JP6753988B2 - Highly digestible pet food to improve fecal quality - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to highly digestible pet food compositions and methods of reducing the volume, weight and odor of feces by feeding companion animals with the pet food compositions of the present invention.

Pets poop. Defecation occurs in many places, both outdoors and in the bathroom. Cleaning pet feces is often unpleasant. Many products are on the market to make this job as enjoyable as possible, but they address the underlying problems of feces, the volume of feces produced and the unpleasant odor associated with excrement. I can't. It is desired to develop compositions and methods for reducing either by weight or volume of feces produced by animals and reducing the odor associated with emissions.
Outline of the invention

The present invention is a method of improving fecal quality in animals when needed.
(A) Vegetable protein about 10% to about 60%;
(B) Whole grains about 5% to about 30%;
(C) Starch about 5% to about 20%;
(D) Non-meat animal protein about 1% to about 15%;
(E) Low ash animal protein about 1% to about 15%;
Containing to allow animals to ingest a fecal-improving quality amount of a highly digestible dry food composition containing, the dry matter digestibility of the composition is at least about 88% and the dietary fiber content is high. Provided is a method characterized by being less than 5%.

The present invention also provides useful and effective compositions for the above methods.

In a particular aspect, the method is useful in reducing the volume, weight and odor of feces by the method comprising feeding the animal in need the composition.

In another aspect, the animal is a companion animal (eg, a feline or canine), and in a particular aspect, the animal is a feline.

In certain embodiments, the digestibility of each of the true proteins, fats, energies and carbohydrates of the composition is at least about 90%.

In certain embodiments, the vegetable protein is corn gluten meal, the whole grain is rice, the starch is natural rice starch, the non-meat animal protein is dried egg, and low ash animal origin. The protein is low ash-eating bird meal.

In one embodiment, the compositions of the invention, when useful, corn gluten meal about 36%, rice about 15%, natural rice starch about 15%, dried eggs about 6% and low-ash-eating birds. Contains about 6% meal (total dietary fiber less than about 5% and total ash content less than about 3%).

In a particular aspect, the compositions of the invention contain a calcium salt that is more water soluble than calcium carbonate and a phosphate that is more water soluble than calcium phosphate. From a particular point of view, the compositions of the present invention contain calcium chloride, CaCl2 and monosodium phosphate, NaH2PO4.

In another aspect, the compositions of the present invention may also contain ginger spices in an amount that suppresses the odor of emissions, zinc salts in an amount that suppresses the odor of emissions, or both. .. In a particular aspect, the compositions of the present invention contain milled ginger and zinc acetate.

Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description below. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples show preferred embodiments of the invention, but are intended for illustration purposes only and not to limit the scope of the invention.

Detailed Explanatory Description The following description of descriptive and preferred embodiments is essentially mere description and is not limited to inventions, uses and uses.

Although not limited to any theory or specific aspects of the action of the present invention, the present invention is not limited to excrement (eg, the amount of feces) when certain compositions are ingested by animals. , Feces) is based on the finding that the unpleasant odor is reduced or reduced. Usually, the composition and its individual compositional components are highly digestible, including, for example, highly digestible proteins and highly digestible carbohydrates. In particular, low emissions volume, volume and odor are the combined synergies of the ingredients in the disclosed formulations, especially the use of high levels of digestible starch as a carbohydrate source, especially rice starch, low levels of animal protein and high levels. Use of vegetable protein (eg corn gluten meal), limiting dietary fiber to levels less than about 5%, less than about 3%, less than about 2.5%, and ash content less than about 10%, It was surprisingly found to reflect the limited use of less than about 8% and less than about 7%. These results also show that the use of relatively more water-soluble salts, such as CaCl2 and NaH2PO4, to control the cation / anion balance with a target of about pH 6.2 to about 6.4 of the urine pH and of the ginger family. It is supported and enhanced by the use of spices such as ginger, especially ground ginger, and in certain embodiments zinc salts.

As used herein and in the accompanying claims, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are also included unless expressly stated otherwise.

The compositions described herein may contain and consist of the components described herein, essentially made up of those components, or composed of those components.

