EP3151679A1 - Selecting, producing, and feeding whole algae as a feed supplement for cattle and bison to produce meat high in omega 3's for human health - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention is a system and method for creating and using algae as a food supplement for cattle and buffalo thereby providing a desirable food supplement for cattle and buffalo wherein the meat and fat produced has increased specific Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids for a product, which imparts a healthier cardiovascular or healthier central nervous system.

Description

SELECTING, PRODUCING- AND FE DI G WHOLE ALGAE

AS Λ FEED SUPPLEMENT FOR CATTLE AN'|> BISON TO P RODUCE MEAT HIGH I N OMEGA 3'S ¥QR HUMAN HEALTH

BACKGROUND OF THE I VENTION

L ¾1d of l-b.e ln^n &n

in general, the present invention is a composition, system and method of creating and using whole algae as a food supplement for animals. The algae are high in -omega :1s DBA aad or EPA (and other constituents) m relation to total fats, and are suitable for eatde and bison's digestive system. The resulting meat with high DHA and EPA provides a superior beef with heart healthy properties and other healthy properties ior the consume^'?.

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There is a current recognition of die diverse bent-fits of algae as a susiHti nai snppk-rnerst. a potential bio fuel, and wKh some ies; huoiogi.es fox growing as a means to capture excess or un wanted COz. The field of algae growth, harvesting and processing is burgeoning and hundred,} of millions of debars are being invested into this industry, mostly airmx! at iden iiying the most promising strains of aigac for biohad and developing prototype euitivauon facilitie for their grow h,_. Additionally., wtore recently, a!g e growers are focusing on growing algae high in Omega 3^"s and to process die algae into its constituents, with the Omega T being of very high value aad then producing bsoiuei with, ibe eg ining rats, and having a residual for other eonstitaents including a byproduct animal feed high in rotein. Algae may someday achieve the garne changing ability to eonven renewable sunlight Into transportation luef

Sustamabie ixans onaiion fuel was the hope underlying com based ethanol but the reality is that fcoergy yields from corn arc too low,, while th« se of prime cr land to grow ethaaoi feedstock has crowded our agricultural system .

A lgae is «eiUT ^s3 most basic photosynthesis organism. Some algae consume wafer, sunlight an carbon dioxide (CO;) to produce sugars. Those suga s; and educed high- nergy compounds e entually produce the l ids,; which can be readily processed into biotuel that ¾an he used in place ofdiescl fuel Corn grown.on America^'s best idrml nd can. yield less thaa 200 gallons per acre of bioeihanoi. Experts agree that aigae can yield snore than 25 times the energy densit ni Tom --clea ed bioiuci; aigae grown on an acre of wast lan { requiring only decent sunlight) can yield an here between 2,000 and 7,080 gallons oi^'bioiue! per year. Algae- may be a bio fuel competitive with diesel oil priced at ST00 to S3.00 per gallon if lgae can be fonrsd or made to grow faster, or she algae can be modified geaedeaUy to refine fee! such as gasoline, winch is then -excreted through die cell wad of the algae so it does not have so be ocesse . However. algae,, which is heterotrophic, can use organic carbon, sources. |ri s e water, such as sugar unde tennentaiion, or glucose, as a substitute ior sucHghh or in addition to sunlight. This patent ibeusses on hit; growth of such heterotrophic algae ior use as an aaimal iced supplement, because there are now available techniques for growing such algae that are much leas expensive than former methods. While this growing technique d s not directly use C02 from power plant and ethane 1 plant emissions, there is C02 removed from, the atmosphere by the pkmt. sugar cane, which uses the CO? (from power plant or ethanol plant emissions) in the photosymhetic process. The heieroiho_.ph.ie algae also commonly have silica cell wails making less likely to break, in the rumen, and leave the omega 3d; intact when released in die small intestine-.

There are two groups of essentia! lady acids, Omega-3 tatty acids and Omega-6 fatty acids. mega-3 duty acids are found naturally in the oil oiToki-wmer fislo such as nnrokcrei , salmon, s r ines anchovies and tuna, or a extracted oi l irom..plants, such as flaxseed, canola (rapeseed). or soybean. Examples of Oniegs-3 fatty acids include docosahcxaeaoie acid (DHA), eicosapeotenok acid ⁽ BP A) and al ha i^'mofenic acid (ALA). Of bey importance, the; Omega d; EPA. and i iA are found: in large ianoitnts only in c f -vtater ilsh, nd not in )Und anhnaia or seeds, Hence, to obtain large smonnts of ERA and DiiA, . amans need eat oily f¾h or lake oil suppterneats, which are .made from fish or .from the al ae thai form the base of the food chain ibt fish. ALA. hi contrast, is found abundantly In eeds such <JS flax. Omega-3 bnty acids yre linked to a wide variety of beneficial health, effects in documented iniefveabon studies as essentia! constituents of cel ls., especially brain cells, nerve ceils, retina, adrenal glands, and e roductive colls. Long chain Omega--3 polyunsaturates- (PUFA's) such as DHA&EPA are thoug t to have health benefits tor the heart, skin, and immune system and help regulate irdiarenia ory diseases, at tention deficit^' disorders and m¾nf develo ment There are also a umb r of rse studies underway that suggest benefits m preventing Alxheimer^'s, dementia, colorectal cancers, and rednaing deaths due ιο. heart disease.

