EP4753474A1

EP4753474A1 - Method to improve fertility

Info

Publication number: EP4753474A1
Application number: EP24748942.0A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Shuen Ei Chen; Thau Kiong Chung
Original assignee: DSM IP Assets BV
Current assignee: DSM IP Assets BV
Priority date: 2023-08-03
Filing date: 2024-07-26
Publication date: 2026-06-10
Also published as: WO2025026912A1; WO2025026912A8; CN121548356A

Abstract

The present invention relates to the use of Vit-D3, 25-OH-D3 and/or 25-OH-D3 and Canthaxanthin improves fertility in birds, preferably poultry, more preferably layers. The present invention further relates to a method to improve fertility in birds comprising a feeding regime and a feed adapted to the age of the bird.

Description

Method to improve fertility

Background of the invention

The poultry food system is one of the largest and fastest growing food industries worldwide. It is estimated that more than 50 billion chickens are reared globally every year, for both eggs and meat (broilers). The poultry sector currently outcompetes other meat markets, and more than half of all the meat produced by 2025 worldwide is expected to be from chickens. Meeting the demands of such an expanding market presents a formidable challenge to fertility management for the poultry industry.

Fertility in poultry is governed by natural physiological processes, such as molting. Eggproduction is naturally decreasing toward the end of the first egg-laying phase. Molting involves the periodic shedding and replacement of feathers, as well as the stop of egg laying and resetting the bird's reproductive system to prepare the birds for the next laying cycle. Molting naturally occurs seasonally every year when the days get shorter, coinciding with egg incubation and the brooding of chicks in wild birds.

In a commercial setting, hens are housed in controlled environments with constant temperature and lighting, removing the seasonal influences that once naturally induced molting. However, egg-production is also decreasing toward the end of the first egg-laying phase. In commercial settings, some poultry industries may artificially provoke a flock to molt simultaneously, typically by stressing the animals by limiting food and sometimes also water for a period of time, to prepare the birds for the next laying cycle.

There is constantly growing need to ensure consistently high rates of fertility.

Summary of the invention

We found that dietary supplementation with Vit-D3, 25-OH-D3 and/or 25-OH-D3 and Canthaxanthin improves fertility in birds, preferably poultry, more preferably layers. Surprisingly, supplementation with Vit-D3 lead to better performance than 25-OH-D3 and/or 25- OH-D3 and Canthaxanthin, whereas supplementation with 25-OH-D3 and/or 25-OH-D3 and Canthaxanthin lead to better performance than supplementation with Vit-D3 after molting.

Supplementation with "25-OH-D3" and "25-OH-D3 + Cant" leads to faster ovary regeneration after molting compared to hens fed the control diet after molting.

Supplementation with "25-OH-D3" and "25-OH-D3 + Cant" improves egg quality and food safety by reducing bacterial contamination (E. Coli) and leads to stronger eggshell and stronger vitelline membranes and lower bacterial count on the eggshell surface compared to eggs from hens fed the control diet after molting.

Detailed Description

The present invention relates to a feed for poultry, preferably chickens, and more preferably layer hens, comprising Vit-D3, 25-OH-D3 and/or 25-OH-D3 and Canthaxanthin, wherein the amount of Vit-D3, 25-OH-D3 and/or 25-OH-D3 and Canthaxanthin is defined by the age of the animal.

The feed may be adapted to the life cycle of the animal to drastically improve performance of the animal, as well as egg quality and/or food safety. The feed may preferably be adapted for the animals before and during molting by supplementing with Vit-D3 and after molting by supplementing with 25-OH-D3 and/or 25-OH-D3 and Canthaxanthin.

The present invention relates to a use of Vit-D3, 25-OH-D3 and/or 25-OH-D3 and Canthaxanthin for improving performance in layer hens, egg quality and/or food safety.

The present invention further relates to a method of improving performance in poultry, preferably chickens, and more preferably layer hens, egg quality and/or food safety by feeding an animal a diet supplemented with Vit-D3, 25-OH-D3 and/or 25-OH-D3 and Canthaxanthin. The method may be adapted to the life cycle of the animal. The method may preferably be adapted for animals before and during molting by supplementing with Vit-D3 and after molting by supplementing with 25-OH-D3 and/or 25-OH-D3 and Canthaxanthin. The term "improving performance" according to the present invention preferably refers to improving daily egg production, Improved fertility, prolonged fertility, increase ovarian activity, improving ovary regeneration after molting, increasing ovary weight, increasing oviduct weight, increasing estradiol blood plasma levels and/or increasing vitellogenin blood plasma levels.