As used herein, terms such as "effective amount" and "effective amount" refer to the amount of a component, material or composition described in a particular biological result, such as fecal volume, fecal volume. Means the amount that can be effective in reducing the amount of feces and reducing the odor of feces. Such results may be achieved, for example, by administration of the compositions of the invention to animals. The effective amount may be based on several factors, such as the metabolic energy of a particular animal, gender, age, weight and / or composition. As intended herein, the daily amount of food composition given to an animal is known to those of skill in the art.

As used herein, "highly digestible composition" means a composition having a digestibility of 88.0% or more. The term "nutritional digestibility" includes the digestibility of dry materials, proteins, fats, carbohydrates and energy.

The description of the invention relates to any animal, such as a mammal, in particular a companion animal that benefits from the formulation of the invention. The term "companion animal" is an animal that lives closely with humans and includes, but is not limited to, all types of canines and felines. For example, it is understood that the term may include any animal whose diet is controlled by humans and who can benefit from the formulations described in the present invention. These animals may include, for example, livestock (eg, cows, horses, pigs, etc.) and untamed animals in caged animals (eg, zoos, etc.). In certain embodiments, the animal is a feline or canine, and more specifically, the animal is a feline.

The present invention is suitable for use in animals at various stages of animal life, such as infancy, weaning, growth, adult, senior and geriatric. .. In certain embodiments, the animal is an adult, long-term and old-age animal, especially an adult animal.

Unless otherwise stated, all percentages used herein are weight percentages based on dry materials. The term "dry material reference" means the component concentration of the composition after the moisture in the composition has been removed.

Methods of determining protein digestibility are known to those of skill in the art. For example, the protein content of the composition can be determined by many methods known to those of skill in the art, such as Yamaka et al., (2003), J. Mol. Animal. Sci. 81 : 2279-2284 (and the literature cited therein), as well as the method of the Association of Official Analytical Chemicals in Official Methods of Analysis (“OMA”) (method 988.05). Thus, to determine "apparent protein digestibility", one of ordinary skill in the art will determine the protein content of the composition and the protein content of the feces produced by feeding the composition to the animal. Then the apparent protein digestibility is calculated as follows:

It is known that feces contain many other sources of protein (eg, bacterial proteins, enzymes produced during the digestive process and bile). Therefore, protein digestibility may differ from reality due to the presence of endogenous proteins in the feces. Therefore, the apparent protein digestibility is often multiplied by a factor, taking into account the presence of such endogenous proteins to determine the true protein digestibility percentage. The coefficient may be increased or decreased depending on the amount of endogenous protein present. In the present invention, true protein digestibility is determined by multiplying protein digestibility by 1.051. That is, the difference between true protein digestibility and obvious protein digestibility is 1.051, for example, 88.5% apparent protein digestibility is equal to 93.0% true protein digestibility.

Suitable protein sources for use in the compositions and methods of the invention include plant sources, non-meat sources, animal sources and combinations thereof. However, as mentioned above, compositions of the present invention comprising relatively higher concentrations of vegetable protein, relatively lower levels of non-meat animal protein and relatively lower levels of low ash animal meal are expected to be obtained. Causes improved results outside.
In certain embodiments, the compositions of the invention contain corn gluten meal, dried eggs and low ash predatory bird meal. Those skilled in the art are expected to find functional equivalents of the above by identifying, analyzing, and testing other protein sources according to the guidance provided herein.

As described herein, the compositions of the present invention are about 10% to about 60% vegetable protein, about 20% to about 50%, about 25% to about 45%, about 30% to about 40%. Non-meat animal protein about 1% to about 15%, about 2% to about 10%, about 3% to about 9%, about 4% to about 8%, about 5% to about 7%; low ash animal origin It may contain about 1% to about 15%, about 2% to about 10%, about 3% to about 9%, about 4% to about 8%, about 5% to about 7% protein. In certain embodiments, the compositions of the invention may comprise about 36% vegetable protein, about 6% non-meat animal protein and about 6% low ash animal protein meal.