t ere have bees a number of patents granted outlining the benefits rom speci ik: Omega fatty acids resent in food and/or supplements. Several patent have also been granted for the enrichment of foods i l are normall low or debeleru in Osnega- /h and PU FA's. For example, U.S . Pat. No, 5,932,257 { Wright et ah) relates to DMA being produced in arw's milk throug t h feeding of cold-wate llsrnn al to cows, using a feather meal based lead sapplement. The leather rneai used according to this priyr ar reference is used as an inhibitor of microbial degradation, of DHA In the mrnan of the dairy cattle. U.S. Pat. os. 4.91.1 .944 and! 5.290,573 also disclose the use of feed supplements confining hshmeai combined whit snirarb by-products e.g. leather meal, bone r;ioai and the like. A number of patents have also beer; granted for the eievaiiori of

Omega-3 ro eggs isin flax meal or algae/DHA feed supplements in chickens.

la terras of algae, (DilA fermented eoncenmnesy ihcse feed and .food mixes arc produced via genetic recombination technology, which has lim t d consumer favor n mast .mark s. Prior t feed formulas have a numbe-r of deficiencies on a practical sis. For exa le, fish ea! fi ather meal feed supplements sre very mmaiatabje and an ba foeding deterrent to. livestock such as cows, and only limited amounts of DMA. can be achieved n i e milk. Also, the use of animal by-products, i.e., blood meal/ieaiher meal, have been banned in most countries to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.

There is a need in the art tor feed supplements capable of ele ating the mour;! of fatty acids in beef The above discussed iimi&nkms in the prior an is not imen ed to be exh ust ve. The current invention. rovides a solution not currently found, in the known art.

SUMMARY OF^' THE INVENTION

in view of the foregoing disadvantages in erent in the known t pes of algae food ¾opp'emen» the .present invention provides a new and improved effective ¾lgae based^' food supplem nt for beef cattle and or buffalo where the prior at fails, As such, the general u se of thfc present fo vemi oa, which wil l be described s bsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new ami i mproved tneihod of creating <¾a algae based food supplement and means to reduce CO> which has ah the advantages of the prior art an&ti ne of the disadvantages.

To attain this, the present, invention essentially comprises a system and method f r taking commonly available carbohydrates such as sugar, which consume C02 in the atmosphere, and feeding it. i o algae. The invention also cultivates algae for a specific use. and feeds it to cattle n proving She cardiovascular health of the beef consumer ^'by increasing specific Omeg&-3 polyunsatt 'ated .tarty acids (PUFAs.) in the nuscie t ssue of beef.

it is further contemplated die invention ma he utilised for the genera! feeding of other an imals, such bnt. not limited lo both do. it contemplated that buffido may he used a hvestockrfor meat.

There has thus been o l med. rather broadly, the more important teatmss of the inventionn order that the detailed description thereof thai fol lows may ho better understood and in order that the present contribution, to the art may be better appreciated. There a e. of course, additional features of the hwemion that wil l be described hereinafter ami which will form the subject ma iter of the claims appended hereto.

I n this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of he invention in detail , it is to be understood drat the invention i not. ^'.Limited m this application to the details of oonsiraciiotp ;ro'angement of the components, . and amounts thereof set forth i the following description . The mveation is le of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out. in various ways. Also, ti ls to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are or the pispose.of descripiioB. and should not be retarded ay limiting. As such, thos skilled in the art will appreciate thai the conc-t-ption upon wjneh xhis disclosure- is based may rea ily be utilized as a baas for i a designing of other compositions, methods, sad systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important. therefore, that die claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and co e of the present invention.

Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the engineers and practitioners m the art who are not knniiiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of t e application. The a^'bsitaci is neither intended, to define the invention of the application, hich is measured by the claims, nor is it encoded to be hunting as to the scope of the invention hi any way.

H is an object of the present inve tion to provide a ne and improved method and system to create and. rise an algae based food supplement tor but not b odied to beef cattle.

Still, another object of the present invention is t -provide a new and improved algae food supplement winch provides el! of the advantages of the prior art. white a nuitaneoasiy overcoming some of the disadvantages normally associated therewith.

Yet another object of the present invention s to provide a ew a d improved method and system for new aad ixpnrqvcd. algae and aigae food suppieamra that Is eomioeriually avai lable such that public awareness is garnered and environmental unpn-vea uu is created h; reyyrds to An v n further object of the resent inveutioni is to provide ·& new and hn roved food stmpie ent that provides the benefit of0mega-3 to the consumer vv fc the ability to eat red meat which is far healthier than conventional red meat having a moderate or high degree of marbling, because heart healthy om g 3^?s counteract the negative heah^'h consequ nces of saturated tats present in the meat.

Still^' sut ve urtber object of the present inventkm is to provide m optimal yield .rate of aigae growth, approximately 25% or more of Oraega~b DBA a d or EPA composition in harvested aigae. approximately 50% of totai tin in the aigae, a consi tent teedloi weight gain of 3 lbs/day per animal meeting industry standards., an increase of i O to 20 limes the healthy Oraega-3 DHA an EPA in beef ready to market, and a possibly decrease of saturated fats io beef ready for .market.