The term "egg quality" according to the present invention preferably refers to stronger eggshells and/or stronger vitelline membranes.

The term "food safety" according to the present invention preferably refers to reducing bacterial contamination. Said bacterial contamination preferably is contamination with E. Coli.

Canthaxanthin, Vitamin D3 and 25-hydroxy vitamin D3 are suitably administered together with the food. The term food as used herein comprises both solid and liquid food as well as drinking fluids such as drinking water. Particularly, inventive ingredients can be added as a formulated powder to a premix containing other minerals, vitamins, amino acids and trace elements which is added to regular animal food and thorough mixing to achieve even distribution therein.

In the manufacture of poultry feed in accordance with the invention, canthaxanthin, 25-hydroxy vitamin D3 and vitamin D3 are added to regular poultry food. Alternatively, a food premix may be prepared on the basis of regular food components by adding these active ingredients to such food components in higher concentration.

Definitions

Canthaxanthin: "Canthaxanthin" (Cant), according to the present is available under the Trademark CAROPHYLL®Red.

Basal diet: "Basal diet" or "basal feed" means that the feed used supplies the poultry with sufficient vitamins and minerals so that the poultry are vitamin and mineral replete.

Estrogen: Estrogen and progesterone are required to promote ovarian growth and health for prolonged egg production. Further, estrogen levels reflect the ovarian activity for functional reproduction. Molting: Molting involves the periodic shedding and replacement of feathers, as well as the stop of egg laying and resetting the bird's reproductive system to prepare the birds for the next laying cycle. Molting may occur naturally seasonally every year when the days get shorter, coinciding with egg incubation and the brooding of chicks in wild birds, known as "natural molting" or "natural condition", or be induced in controlled settings by stressing the animals by limiting food and sometimes also water for a period of time, known as "forced molting (FM)" or "induced molting". Evidence of molting includes interruption in the secretion of gonadotropin and the associated steroid hormone and redirecting the body's metabolic system towards thermoregulation and the replacement of feathers, which in turn, brings about regression of the reproductive organs (oviducts, ovaries and follicles) and the cessation in egg production. Stressful effects of molting manifest as lowered metabolic energy needs ad interrupted hormonal secretions. Preferably the time before and during molting is defined as up to and including week 72. Preferably the time after molting is defined as after week 72.

25-OH D: "25-OH D" or "25-hydroxyvitamin D" refers to any form of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (i.e. either 25-OH D2 or 25-OH D3, or mixes thereof). 25-OH D3, or 25-OH-D3, specifically refers to 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (also known as calcifediol, calcidiol, 25-hydroxycholecalciferol or 25- hydroxyvitamin D₃); 25-OH D2 specifically refers to 25-hydroxyvitamin D2. In a preferred embodiment, 25-hydroxyvitamin D is 25-hydroxyvitamin D3.

Poultry: The term "Poultry" means any domesticated fowl, including meat-producing, table eggproducing and fertile egg-producing chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, quail, and ostriches, preferably the present invention relates to poultry layers, preferably chicken layers. The term "animal" as used herein, also refers to poultry, preferably chickens, and more preferably layer hens.

ROVIMIX® Hy*D®1.25%: 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 is commercially available for example in the feed additive ROVIMIX® Hy»D®1.25% (also referred to as Hy»D). ROVIMIX® Hy»D®1.25% is a beige to brown fine powder that contains 12.5g/kg 25-OH-D3 as the active substance. One kilogram of ROVIMIX® Hy»D®1.25% also contains 37.5g antioxidant (authorized for feed use), 25g sodium ascorbate, 50g vegetable oil, 715g modified food starch, 150g maltodextrin and 10g silicon dioxide.

Vitamin D: "Vitamin D" means either Vitamin D2, Vitamin D3 or a combination. Vitamin D3 (also Vit-D3 or Vit D3) is preferred. The term "Vitamin D, or a derivative thereof" as used herein is meant to comprise Vitamin D2, Vitamin D3 or a combination, as well as 25-OH D, incl. 25-OH D2 and 25-OH D3, and 1,25-OH-D₃.

Vitellogenin: Vitellogenin (phospholipoglycoprotein) is an egg yolk precursor protein and produced by laying hens during egg production. It is secreted into the blood circulation and used as a mechanism to transfer nutrients via blood circulation to the egg yolk.