The highly digestible carbohydrates of the compositions of the present invention are hydrocarbons that can be digested by animals (eg, felines) by about 90% or more, about 91% or more, about 92% or more, about 93% or more and about 94% or more. It is hydrogen. Highly digestible carbohydrates can be supplied by any of a variety of ingredients known to those of skill in the art, such as corn, wheat, rice, starch (eg, rice and corn starch). However, as mentioned above, the synergistic effect of the ingredients of the disclosed formulations can be obtained, for example, in formulations containing high levels of digestible starch, especially rice starch as a carbohydrate source, at relatively high concentrations. As described herein, the compositions of the present invention contain one or more highly digestible carbohydrates, such as rice starch, from about 5% to about 20%, from about 6% to about 19%, from about 7% to. It may be included at levels of about 18%, about 8% to about 17%, and about 9% to about 16%. In certain embodiments, the compositions of the invention contain approximately 15% natural rice starch.

Methods of determining the digestibility of carbohydrates are known to those of skill in the art. Carbohydrate percentages are calculated as nitrogen-free extracts (“NFE”), and NFEs may be calculated as 100% -moisture% -protein% -fat% -ash% -crude fiber%. Therefore, to determine carbohydrate digestibility, one of ordinary skill in the art will determine the carbohydrate content of the composition and the carbohydrate content of the feces produced by feeding the composition to the animal. Then the carbohydrate digestibility is calculated by the following equation:

The digestibility of a dry material (DMD) is the amount of substance digested by an animal based on the dry material. In general, digestibility is determined by measuring ingested content-content in feces ÷ ingested content. Methods of determining DMD are known to those of skill in the art. For example, the mass of food consumed is determined based on the dry material, and the mass of feces as a result of consuming the food (dry material standard) is also determined. Then the DMD is calculated as follows:

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Fat and energy digestibility may be determined as specified above:

and,

Determination of fat and energy content in food and feces may be made by conventional methods known to those of skill in the art.

The whole grains of the compositions of the present invention are about 5% to about 30%, about 7.5% to about 25%, about 10% to about 20%, and about 12.5 in the composition. It may be included in an amount of% to about 17.5%. In some embodiments, the compositions of the invention contain about 15% whole grains, for example about 15% rice.

Compositions useful in the above method may include ginger spices (eg, ginger, eg ground ginger) and / or zinc salts. In some embodiments, ground ginger is added to the compositions of the invention at about 0.1% to about 5%, about 0.25% to about 3%, or about 0.5% to about 1.5%. Add at level. In certain embodiments, ground ginger is added to the compositions of the invention at a level of about 1%.

In addition to reducing fecal volume and fecal weight, the compositions of the present invention reduce the odor of feces produced by animals ingesting the composition. The method of evaluating the odor of feces is familiar to those skilled in the art. For example, human panelists may be used to rank fecal odors, eg, using qualitative evaluation as described in the examples herein. In addition, fecal odor compounds may be measured quantitatively using, for example, gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. Fecal odor compounds analyzed quantitatively in excreta include sulfur-containing compounds, phenols, heterocycles and indoles, carboxylic acid compounds and ketone compounds.

As observed in the present invention, the compositions of the present invention are understood to include a nutritionally complete pet food diet. A "nutritionally complete diet" is a diet food known to those of skill in the art that contains sufficient nutrients to maintain the normal health of a given recipe animal (eg, domestic cat or domestic dog) during the diet. is there.

In some embodiments, the nutritionally complete pet food compositions described herein may comprise fat. The fat source for the compositions of the present invention can be supplied by any of a variety of materials known to those of skill in the art, such as meat, meat by-products, fish oils and plants. Vegetable fat sources were derived from wheat, flax seeds, rye, barley, rice, sorghum, corn, oats, millet, wheat malt, corn malt, soybeans, peanuts and cotton seeds, and these and other vegetable oil sources. Contains oil. As observed herein, the compositions of the invention contain about 1% to about 20% fat, about 3% to about 18%, about 5% to about 16%, about 7% to about 14%, and so on. And may contain from about 9% to about 12%. In certain embodiments, the compositions of the invention contain about 2%, about 4%, about 6%, about 8%, about 10%, about 12%, about 14%, about 16%, and about 18% fat. contains.