U is still further an objec of the present im^rruen to provide a new and im roved -method and syste.ni to create and use an aigae based food su lement for emtio and buffalo for producing a better heart healthy food product from the- cattle ami b fibio or to general iy feed and nourish eatue nd hui^'ihlo.

It is further contemplated the invention, may be utilized for the general feeding of other animals, -such as hot: not limited to buffalo, it is contemplate that hufldlo may be used a livestock fs.>r .meai.

It Is a further nvention of this produce to tnodi y the traditional modern feedlot oo posibon substantially by reducing roikd corn and substituting_, vvhs.it or barley with much lowvr fat content to then, allow much higher am unts of aigae to bo fed the cattle without suppntsstng iho total feed intake of the cattle due io too rm%b fat. In. addition, red eb rg corn lowers Omega 6, which H believed to be too high in the .red meat diet resultin in arterial In {lamination and illness.

These, together with other objects of the invention, along with the va ious features of novelty, which characterise the invention, are pointed out wuh particularity in die claims annexed to and fonnihg a pari of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages, md she specific objects attained by its uses, re/erence should he had to the accom anying descriptive laatter in which there are illustrated preferred etubodki-euts of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PICTORIAL ILLS^TI TTO S,

GRA HS, DRA INGS, .AND APPENDICES

The mvesitio.0. wi.H be belter understood and objects ovhvt ibao those set forth above il; be me apparent when consideration s given to ite fallowing detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed pictorial illustrations, graphs., dry-wings, and isppendic s.

Figure i is generally a graphics! representation of c ac-oritration of fatty acids pes' gram tissue.

DETAILED l)ESC. IFTiO:

In a preferred embodime t; the composition generally com ises algae as a food suppiemem for atanu s sooh ¾s but not limited to beef o it. It is a furth r object of th r sent invention to pro ide a new and improve.! method and system to create unu use an aigne bas d food supplement for ani als such as bus n limited to buffalo, cattle, ami other meat sources for ■human consum tion that is more heart^■ ealthy as i iirthei' described heiosv.

It is nders ood that trie following description ov^' stud co»por»e-nt§ is not limited to e aer percemages, qoandties. or ingredients aod that it is understood equivalent ingredients known in d;e art may be substituted or added. The eurreut invention con emplates a unique aigae-based cable feed production system that will resnlt in the commercial production uf cattle .feed what healthier fat content that may also include the capnne and disposable of CC f om power generation.

There are more than aO.OvO cttitivsxs identified and CcUtdogasd i¾ date. The curreui iuveuti n may utilize some specific cuhi yms of algae that readily produce high levels of DHA li ids, DoqosaltDnaeonic Ac d (DHA) a π-^'ί Fatty Acid (PUPA) has been associated with decreasing levels of cardiovascular disease, atherosclerosis, mfi&mmaliom. arthynuma, and circulating triglyceride levels while increasing ne rai development and visutd acuity ; National Academy of Sciences, 2002; Knnpp et al. 2003). These lipids can be either extracted from the .harvested algae, or the harvested algae can be eonde.os.ed into a slurry, or can be dried aud can be red whole, directly to cattle. The specifie .aigae aa!hvar chosen becomes an ingrediem ia the total eeding process for the cattl e nod it will resiilt in the development of increased DHA and eieosaperUaenoie acid, EPA, poly en satur ted tats in the finished beef The current invention may utilize ( 1 ) a ouhbvar that produces high levels of DHA and or RPA; arxi (2) a growing environment (algae f rm/bio reactor) thai includes feeding the sigac with a c&rbot s u ce carbohydrate (such as sugar) This aig&e rowth system raax½¾ br.es akae growth and the production of the o e a 3^'s in the maximum amounts and grows it at r lativeiy

This Invention does not include the technology for growing the algae Itself. That technology is developed and aten ed by others. This invention c hoses the algae to be grown m the aigae growing system, especially for its ability both lo produce high omega 3's and also to have a tough cell wail which will allow the algae Co protect the om.ega 3\s as the algae transits ihe rumen into the small intestine. Also this invention employs the whole aigae in. a feeding protocol which maximizes the intake of omega 3^"s. while it does not .suppress; the total feed In lak , and doss not educe the commercially ideal average daily gain of t e cattle In the thee! yard.

It is contemplated that it is desirable to achieve not oaiy sufficient growth ra es nd high kvefs of j¾eoverabfe hit content in the algae "eropT. but relatively high percentages of polyunsaturated hits i n relation lo total fats. The saturated hits are not useful in producing Omegahhs in cattle, but reduce the total feed intake if total tats reach approximately 8% of the total idea intake. A goal is to .feed large amounts of algae containing large amounts of DHA and or hPA without reducing food intake to mai ta n industr s ta dards of dal ly weigh; gain in the cattle of about 3.5 ibs day These .success fecton? depend in turn upon ths selection of the best algae of which there are thousands of exi tin candidates and more being genetically engineered and. the performance of the algal growth with a bioreaolor environment. It is cont m late thai the current invention may utilize algae strains found in the current ^•art. t is also -contemplated that the current invention may uti iz sew and non-pdor an a!gae strains with the desired eharacicristics. It is still furthe contemplated the current mvention may «se whole, not ^rocessed, ss!gae as a &etl for cattle and bison, as feeding Omega- 5^!s directly; ihat is without the protection of ihc Omega- IPs by the ceil wad h¾:in the ram n, is not su tabl for the digestive sy tem of cattle which other ise destroys the polyunsaturated fats_., rendering dmro un-use-fui lor absorption ia the small intestine^' .ad depositing Omega 3d; in tire ad inu o f the meat.

