GB2204776A - Process for producing vitamin K-enriched fowl egg - Google Patents

Description

2204776 Process for producing vitamin K-enriched fowl egg The present

invention relates to a process for producing a vitamin K-enriched fowl egg. More particularly, it relates to a process for producing a fowl egg containing vitamin K2 (menaquinone-4, which will be called "vitamin K211 hereinafter) optionally together with vitamin K1 in a high concentration.

Vitamin K, which promotes the synthesis of prothrombin in the liver, is 2 requisite nutrient for the human body. It is believed that vitamin K-deficient hemorrhage of an.infant is mainly caused by vitamin K poverty in breast milk. Therefore, nursing mothers should take an increased amount of vitamin K during pregnancy and lactation. In addition, vitamin K preparations may be administered to those suffering from hypoprothrombineMi2 accompanying hepatic disorders or the administration of cournarin anticoagulants, salicylic acid or antibiotics.

Vitamin K occurs in natural substances such as natto (fermented is soybeans), parsley, beefsteak plant or bovine liver. However, the contents thereof in these materials widely vary depending on the individual source.

Further it is difficult for a subject to take a large amount of these materials. Thus, conventional processes for supplying vitamin K include, for example, (1) injection of vitamin K2 or vitamin K1; or (2) administration of a syrup containing vitamin K2. However, neither of these conventional processes is wholly satisfactory, since the former might give rise to shock, while the latter is accompanied by the problem of the administration of a foreign substance to an infant.

Vitamin K2, which exerts the highest activity on the human body among the vitamin K homologs, is much more expensive than vitamins K1 and K3- On the other hand, vitamin K3 is somewhat toxic and is accompanied by, for example, hepatic disorders, though it is inexpensive.

Under these circumstances, the present inventor has attempted to overcome the problems as described above and consequently found that vitamin K3 given to a fowl may be converted into vitamin K2 which migrates to the fowl's eggs; and that some portion of vitamin K1 given to a fowl may be converted into vitamin K2 which migrates to the fowl's eggs together with residual vitamin K1.

Thus, in one aspec the invention provides a process for producing vitamin K-enriched fowl egg which comprises feeding a laying fowl with feed containing at least 10 pprn of vitamin K1 and/or vitamin K3.

In the present invention, vitamins K1 and/or K3 may be conveniently blended into a conventional fowl feed and then given to a fowl. In this case, the obtained feed should contain at least 10 ppm of either vitamin alone or both in total.

Although it has been proposed to add vitamin K3 homologs to fowl feeds to thereby promote the growth of fowls, these proposed feeds contained at most approximately 1.0 pprn of vitamin K3 homolog or vitamin K3 homologs. However, such a small amount of vitamin K3 would be consumed within the fowl's body and thus does not migrate into the fowl's eggs. Accordingly, it is required to add vitamin K to a feed at such a high ratio as defined above, in order to produce the desired vitamin K enriched fowl egg according to the present invention. Examples of vitamin K3 to be used in the present invention include menadione sodium bisulfite and men2dione dimethylpyrimidinol bisulfite.

When a large quantity of vitamin K homologs are administered to a fowl according to the present invention, vitamin K3 is converted into vitamin K2 in the fowl body and the resulting vitamin K2 migrates into the fowl's eggs approximately one week after administration. Also, some portion of administered vitamin K1 is converted into vitamin K2. The resulting vitamin K2 migrates into the fowl's eggs together with residual vitamin K1 per se. The migration of vitamin K1 into the fowl's eggs is observed approximately two weeks after the administration thereof.

The vitamin K concentration in a fowl egg increases with an increase in the content of vitamins K1 and K3 in the feed. Thus a fowl egg 1 1 1 of the desired vitamin K concentration can be obtained by controlling the vitamin K concentration of the feed. It is generally preferable to adjust the concentration of vitamin K1 and/or vitamin K3 in a feed to 10 to 500 ppm, still preferably to 10 to 100 ppm. - According to the present invention, a fowl egg containing a large amount of valuable vitamins K2 and K1 can be obtained with the use of inexpensive vitamins K1 and K3. Further the present invention enables control of the vitamin K concentration of a fowl egg. Thus the fowl egg obtained by the process of the present invention is highly useful in, for example, preventing vitamin K deficiency.

To further illustrate the present invention, the following non limiting Examples are given:

Example 1

Hens aged 45 weeks were divided into groups each having 50 birds. Vitamin K, or vitamin K 3 (menadione sodium bisulfite) were added to a fowl feed of the following composition at each concentration as shown in Table 1. Each feed was given to each group and vitamins K2 and K 1 in eggs laid 4, 7 and 17 days after administration were determined. Table 1 shows the results. Fowl feed compostion:

corn Milo wheat bran soybean meal rapeseed oil cake fish meal alf alf a molasses calcium carbonate calcium phosphate part by weight 35 2.5 12.5 5.5 4.5 1.5 1.5 6.3 0.2 common salt vitamin/mineral mix containing 0.5 % of vitamin K 3 Administered vitamin K control K 3 10 ppm 2 0 ppm 0 ppM ppm ppm 2 0 ppm 0 ppM ppm 0.2 0.2 4th day K 2 K 1 12.1 43.2 52.4 58.5 7.4 8.5 8.4 9.2 66.8 9.6 33.9 71.6 37.3 129 54.2 266 79.4 434 Table 1

Vitamin K in yolk (pg/ 100 g) 7th day 17th day K 2 9.8 85.4 9.5 114 11.6 174 51.1 65.4 101 107 K 1 149 226 792 1180 7.6 7.9 5.5 9.4 112 151 162 186 K 1 K 3 6.8 10.8 12.0 6..7 9.6 0 62.1 188 118 450 128 999 193 1770 0 Example 2

Hens aged 51 weeks were divided into groups each having 50 birds. Vitamins K 1 and K 3 were added to the same fowl feed as used Table 2.

administration in Example 1 at each concentration as shown in Then vitamins K 2 and K 1 in eggs laid 17 days after were determined. Table 2 shows the results.

1 1 1 t Table 2

Vitamin K content in feed (Ppm) 1 Vitamin K content in yolk ( pg/ 100 g) -- Vitamin K 1 Vitamin K 3 Vitamin K 1 Vitamin 0 1 10 12 10 195 176 20 200 210 50 202 240 100 198 265 20 10 465 232 20 480 253 50 470 274 100 490 272 :",., j ' -6

Claims (7)

CLAIMS:

1. A process for producing a vitamin K-enriched fowl egg which comprises feeding a laying fowl with a feed containing at least 10 pprn of vitamin K1 and/or vitamin K3-

2. A process for producing a vitamin K-enriched fowl egg as set forth in claim 1, wherein the feed contains 10 to 500 ppm of vitamin K1 and/or vitamin K3-

3. A process for producing a vitamin K-enriched fowl egg as set forth in claim 2, wherein the feed contains 10 to 100 ppm of vitamin K1 and/or vitamin K3-

4. A vitamin K-enriched fowl egg produced by feeding a laying fowl with a feed containing at least 10 ppm of vitamin K1 and/or vitamin K3-

5. A process according to any one of claims 1 to 3 substantially as herein disclosed.

6. A process for producing a vitamin K-enriched fowl egg substantially as herein described in either of the examples.

7. Each and every novel process, product, feature and combination of features substantially as herein disclosed.

Published 1988 at The Patent Office, State House, 66.171 High Holborn, London WCIR 47P. Further copies may be obtained from The Patent Office, Sales Branch, St Mary Cray, Orpington, Kent BR5 3RJD. Printed by Multiplex techniques ltd, St Mary Cray, Kent. Con. 1/87.

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