Vitamins and minerals may be included in the compositions of the invention in amounts known to those skilled in the art to avoid deficiencies and maintain good health. For example, the National Research Council (“NRC”) provides livestock with recommended amounts of such ingredients, and the American Feed Control Official Incorporated (“AAFCO”) Associate Gazette recommends. The amount of such ingredients provided to canines and felines. Vitamin may include vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin H (biotin), vitamin K, folic acid, inositol, niacin and pantothenic acid. Examples of minerals are, for example, calcium, phosphorus, dicalcium phosphate, potassium citrate, potassium chloride, calcium carbonate, sodium chloride; or sodium, potassium, magnesium, manganese, calcium, chloride, copper, zinc, choline, Potassium, iodine and selenium salts;

Fiber (including, but not limited to, dietary fiber) may be included in the compositions of the present invention. Dietary fiber is a component of plants that resists digestion by animal digestive enzymes. The dietary fiber component of foods may be determined by many methods known to those of skill in the art, such as OMA method 991.43 / 32.1.17 (1994). Total dietary fiber includes soluble and insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber resists digestion and absorption in the small intestine, but undergoes complete or partial fermentation in the large intestine. Sources of soluble fiber used in the compositions of the present invention include, for example, beet pulp, guar gum, chicory root, barley, pectin, blueberries, cranberries, squash, apples, oats, beans, citrus fruits, barley or peas. .. Insoluble fiber is a fiber that is insoluble in water and tends to increase the rate at which food passes through the digestive tract. Examples of them include cellulose, whole grain products, wheat oats, corn bran, flax seeds, grapes, celery, green pod green beans, cauliflower, potato peels, fruit peels, vegetable peels, peanut hulls and soybean fiber. However, it is not limited to this. As observed in the present invention, the compositions of the present invention contain total dietary fiber in an amount of about 1% to about 5%, about 1.5% to about 4%, and about 2% to about 3%. You may. In certain embodiments, the compositions of the invention contain total dietary fiber in amounts of 3.0% or less, 2.5%, 2.25% or less and about 2.25%.

The compositions of the present invention may further contain amino acids in amounts known to those skilled in the art in order to avoid deficiencies and maintain good health. Preferably, the compositions of the present invention contain "essential amino acids".
Essential amino acids are amino acids that must be taken from the diet in this way, either freshly or cannot be synthesized in sufficient quantities by the organism. Essential amino acids vary from type to type, based on the metabolism of the organism. For example, the essential amino acids for dogs and cats (and humans) are usually understood to be phenylalanine, leucine, methionine, lysine, isoleucine, valine, threonine, tryptophan, histidine and arginine. Taurine, which is technically a derivative of cysteine rather than an amino acid, is an essential nutrient for cats and dogs.

The compositions of the present invention may contain dietary supplements such as carnitine and omega-3 or omega-6 fatty acids in amounts known to those skilled in the art to avoid deficiencies and maintain good health. Carnitine or L-carnitine is a vitamin-like compound synthesized in the body from lysine and methionine. Carnitine may be naturally present in the ingredients of the invention (eg flaxseed), or carnitine may be added to the composition.

The compositions of the present invention may also contain additives, stabilizers, fillers, thickeners, flavors, palatability enhancers and colorants in amounts and combinations well known to those skilled in the art. Stabilizers increase the shelf life of the composition and are known to those of skill in the art.

As discussed in the present invention, the compositions of the present invention may contain a metabolic energy content of about 3500 to about 4500 kcal / kg. As used herein, "metabolic energy" is the energy available to an animal based on the consumption of a diet (or composition) after subtracting the energy emitted by feces, urine and flammable gases. It is a thing. Metabolic energy valences can be determined according to official guidelines of protocols established by methods known to those of skill in the art (eg, American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO)).

By way of example, but not limited to, the highly digestible compositions of the present invention include corn gluten meal 36%, rice 15%, natural rice starch 15%, dried eggs 6%, low ash diet bird meal 6 %, Calcium Chloride, Monosodium Phosphate and 1% Grinded Gluten, and may further contain Carnitine, 1 or more amino acids, minerals and vitamins, and 1 or more palatability enhancers, which are the methods of the invention. As a result, it reduces the volume of feces, reduces the weight of feces, and reduces malodor. In particular, the composition exhibits at least about 88.0% dry material and at least about 90% true protein, fat, carbohydrate and energy digestibility.