One embodiment may dewater the algae to about 1.8% and deliver the wh e unprocessed algae miediaiely to a nearby iced yard for npixing with the modi fied iecd radon. Whole algae may also be dried and fed directly to eauie for a source of protein, carbohydrate, and lipids.

Ilk also contempl ted growing a very particular kind or algae with ^ap ro ate environmental growing conditions ud g nutrition and stress protocols thai e hance the existing but omierublmed genetic- proclivity of the aigac strain to maximize high value Pii FA 's i poi riosamrated fatty acids) containing the Omega- fatty acids DRA and. EPA. ^'These PUPA algae can be used whole/dried and ox wet an rrased direedy with die caitie iced. Feed with such shows d ie ability of cattle to ingest and incorporate the ΌΗΛ nd EPA into the marbling fat of the meat, or into the muscle cod wails, or imo the interior nf the muscle cells, transforming the beef into a new form of "healthy beef⁵, which may improve the heart health and^' cetnral nervous system of the consu er, if is eoniempla ed the current im-ention may ut lize di ferent dosa es, dmnat of feed, amnum deposition rates ana deposhiou positsoe ■H is contemplated to uhfizc an algae having a cuKw-;r with fcig OmegadTs ami a ro riate cell wail. The ceil a!is-o micro algae can natoraiiy be composed of wry ifferent materials aid having ey different degrees of digestibility in the normal rumen of cattle, whch is highly acidc and the small, intestine, which Is highly basic, it is contemplated to utilize an algae hic roduces, a cell wall thai is not digestible in the rame-n, where the Omega- 3^*s nside are protected iro s hy ragenaticat d ring digesi n, but the cell w ll does break ·¾ " e small intestine, releasing the Omega- 3^'s. I effect, the ap ro riate cell ll behaves like a time release capsule.

Now referring, generally to the figures and moe in particular to figure I . he graph gene ll shows the increase of EPA una MA with three alternate teed rations of no rdgae, modes algae, an rich algae. The data was obtained with iced emonstrati ns at Oklahoma State Uni ersity, The denaortsttiiit ns used it commessiaOy vaiable product, Martek. GOLD, which is particularly high in DMA and not high in EPA,_: The demunstratkms gemrally utilized a mix of dry algae to mo ifed mixtures of typical cattle feed rations and provided a suceessibl tio eiysio-i of the high depositions of BPA and DMA into the nmscle ami bit yithin the muscle of beef cattle.

It is also contemplated that the current invention may provide algae teed rations without compromising the average daily weight gain of the cattle, a the daily gain of cattle roust be as good a;; with non-algae ratio-is. to produce the desired outcome of not signincanuy increasin the total cost of the fatly ted steer,

b is known in the industry to provide algae for some ther .end products . Btglv valoe algae particularly conttutbng bi gh amounts of DHA al gae have been commercialized -by Martek Biosciences based In ilaiinttore, MD. The Martek algae contain the right ceil wall ark! the right artauaus σ.Η)ΗΑ bat are heterotrophic, meaning hey are ed sugar, and the groo in and eoniairane-ni s stem is expensive, making the product very ex e si e. Their products are markete to egg production and infant baby formulas and many other products. It is contemplate the current invention may be utilized with heterotrophic- production systems which arc much Lower in cost than Martek's s s em

While the current price of heterotrophic Maitek. algae is $ 19.000 per ton. it ejec ed t st^'other systems may produce the requisite algae ior $3,000 to $4000 per ton, ^'Th value of algae ior beef i much greater than for biodieset rendering, this use of algae more economies.! in the near ternu

Docosahexneonk Acid (DBA), an n-3 Ihhytntsatorated Fatty Acid (PUPA) has been associated with decreasing levels of cardiovascular disease, atherosclerosis, infiaunnauors, arrhythana, arid circulating triglyceride leve while increasing «<sumi d vtJo m^ot and visual acuity (National Academy of Sciences, 2002; Knapp et aL 20031 Until now, DHA .has been scereed from ^'fish oil fislnneaL fresh fish and algae. It is contemplated that the enrrcm invention u ry use a ou fe ds for- cattle to increase the proportion of healthy to unhealthy tat in then: UnarblingU Increased ieveis of DB A in cattle leeds has been shows to additionally ioerease the l els oi oorauaated llrrokic and vaceenic acids in ruminant fat; unsaturated atty acids are also implicated in enhanced h man health bene fits

Toe ntarioot for algae as cattle iced is also potentially uge, it -would take the daily roiiw -ou of 200,000 pounds to supply the teedtct cattle fir the "natural Beef market (withoni hormonal or aevraotie chemicals), Another aOt K!O pounds per day would su ply algae to catiie destined ior the white tablecloth market. And 20,000,000 pounds per day would be needed to supply the wore tharslO, 000.000 cattle in U .S. iced yards in the Corn Beit from the Texas Panhandle to South Dakota.