Embodiments of the invention

Embodiments of the invention can be summarized as follows:

1. A feed for poultry, preferably chickens, comprising Vit-D3, 25-OH-D3 and/or 25-OH-D3 and Canthaxanthin, wherein the amount of Vit-D3, 25-OH-D3 and/or 25-OH-D3 and Canthaxanthin is defined by the age of the animal.

2. The feed according to claim 1, wherein the feed is a feed for poultry, preferably chickens, before and during molting and wherein the feed is supplemented with Vit-D3.

3. The feed according to claim 1, wherein the feed is a feed for poultry, preferably chickens, after molting and wherein the feed is supplemented with 25-OH-D3 and/or 25-OH-D3 and Canthaxanthin.

4. A use of Vit-D3, 25-OH-D3 and/or 25-OH-D3 and Canthaxanthin for improving performance in poultry, preferably chickens, egg quality and/or food safety.

5. The use according to claim 4, wherein performance is selected from improving daily egg production, Improved fertility, prolonged fertility, increase ovarian activity, improving ovary regeneration after molting, increasing ovary weight, increasing oviduct weight, increasing estradiol blood plasma levels and/or increasing vitellogenin blood plasma levels.

6. The use according to claim 4, wherein egg quality is selected from stronger eggshells and/or stronger vitelline membranes.

7. The use according to claim 4, wherein food safety is reducing bacterial contamination.

8. The use according to claim 7, wherein the bacterial contamination is E. Coli.

9. A method of improving performance in poultry, preferably chickens, egg quality and/or food safety by feeding a poultry, preferably chickens, a diet supplemented with Vit-D3, 25-OH-D3 and/or 25-OH-D3 and Canthaxanthin.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the diet is supplemented with Vit-D3 for hens before and during molting.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein the diet is supplemented with 25-OH-D3 and/or 25-OH-D3 and Canthaxanthin for poultry, preferably chickens, after molting.

12. The method according to any of claims 9 to 11, wherein performance is selected from improving daily egg production, Improved fertility, prolonged fertility, increase ovarian activity, improving ovary regeneration after molting, increasing ovary weight, increasing oviduct weight, increasing estradiol blood plasma levels and/or increasing vitellogenin blood plasma levels.

13. The method according to any of claims 9 to 11, wherein egg quality is selected from stronger eggshells and/or stronger vitelline membranes.

14. The method according to any of claims 9 to 11, wherein food safety is reducing bacterial contamination.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the bacterial contamination is E. Coli.

Examples

Example 1: Natural Molting

Studying the effect of Vitamin D3, 25(OH)D3 and 25-OH-D3 + Canthaxanthin on performance of layer hens. 300 hens (HyLine Brown) were fed 4 different diets (Table 1) in supplementation to a basal feed from 12 weeks old until 110 weeks old.

Table 1 Diets

Supplementation with "Vit-D3", "25-OH-D3" and "25-OH-D3 + Cant" increases egg production compated to "control" fed hens (Figure 1 and 2).

Supplementation with "Vit-D3", "25-OH-D3" and "25-OH-D3 + Cant" improves ovary weight compared to "control" fed hens (Figure 3 and 4).

Supplementation with "Vit-D3" shows higher improvements in ovary weight compared to "25- OH-D3" and "25-OH-D3 + Cant" fed hens (Figure 3 and 4) before molting. Supplementation with "25-OH-D3" and "25-OH-D3 + Cant" shows higher improvements in ovary weight compared to "Vit-D3" fed hens (Figure 3 and 4) after molting.

Supplementation with "Vit-D3", "25-OH-D3" and "25-OH-D3 + Cant" improves oviduct weight compared to "control" fed hens (Figure 7 and 8).

Supplementation with "Vit-D3" shows higher improvements in oviduct weight compared to "25- OH-D3" and "25-OH-D3 + Cant" fed hens (Figure 7 and 8) before molting.

Supplementation with "Vit-D3", "25-OH-D3" and "25-OH-D3 + Cant" improves estradiol blood plasma levels compared to "control" fed hens (Figure 11 and 13).

Supplementation with "Vit-D3" shows higher improvements in estradiol blood plasma levels compared to "25-OH-D3" and "25-OH-D3 + Cant" fed hens (Figure 11 and 13) before molting. Supplementation with "25-OH-D3" and "25-OH-D3 + Cant" shows higher improvements in estradiol blood plasma levels compared to "Vit-D3" fed hens (Figure 11 and 13) after molting.