The compositions of the present invention may have any softness or water content, but preferably the compositions of the present invention are, for example, wet, semi-moist or dry (semi-moist). dry) It may be an animal food composition. "Wet" food refers to foods that have a moisture content of about 70-90%. A "semi-moist" food refers to a food having a moisture content of about 15% to 40%. A "dry" food refers to a composition with a water content of about 5% to 15%. It is often manufactured in the form of small bits or kibbles. The kibble may be dried and optionally applied with a typical coating agent known to those of skill in the art (eg, flavors, fats, oils, powders, etc.). The compositions of the present invention can be prepared using conventional production methods.

The present invention is not limited to the particular methodologies, protocols and reagents of the present invention. Because they are subject to change. Moreover, the terms herein are used for the purposes of describing only certain aspects and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

The range used herein is used as an abbreviation for describing each value and all values within the range. Any value in the range can be chosen as the end point of the range. In addition, all cited references thereof are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. In the event of a conflict between the definition herein and that of the cited reference, the description herein takes precedence.

Experiment 1
The formulation of pet food compositions for cats was designed in a multi-step process to result in highly digestible compositions that reduce fecal volume, weight and odor. In the first step, eight pet food compositions for cats were prepared, each using the main components listed in Table 1 below in the amounts listed.

Composition 4 was analyzed to have an ash content of 5.2% and dietary fiber of 2.25%.

Experiment 2
The eight compositions shown in Table 1 were subjected to digestibility analysis together with a commercially available pet food composition for cats (denoted as CA-1). CA-1 is currently commercially available as a composition useful for healthy digestion and contains 37% animal protein, 24% fat, 2% crude fiber and 7% ash. The results of those analyzes are shown in Table 2 below.

The data in Table 2 show that compositions 4 and 5 show substantially higher digestibility for each of the tested ingredients as compared to the other formulations tested.

Experiment 3
From the digestibility values obtained, compositions 4 and 5 were used in the fecal test in a crossover study and compared to CA-1. The data obtained with composition 4 is shown in Table 3 and the data obtained with composition 5 is shown in Table 4.

The data in Tables 4 and 5 showed that Composition 4 was more effective than Composition 5 in reducing both mean fecal volume and weight in the cats tested.

Experiment 4
In addition to the above measurements, "Little Box Odor Sensation Evaluation" was performed for Composition 4 (Table 5) and Composition 5 (Table 6). In both examples, the control diet was CA-1 in Table 2.

The data in Tables 5 and 6 show that the formulation of Composition 4 appears to be significantly more effective than that of Composition 5 in reducing the fecal odor of the fecal excrement tested.

Experiment 5
Based on the above data and trends, an improved composition, namely composition 9, was prepared, the main components of which were roughly 36% corn gluten meal, 15% rice, 15% natural rice starch, 6% dried eggs and low. -Ashes-eating bird meal was 6%. Calcium chloride was also used as a mineral salt in place of some of the commonly formulated calcium carbonate and monosodium phosphate used in the formulation of this composition. The formulation was prepared both without crushed ginger and with 1% crushed ginger. The data obtained for the crossover fecal study are shown in Tables 7 and 8. Composition 9 was compared to a standard indoor cat pet food composition (denoted as CA-2) containing 37% protein, 9.2% fat, 14.1% total dietary fiber and 6.2% ash.

The data in Tables 7 and 8 show the density and weight of feces when administration of composition 9 (with and without ginger) to felines was compared to commercially available pet food compositions for cats of CA-2. It has been shown to provide a substantial reduction in pet food and volume.

Experiment 6
In addition, a Little Box odor evaluation study was performed on compositions 9 with and without ginger. Composition 9 was compared to CA-2. In this experiment, participants were asked to rank various scent traits as well as odor intensity. Data were collected for feeding days 6, 7, 13 and 14. The data obtained are listed in Table 9.