The current invention contemplates the utilization of a system wherein the Iocatirm of algae growth fac lity, and or cattle are optimized wiih s preferred embodiment iocatlng the algae- growth iheihty. and f¾s?diaf for the cattle m s c a manner that no roce sing or drying ia needed. and no or little trarssponatior; is needed be vveeo same.

it is comern plated, to produce Omega.-3 rich algae feed for beef castle which ^'in torn results in a potentially healthier meat product containing higher l vels .of protective fats and lower levels- of unhealthy saturated &ts s the market standard.

In & · preferred errabo rient, an array of algae growing facilities will, be located close to the f edlytjs. The close location will boih nhnimize transportation e penses and allo for the algal slurry, e Mato a 20:80 a igac-wator mixture, to be delivered directly to Iced cattle without drying it first. This arrangement may serve as aa efficient design .model, lor the commercial aigae-ted cattle industry, .It is also^' co templated th algae will be dewatered to a ratio of 18% aigac by weight for easy pumping tmd cost-effective, trucking to a teed yard tor the cattle. His contem lated that avoiding the cost of drying the aigac wi ll reduce coats arid.

processing time. The a!gae/svater mixture may be sprayed on the primary cattle feed in the "bunk^"' as a top dressing, or H may be mixed, as is customary, in the feed truck itself to provide a uniform algae/fecd mixture.

a prefeved ambodirnen of the invention, whole algae may be added immediately to typical bit! adjusted caale feed rations io optimize the average daily gain- of the cattle at aboot 3 pounds per day. The concept of feeding algae to cattle only for its eaioiic food value io the cattle itself or io improve the health e-f the cattle Itself is not unique. However, the concept of feeding- algae to can in to shin the marbling let from saturated fa to polyunsaturated tats or to produce -more polyunsaturated tats in the muscle issu unique.

Pi Cs« fj nxxhgrade algae, high in Omega-3 DI 14, s ex ensi e ($ 19,0(50 pet' ion) aad Vitus .not practical to i eti animate in large quantities. Thf current invention contemplates producing algae containing DiTA and EPA O cgs-B's at S3, 00 per ton. Th s will allow a uni e cauls feeding program resulting in substantially reduced saturated iats and an increase

With algae fed beef, the current invention contemplates ten times or mo of Omega»3 ' s and substantia] reduction of saturated iats. It s further contem lated the health benefits of reducing saturated fats and increasing unsaturated Iats with Οτηο¾ --3^'% will attract consumers to the product who will pa a premium, which is not expected to be m re t ars 10 percent above iiiandit d beef and is less expensive than beef th no antibiotics and no honnoaai oooioets. er than organic beef ^"i ire price of existing niche beef which is sold as e^' iea^'khy bee:^", is as ranch as twice the price oi^' regular commercial beef This very high price is likel due to the ver low sales olumes nd inefficiencies of the producers. At tins time, the price of beef free of chemical residuals ftorn antibiotics or hormonal implants is SS.00 higher than comparable beef The cost of algae supplement, is predicted to add about S.40 l the wholesale cost of . beef

Λ esule feeding demonstration has proven the concept that aigae can. beded to cattle and the meat can contain high amounts o.fOmega^»3 DHA and EPA, such as ate available otherwise so. salt-water white fish. Algae was utilized front the ar ek. Curporalitm that bad high Omega-3. The Omega-3 o!^' iviarlek is about 56% lipids ( fat) of which about half or 24% of ihe a!g e weight ts RA wawt itsg is KPA .

it is noteworthy that Omega-3's cannot be fed to cattle direedy, such as thorn fish oil in ibgh quantities, but can be led the Ornega- oh; in aigae. In previous feeding trials by others, b was determ ined that feeding cattle fish oil containing Omega-irs depressed mm en function. in the cattle's rumen hydrogenaie the Omega-3's polyimsatunded fatty acids into saturated .fats so thai the i¾h oil could not supply unsaturated fats in the small intestine where the could be absorbed. In contrast, {fje current invention utiiw.es algae that have cell wa l that has a natural advantage. The cell wall is not as readily and as mpidJy broken down t the rumen. More o hbe algae eel] is transmitted to ibs duodenum intact where the pH change and igest v enzymes break down the algae releasing the Omega-3\s-to he absorbed in the small intestine, like valuable O ega-3.'s n d to be microencapsulated, in order to be absorbed iritaet. The algal cuhivars of the current embodiment will feed to cattle have the Omega-3^*s microencapsulated naturally. Hence, the algae provide a natural food supplement to improve the heaii hiness of beef.

h is also eoraempUaed to utilize different types of eultivar selection programs^' to develop more eHieieat and efteeuve ^" seeds^" tor use in ieedia caiUe. A variety of spec es from multiple algal, divisions, classes, order, families, gevi ra and species ma he xitUfeed. Optimal culture patterns ma use a variety of potential cuitivars picked ibr their growth rates, nutrition profi les, or production of unique secondary metabolites. Initial lab efforts by a DOB landed, project in A zon resulted In the down-selection of a ¾w potential cullivars that. ere stihsequentiy grown in large outdoor e tiivators, A summary of those strains ho estimated and potential for use are illustrated in below. Afgas S ecks 1227 :.7 i

Cuttwmg Period ( 2«υ 40

K :(g/;r:2/d.}

t ;

Grow!h i¾ 26 29 ^

Te&stVokmie

H;ii've <:;K)vc:

P««\; il.) 122,500 ! 8,?00 3.^";5e>00

Culture Temp ·^;·) p;- .P

ft is contemplated t ntifec algal cuhiva* based on selection criteria that extend beyond biological parameters and may include ds ability to be harvested, run poi d, and proceed. Alth ugh these dianicteristics may be secondary to utilizing a cuitivar rhst grows rapidly, prcdttc.ing^'alg«¾ th t can be filtered easily or settle naturally may greatly reduce harvesting operational expenses, winch can av a significant effect on the euHivar selection process.

