No 4, 2002. However, the dried microalgae Spirulina has failed to produce the necessary effect.

Disclosure of the Invention

Aim of the invention - to improve microbial balance of the digestive tract, digestion of animal feed and, as a result, to increase animal produce.

The above aim is achieved by adding the animal feed, supplement which contains natural biomass of microalgae Spirulina and also molasses, where the ratio of the components is as follows (mass %): 6-33% of Spirulina biomass, the remaining part - molasses; it also may contain fructose (mass %): 6-67%. The feed supplement is obtained by rinsing biomass of microalgae Spirulina with water having pH in the range from 5.2 to 5.5 pH units, vacuuming it to 65-70% humidity, and preserving it by having mixed it with molasses preheated to 47-67⁰C. The experiments carried out showed that microalgae Spirulina is very effective when it is in the form of fresh biomass. However, fresh biomass of microalgae is capable of remaining active for not more than 4 hours. When biomass of microalgae Spirulina is mixed with molasses and/or fructose preheated to 47-67⁰C, the biomass gets preserved and remains active up to 18 months.

By supplementing animal diets with the mixture of microalgae Spirulina biomass and molasses, which is characteristic of phytobiotic (probiotic) and haemopoietic action, the microbial balance and feed digestion in ruminants is improved, and vital physiological processes are activated in the macro-organism. As a result, the productivity of ruminants increases by 6-8%. The average daily ration of microalgae Spirulina preparation preserved with molasses which may be given to one ruminant is 10-30g. Applicability of the Invention

For the purposes of illustration of the invention, Spirulina preparation was used to feed milk cows, where 1 g of Spirulina (S) was preserved with 7 g of molasses, and one milk cow was given 16 g of this preparation.

The experiment was carried out with the cows of Lithuanian black-and-white breed. Depending on the age, lactation and productivity of the cows, two groups were formed:

Control group and test group. Each group consisted of 15 cows in second/third lactation. The experiment was carried out during the period from the 60th to 120th day of lactation. Both groups were kept in the same conditions and were given the same feed, except for the fact that the combined animal feed given each feeding day to the cows of test group was individually supplemented with 16 g of microalgae Spirulina (hereinafter referred to as "S") biomass preserved with molasses at the ratio 1 :7. For the first 30 days, the experiment was carried out with the cows in the cattle-house, whereas the remaining 30 days the cows were put out to graze on pasture. Control milking was performed at the beginning of the experiment and then after each 15 days. Milk samples for chemical analysis were taken after every 30 days. With a gullet probe (GDZ-I), the contents of large pregastric stomach was taken from the caudoventral part of the cow's large pregastric stomach at the beginning of the experiment and then after each 21 -day period 3 hours after the morning feed. At the end of the experiment, digestibility of the nutrient substances was examined, and morphological and biochemical blood tests were carried out.

The tests showed that "S" used in the milk cow diets had positive effect on milk production. The data of control milking of cows obtained in the course of experiment are presented in Table 1 bellow.

Table 1

The results of experiment presented in Table 1 show that impact of "S" on productivity of milk cows visibly manifested itself after 30 days of the experiment, although positive changes had already been noticed after the first 15 -days period of the experiment. After 30 days of the experiment, there was a 1.7 kg, or 5.6%, increase in milk yield compared to the cows that were not given "S". After 45 days of the experiment, impact of "S" on the cow productivity was even more visible. At this stage of the experiment, the cows in test group gave 2.5kg, or 8.9%, more milk than the cows in control group. Finally, at the close of experiment (after 60 days), the cows in test group gave 4.0 kg, or 14.5%, more milk than the cows in control group. During these two months of the experiment, milk yield of one cow in the control group was 1726.5 kg, whereas milk yield of one cow in the test group reached 1858.5 kg, i.e. milk yield increased by 132 kg, or 7.6%. The composition of milk (when n=10) is shown in Table 2 below.