Using scales 1-5 above, good odors including green / lawn, sweet, flowers and trees are valuable, ammonia, fresh feces, rot, sour, musty / moisture, dust / clay, motor oil and Smell containing metal is of low value. From the results, the composition 9 had a high value for sweet and flower, and the composition 9 had an improved preferred odor compared to CA-2 for two of the four preferred odors tested. Composition 9 showed low values for ammonia, putrefaction, fresh feces and sourness, and was improved compared to CA-2 for all four unpleasant odors tested.

Composition 9 containing ginger showed high values for green / lawn, sweet and flower, and composition 9 containing ginger was improved for all preferred odors tested over CA-2. Composition 9 containing ginger showed low values for ammonia, putrefaction, fresh feces and sour, and was improved compared to CA-2 for all four unpleasant odors tested.

Experiment 7
The pH and ammonia content of urine from test cats fed either Composition 9 or CA-2 were also measured. The results obtained are shown in Table 10:

The data in Table 10 show that the urine produced by cats given Composition 9 had very low pH and very low ammonia levels, urine volatile components. Therefore, it is expected that the addition of the composition to the cat will also reduce the odor of urine.

The range used herein is used as an abbreviation for describing each value and all values within the range. Any value in the range can be chosen as the end point of the range. In addition, all cited references thereof are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. In the event of a conflict between the definition herein and that of the cited reference, the description herein takes precedence.

Unless otherwise stated,% and amounts mentioned anywhere in the specification or herein are to be understood as relating to weight percent. The amount given is based on the actual weight of the material.

Claims (15)

Vegetable protein 25% -45%,
Non-meat animal protein 4% -8%,
Low ash animal protein 4% -8%
A pet food composition containing 9% to 17% starch and 12.5% to 17.5% whole grains to improve fecal quality in animals when needed.
A pet food composition characterized in that an improvement in fecal quality is a reduction in fecal volume and / or a reduction in fecal weight and / or a reduction in the odor of excrement produced by animals. Vegetable protein 30% -40%,
Non-meat animal protein 5% -7%,
Low ash animal protein 5% -7%
A pet food composition containing 9% to 17% starch and 12.5% to 17.5% whole grains to improve fecal quality in animals when needed.
A pet food composition characterized in that an improvement in fecal quality is a reduction in fecal volume and / or a reduction in fecal weight and / or a reduction in the odor of excrement produced by animals. Vegetable protein 30% -40%,
Non-meat animal protein 5% -7%,
Low ash animal protein 5% -7%
A pet food composition containing 12.5% to 17% starch and 12.5% to 17.5% whole grains to improve fecal quality in animals when needed.
A pet food composition characterized in that an improvement in fecal quality is a reduction in fecal volume and / or a reduction in fecal weight and / or a reduction in the odor of excrement produced by animals. The pet food composition according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the composition contains a water-soluble calcium salt and / or a water-soluble phosphate. The pet food composition according to claim 4, wherein the water-soluble calcium salt is CaCl ₂ . The pet food composition according to claim ₄ , wherein the water-soluble phosphate is NaH ₂ PO ₄ . The pet food composition according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the starch is natural rice starch and is contained in an amount of 9% to 16% of the composition. The pet food composition according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the pet food composition further contains 0.1 to 5% of ginger spices. The pet food composition according to claim 8, wherein the spice of the family Zingiberaceae is ginger. The pet food composition according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the pet food composition further contains a zinc salt. The pet food composition according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the animal is a feline or canine animal. A method of improving fecal quality in animals other than humans when needed.
Vegetable protein 25% -45%,
Non-meat animal protein 4% -8%,
Low ash animal protein 4% -8%
Including feeding animals a fecal improvement amount of a pet food composition containing 9% to 17% starch and 12.5% to 17.5% whole grains.
A method in which improved fecal quality is a reduction in fecal volume and / or a reduction in fecal weight and / or a reduction in the odor of excrement produced by animals. The method of claim 12, further comprising a water-soluble calcium salt and / or a water-soluble phosphate. 13. The method of claim 13, wherein the water-soluble calcium salt is CaCl ₂ . 13. The method of claim 13, wherein the water-soluble phosphate is NaH ₂ PO ₄ .