Potential cuitivar candidates characteristics may include high nx1¾ciic rates, ccatxndates significant amounts- of oil under the correct corsdi ions and. cast partiall sdtio without any energ or chemical input aad are not genetically rnodllled or enhanced, la a ptefered e>chodi;;:rr species ma consist of 1^■■$% lipids vykh d;e understanding ot^'her culmxing conditions ; in the iarge-scule euHuring systems may accumulate up to at least 40% of the biosnasa as exte able lipid. A pre teed embodiment ma row nanoochlofopsis with 39% lipids of which % was EPA. Other preferred embodiment may be XolieUa ni rtica a ei;ryi¾ me (0-35 ppt) and eurytiiennal (0-60° oP) alga, which tri e !ow-iight condltious. Additionally Ch reiia xac-f x/ p U repr sents mother potential winter species..Although a global genus, roaay ChloreHa are found its watrs of 40° F (night) to 65° F (day). Some

CktvnUa varieties have a high Ome a-? fatty acids and. astaxant in (pigment) canfetft.

The current invention contemplates ut liking an algae snoh ¾s a articula schizoehyirmm wish similar c nstituents to DBA GOLD TM from. ARTEK also known as M^'ARTE GOLD. Generally, the total m ay be 56% arid th ercentage of fat that is DHA and EPA may generally be 44%. it is understood that DBA GOLD TM is a fermentation product and due to ahc ha cteristics of The producing orga ism. some variability ia the stttrftkmaj values li! be observed from -lot to lot. The baste components ig/1.00) w be out ;s not limited to .moisture 2.03, proid 6.66. crude fther 4.5, ( 8.81, crude (at 55:57, and carbohydrates (by subbT; 12.43, The minerals in the algae (g/100) may he bu is not .limited to calcium 0.03. sadium 2.3d , potassium 0. 1, magnesium 0, 1 i, and phosphorus 0.13,

^'The fatty a id profile (%F.FA) may be but is not limited to:

.12:0 -Laurie 0.3

l4:0---'Myr½1ic S,5

i5:0-Pcntadecauole 0.3

16:0 Palmitic 23.2

^'18:0- Stearic 0.S

24:0-Lignoceric 0.9 iS.3n& - O^*gnol. «ic 0.4

18: n3 ·- Oeiadecatetrawoate 0.4

20: n6 - .Momoganjma!aoicic ί.5θ

20:3n3 -ΈΡΛ L9

22:5n6 - O.PA 17.7

22:6n3 ■-DHA 423

The ..amino acid profile (g/l OOg) may be but is not limited to:

Tryptophan 0.1

Aspartio Acid T2S

Threonine 0M

Serine. 0.49

C¾rtamic Acid 3.86

Proline 0,50

Glycine 0.60

Alanine 0.70

Cystine: DA ?

Valine

Methionine 0.27

I so leucine 0.37

Leucine 0,66

Tyrosine 0.29

Phenylalanine 0.42

Hi^'stidme 0.22

Lysine (total) 0.42

Arginuie .1 .48

The vitamin content may be but is not limited to:

Biotin 0.38 O:g/t00g-

Cho!line 2.20 mg/!QOg

Folic Acid i .28 mg/lO^'Og

Niacin 5.7S6 mglOOg

Vitamin Λ into rednol 440 1.1/ HKlg

8e .i aroten 6,440 iO/iOCig

VssnmiBl thiamine !dC! 2.81 mg/!00g

Vitamin 132 riboflavin 3.1.5 mg/.U)0g

Vitamin 86 pyridoxins .1.90 g/lOOg

Vimmin C ascorbic acid 14.1 O^'sg-1 OOg

Vitamin U alpha tocopherol < 0.7 i^'U/!00g

Vitamin Bid eyanocobaismiri 93,6 ue/IOOg

Pa tothenic! acid 5. 3 mgHDOg

It is understood that feed lots for such. animals as cattle attempt \o maximize t¾c eat on^' an animal while balancing the time spent on the fecx!lot with food intake and costs associated s hereof; it is typical that cattle would need apjaox iraaidhr about 5,5 »j 6.5 pounds of diet for an ammai to gain I poena assuming normal imlshmg diet. Alas, it is understood- thai the ani as do a enter m teed lot read! they already weigh 600 to 900 pounds. During that time, they consume mostly forage i ot to entering the feedlot. Most producers use forage because it s cheaper ^'and a good use of fiber that would otherwise not be harvested.

Cattle are normally kept oo tbe feedlot mm! for between 150 and 240 days. During this time period, they nuey pain 500 to 600 pounds. It is not unusual tor animals to arrive a- 7 to 9 months of age and receiv 100% grass feed: to hel «i¾iri &m rutnen health I r ihe first iota days, LX i icrcrJ ieedlois use di ferent types of .bod whereas some rations may be comprised of seven gfediems, including corn, soy, alfalfa, straw¹, and w ?t grain distillers that are byproduc s of the ethanol industry . These feeds range from 0% com to 75%· corn.