Table 2

The data presented in Table 2 show that "S" had positive effect on chemical and morphological indicators of milk. After 30 days of the experiment, content of fats in the milk of cows that received "S" increased by 0.86%, while in the milk of cows of control group it increased only by 0.32%, i.e. 0.54% less than in cows of the test group. "S" did not have impact on the content of proteins and lactose in the milk. At the end of experiment, the content of fats in the milk of cows that received "S" declined compared to the period of experiment up to the 30th day, and dropped to the initial level observed at the beginning of experiment; whereas the content of fats in the milk of cows in the control group was 0.34% less than that in the beginning of the experiment. Such a decline in fats in the milk might be due to the changes incurred within the transitional period from when the cows were kept in a cattle-house to when they were put out to graze on pasture. The results obtained during the experiment showed that "S" had no effect on the content of proteins in the milk. But at the close of experiment, impact of "S" on the content of lactose in the milk showed up. A credible increase in milk sugar was 0.24% higher in the milk of test group cows than in the milk of control group cows. This indicator allows us to draw an inference that the test group cows better assimilate certain nutrient substances of the feed ration and obtain more energy for production of milk. By adding "S" to the feed ration of milk cows during 60 days of lactation, it is possible to get 17.59 kg, or 25.0%, more butterfat; 5.25kg, or 9.7% (P>0.05), more milk proteins, and 9.12 kg, or 11.7%, more lactose. "S" produces positive effect on somatic cells count (SCC) in the cow milk, which, in turn, improves the milk quality. At the end of the experiment the SCC in the milk cows in test group was 135.2 thousand/ml, i.e. 29.1% less than in the milk of the cows in control group. Results of haematological tests showed that all the indicators of blood tested were within the limits of physiological standards. Higher haemoglobin, erythrocytes and some neutrophils counts were noticed in the milk of test group cows. It shows that more intensive vital processes took place in the system of cows that were given "S". Compared to the blood of control group cows, the blood of test group cows contained 5.6% more haemoglobin, 13.1% more erythrocytes, 13.9% more band-neutrophils and 9.4% more segmented neutrophils. Based on the said results, it may be inferred that "S" has haemopoietic and, therefore, positive effect on the animal health.

It was determined that 80-90% of fibre, almost all water-soluble carbohydrates and pectins were digested in the large pregastric stomach. Final products of this fermentation are volatile fatty acids (VFA). The results of tests showed that there were more VFA released in the contents of pregastric stomach of the test group cows, and more VFA were absorbed through the stomach walls. As a result, the test group cows received with the feed more energy necessary for milk production. Compared to the cows of control group, total count of bacteria in the pregastric stomach of cows fed with "S" during the whole experiment was 0.26 log/mol higher; total lactobacteria count - 0.34 log/mol, streptococci count - 0.75 log/mol, and yeast - 0.34 log/mol. All this proves that phytochemical substances contained in "SP" have positive effect on biochemical and morphological tests of pregastric stomach content; the preparation is distinguished for its phytobiotic action. Examination of digestibility of nutrient substances of the feed ration showed that Spirulina preparation improved digestibility of nutrient substances of the feed. "S" mostly stimulated the digestibility of green proteins and green fats. All this may be explained by probiotic action of the preparation. When number of microorganisms in the digestive tract increases, probiotic action comes into effect, as a result, the digestibility and assimilation of nutrient substances of the feed improve. Therefore, the milk cows of test group obtained more energy necessary for production of milk.

Claims

Claim 1. Animal feed supplement which contains microalgae Spirulina, wherein the microalgae is in the form of fresh Spirulina biomass, and also contains molasses, where the ratio of the components is as follows (mass %): 6-33% of Spirulina biomass, the remaining part - molasses.

Claim 2. Supplement according to Claim \, wherein it contains fructose at a ratio 6-67% of mass.

Claim 3. Animal feed supplement production method, wherein biomass of microalgae Spirulina is rinsed with water having pH=5.2 to 5.5, vacuumed to 65-70% humidity, and preserved by having mixed it with molasses preheated to 47-67⁰C.

Claim 4. Supplement production method according to Claim 1, wherein biomass of microalgae Spirulina preserved in molasses is sprayed in the grain cultures at the following ratio of the components: biomass of Spirulina in molasses - up to 6% of mass, whereas grain cultures - from 3% to 97% of mass.