Supplementation with "Vit-D3", "25-OH-D3" and "25-OH-D3 + Cant" improves vitellogenin blood plasma levels compared to "control" fed hens (Figure 15 and 16).

Supplementation with "Vit-D3" shows higher improvements in vitellogenin blood plasma levels compared to "25-OH-D3" and "25-OH-D3 + Cant" fed hens (Figure 15 and 16) before molting. Supplementation with "25-OH-D3" and "25-OH-D3 + Cant" shows higher improvements in vitellogenin blood plasma levels compared to "Vit-D3" fed hens (Figure 15 and 16) after molting.

Example 2: Induced Molting

Studying the effect of Vitamin D3, 25(OH)D3 and 25-OH-D3 + Canthaxanthin on performance of layer hens. 300 hens (HyLine Brown) were fed 4 different diets (Table 2) in supplementation to a basal feed from 12 weeks old until 110 weeks old. At week 71 (Mid-April, 2020), molting was induced.

Table 2 Diets

6 freshly laid (within 30 min) eggs from each group, a total of 126 eggs per group, were used for bacterial contamination analysis every 2 weeks.

Table 3 Effect of Wit D3, 25-OH-D3 and 25-OH-D3 + Canthaxanthin on E. coll contamination incidence on eggshell surface

Based on Chi square analysis, Vitamin D3, 25(OH)D3 and 25-OH-D3 + Canthaxanthin produced significantly lower E. Coli contamination on eggshell surface (Table 3).

Table 4 Effect of Vit D3, 25-OH-D3 and 25-OH-D3 + Canthaxanthin on egg quality

25(OH)D3 and 25-OH-D3 + Canthaxanthin improve food safety by reducing bacterial contamination (with E. Coli) on eggshell surface and improve egg quality by strengthening the vitelline membrane and/or the eggshell (Table 4).

Supplementation with "Vit-D3", "25-OH-D3" and "25-OH-D3 + Cant" increases egg production compared to "control" fed hens (Figure 1 and 2).

Supplementation with "Vit-D3", "25-OH-D3" and "25-OH-D3 + Cant" improves ovary weight compared to "control" fed hens (Figure 5 and 6).

Supplementation with "Vit-D3" shows higher improvements in ovary weight compared to "25- OH-D3" and "25-OH-D3 + Cant" fed hens (Figure 5 and 6) before molting. Supplementation with "25-OH-D3" and "25-OH-D3 + Cant" shows higher improvements in ovary weight compared to "Vit-D3" fed hens (Figure 5 and 6) after molting. Supplementation with "Vit-D3", "25-OH-D3" and "25-OH-D3 + Cant" improves oviduct weight compared to "control" fed hens (Figure 9 and 10).

Supplementation with "Vit-D3" shows higher improvements in oviduct weight compared to "25- OH-D3" and "25-OH-D3 + Cant" fed hens (Figure 9 and 10) before molting. Supplementation with "25-OH-D3" and "25-OH-D3 + Cant" shows higher improvements in oviduct weight compared to "Vit-D3" fed hens (Figure 9 and 10) after molting.

Supplementation with "Vit-D3", "25-OH-D3" and "25-OH-D3 + Cant" improves estradiol blood plasma levels compared to "control" fed hens (Figure 12 and 14).

Supplementation with "Vit-D3" shows higher improvements in estradiol blood plasma levels compared to "25-OH-D3" and "25-OH-D3 + Cant" fed hens (Figure 12 and 14) before molting. Supplementation with "25-OH-D3" and "25-OH-D3 + Cant" shows higher improvements in estradiol blood plasma levels compared to "Vit-D3" fed hens (Figure 12 and 14) after molting.

Supplementation with "Vit-D3", "25-OH-D3" and "25-OH-D3 + Cant" improves vitellogenin blood plasma levels compared to "control" fed hens (Figure 17 and 18).

Supplementation with "Vit-D3" shows higher improvements in vitellogenin blood plasma levels compared to "25-OH-D3" and "25-OH-D3 + Cant" fed hens (Figure 17 and 18) before molting. Supplementation with "25-OH-D3" and "25-OH-D3 + Cant" shows higher improvements in vitellogenin blood plasma levels compared to "Vit-D3" fed hens (Figure 17 and 18) after molting.

Claims