The typical steer arrives at the feedlul weighing approximately 800 pounds and on average, leaves 6 month !aiep having eaten 5,000 pou ds of feed to a n 60G pounds, in weight. Cattle are normally fed 25 pounds of grain nd small amounts of other constituents, b^'or commercial viability in the iced yard, the average cow must consume enough teed for a weight gain of approximately 3.5 pounds a day.

The current invention contemplates providing a maximum amount of algae, which, cow couki consume without suppressing vhe remainder of the feed intake and veiihoiu reducing the daisy gain as measured by pounds of body weight per day. In. s preferred embodiment a daiby intake of algae may contain approximately 2 % Omega-3\ D3HA and EPA in order to maximize the deposition: of Omegmd's in the marbling. It s also co tem late that optimum diet raay eliminate one of the normal constituents of pig i^'at and or redisced com and increase of algae, such as hut not limited to ΜΑΙΠΈ GOLD, to obtain the correct, choleric value of the total feed. It is contemplated that feeding coo much aigae may suppress the diet of the animal. By example, 2 pounds of arfek algae combined with the other ingredient and Ingested as above with a high amount of oil in the com resulted in ihe cov eating half its iotas teed Hsr the day and, r sulted in the cow not. gaining soiiieicut weight per day.

Λ pre i erred embodiment provides .8 to 1.0 pounds of Martek algae per day. It is contemplated ihe suppression of daily intake may be caused by m excess amount of tat in the diet, Bee caple reduce food intake by themselves when the tin composition of the feed exceeds ^'8%. Corn, the mai ingredient, in a fed lot ration,, ja 5,6% fat iviwn corn oil and dierefore kn a smali window of approximately 2% fat, which could be added by the algae without spn reying the diet One pound of algae, which, contained 50% fat, half saturated iat and half

poiyunsaitmUed fal, would contain approximately 2% fat by weight in the feedfot ration- The 2% in the algae plus she nearly 6% .fat in the corn totaled approximately 8% which is ie daily lim t, for beef cattle.

h is contemplated to utilize a new ieed!ot radon substdt ing heat and or barley for corn Whe or barley contain approximately 2% fat and can substitute for corn ^"for thohigh calorie carbohydrate in the ration. This leaves approximately 6% iat that could be added by the algae. ^'This would allow m additional 1 .5 pounds of tat, which would be present in 3 pounds of algae from Mattek, or 6 pounds, of ther possible algae, it is contemplated to substitute wheat or harfcy or corn and provides 4 pounds of algae rather titan 1 pound. Therefore, an ther preiened ernhodl eni may include utilizing barley nstead of and or with. corn, it is eontenplafed to utilize- 2 to 3 pounds of algae, such as but not limited to MARTE GOLD mi reducing the barley or wheat radon, slightly to maintain total caloric intake.

A preferred embodiment may include the use of algae without whole com. i> is con em la e to utilize wheal and care glutei wherein the total fat eontem is under 8% αηά around 6¾_; arid wherein the algae content is higher th&ri with whole com, which baa more o t ten corn oil. A preferred eniboditYKOt tnay contain wheat 56.5 %, corn gluten, iced 20.0 %. aha!b; hay loir 4,75 %_; prairie h y 5.0 %_t algae 7.5 %. wheat, rnidds t .0 %, urea 0,32 %, potassium chloride 0,3 , lir.oesi.ooe at 38% 1 .65 %, salt 0,25 %, man a us oxide 0 0(52 %, zm^' c stOiate 0.015 %,. magnesium oxide 0.10 ¾. vitamin a-3Q,00Q 0.004 ¾„ vitamin <e>-50% 0.0022 , corn dent No. 2 2.5 /67%, rumemki 90 0.0.188% , and t iaodO 0.0 i 13%. It Is un ers od that the amount may be app*x>x¾»ate ami the mvmnioa ni«y or may rsoi include ail the yams dements.

ft is therefore contemplated to provide a method far incr asing the omega-3 highly unsa r te latiy acki content of meal t human consumption comprising feeding algae to cattle and or buftaJo vitlioui suppressing the enmmder oidhe ieesi i r&ke of said oattk and without reducing the daily gain as measured by pounds f body wei h per day of said cattle and. or buffalo wherein said algae com r es an omega- 3 ansatumicd -fatty acid content f about 25% percent of total weight s an. effective amount to increase the content of omega-3 highly unsaturated fatty acids in. said bee

Furthermore, it is contemplated the method may utilize n omega-3 unsat rat d fatty acid content of about 24 pe ent DTLA, and ot about 2 perce&f EPA. or with higher ratios of EPA to DBA. The effective amount is abottt 0.8 to 1 .0 pounds of said aigae p r day,

Λ. manber of ini pie utabam have been described, herein. Nevertheless, it svill be understood that various modifications may be made. Accordingly, other Implementations are i hin the sco e of the following claims. han es may be made in the combinations, operations, arid arrangements of ihe various steps, el ments, and amounts described herein without departing f om the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A method for increasing omega-3 highly unsaturated fatty acid content in beef for human consumption which comprises feeding to cattle, without suppressing the remainder of feed intake of said cattle and without reducing daily gain of said cattle measured by pounds of body weight per day, an effecti ve amount for increasing the level of omega-3 highly unsaturated fatty acid content in the beef of an algae having a high level of Omega-3 fatty acids and a cell wall that is not digestible in the rumen of cattle.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the algae is Schizochytr iu .

3. T e method of claim 2 wherein the effective amount of the Schizochytrium is between about 0.8 and about 1.0 pounds per day with corn.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the effective amount of the chizochytrium is between about 2 to about 3 pounds per day with wheat or barley.

5. A method for increasing omega-3 highly unsaturated fatly acid content in beef for uman consumption, consisting essentially of feeding to cattle, without suppressing the remainder of feed intake of said cattle and w ithout reducing daily gain of said cattle measured by pounds of body weight per day, an effective amount for increasing omega-3 highly unsaturated fatly acid content in the beef of a Schizochytrium; corn; and at least one ingredient selected from the group consisting of soy, alfalfa, straw and wet grain distillers.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the effective amount is between about 0.8 and about 1.0 pounds per day.

7. The method of claim 1 for increasing omega-3 highly unsaturated fatty acid content in beef for human consumption wherein the effective amount of the Schizochytrium is between about 2 to about 3 pounds per day.

8. The method of claim 3 wherein the com comprises corn gluten.

9. The method of claim 4 wherein the Schizochytrium comprises about 25% by weight of omega-3 unsaturated fatty acid.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the beef comprises beef cattle.

1 1 . A method for increasing omega-3 highly unsaturated fatty acid content n beef for human consumption which comprises feeding to cattle, without suppressing the remainder of the feed intake of said cattle and without reducing daily gain of said cattle measured by pounds of body weight per day, an effective amount for increasing the level of omega-3 highly unsaturated fatty acid content in the beef of an algae having a high level of Omega-3 fatty acids and a ceil wall that is not digestible in the rumen of cattle, and at least one member selected from the group consisting of corn, wheat and barley.

12. The method of claim 1 1 wherein the algae is a member selected from the group consisting i^'Ch r Ua saccharaphila, Kaiieila atitartic and schizochytrsurn,

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the beef comprises buffalo.

1 . The method of claim 3 1 wherein the effective amount of the algae is between about 0.8 and about 1 .0 pounds per day.

1 5. The method of claim 11 wherein the algae comprises an 80:20 mixture of algae and water.

16. The method of claim 1 1 wherein the effective amount of the algae is between about 2 to about 3 pounds per day.

17. The method of claim 1 which comprises cattle feeding said cattle in addition to the algae at least one member selected from the group consisting of corn, wheat and barley.

18. The method of claim 1 1 which comprises feeding corn to the cattle.

1 . A method for increasing omega-3 unsaturated fatty acid content in beef for human consumption which comprises feeding to a beef animal, without suppressing the remainder of the feed intake of said animal measured by pounds of body weight per day, an effective amount for increasing the level of omega-3 unsaturated fatty acid content in the beef of the animal an algae having a high level of Omega-3 fatty acids and a cell wail that is not digestible in the rumen of cattle, and at least one of corn, wheat and barley.

20. A method for increasing omega-3 highly unsaturated fatty acid content in beef for human consumption, wherein said method consists essentially of feeding to cattle, without suppressing the remainder of feed intake of said cattle and without reducing daily gain of said cattle measured by pounds of body weight per day, an effective amount of:

a Schizochytrium and

corn, and

wherein the effective amount of the Schizochytrhm is between about 0.8 and about 1 .0 pounds per day and omega 3 highly unsaturated fatty acid content is increased in the beef of said cattle.

21 . A method for increasing omega-3 highly unsaturated fatty acid content in beef for human consumption, wherein said method consists essentially of feeding to cattle, without suppressing the remainder of feed intake of said cattle and without reducing daily gain of said, cattle measured by pounds of body weight per day, an effective amount of:

a Schizochytrium and

at least one grain selected from the group consisting of wheat and barley, and wherein the effective amount of the Schizachytriiim is between about 2 to about 3 pounds per day and omega 3 highly unsaturated fatty acid content is increased in the beef of said cattle.

22. A method for increasing omega-3 highly unsaturated fatty acid content in beef for human consumption, wherein said method consists essentially of feeding to cattle, without suppressing the remainder of feed intake of said cattle and without reducing daily gain of said cattle measured by pounds of body weight per day, an effective amount of:

a Schizochytrium ;

corn; and

at least one ingredient selected from the group consisting of soy, alfalfa, straw and wet grain distillers, and

wherein the effective amount, of the Schizochytriu is between about 0.8 and about i .O pounds per day and omega 3 highly unsaturated fatty acid content is increased in the beef of said cattle.

23. A method for increasing omega- 3 highly unsaturated fatty acid content in beef for human consumption, wherein said method consists essentially of feeding to cattle, without suppressing the remainder of feed intake of said cattle and without reducing daily gain of said cattle measured by pounds of body weight per clay, an effective amount of:

a Schizo hylrium ;

corn; and

at least one ingredient selected from the group consisting of soy, alfalfa, straw and wet grain distillers, and

wherein the effective amount of the Schizoehytr an is between about 2 to about 3 pounds per day and omega 3 highly unsaturated fatty acid content is increased in the beef of said cattle.