MXPA01005110A - Method for increasing pet activity - Google Patents

Abstract

A method for improving activity in a pet;especially elderly cats and dogs. The pets are administered to a nutritional agent which promotes the growth of bifido- and lactic-bacteria in the gastro-intestinal tract of the pet. The nutritional agent may be a prebiotic or a probiotic micro-organism, or both.

Description

EED METHOD TO INCREASE THE ACTIVITY OF PETS FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a method for increasing the activity of pets, especially old cats and dogs.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Once they reach an age where their systems begin to work more slowly, certain symptoms of aging begin to manifest themselves; the rigidity of the joints, the loss of energy, the weight gain, the increased intake of water, the problems of the digestive system, a dry, opaque coat and scaly skin. For dogs, this usually begins to become noticeable at about 5 years for large br and at about 7 years for smaller br. For cats, this usually begins to be noticeable at about 7 years of age. However, the process is different for each animal and there is no standard age at which the symptoms begin to manifest.

The onset of many of these symptoms can be delayed by fng the animal a well-balanced diet, complete in its life. In addition, the condition of the old animal can be improved "through nutrition.In particular, healthy animals should be fed a balanced, maintenance food that contains high quality protein, lower amounts of fat to reduce the contribution of energy, dietary fiber and antioxidants.Also, regular exercise is important to maintain muscle tone, improve circulation, promote digestion and prevent weight gain.However, despite good nutrition and regular exercise, many animals Old animals are lethargic and seem to lack energy Similar problems can occur in younger animals, so there is a nfor ways to improve the activity of pets, especially old pets.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, in one aspect, this invention provides a method for improving activity in a pet, the method comprising administering to the pet a nutritional agent that promotes the growth of lactobacteria and bifidobacteria in the gastrointestinal tract of the pet. It has been surprisingly discovered that by administering to a pet a nutritional agent that promotes the growth of bifidobacteria and lactobacteria in the gastrointestinal tract of pets, results in improved levels of activity in the pet. This is particularly noticeable in old pets. Without wishing to be bound by any theory, it is believed that, among other mechanisms, the increase in the concentrations of bifidobacteria and lactic acid bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract of the pet, produces nutrients and / or increases the absorption of nutrients. It provides the pet with better nutrition and more energy. In addition, by increasing the concentrations of bifidobacteria and lactobacteria in the gastrointestinal tract of pets, the concentrations of pathogenic bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract are reduced and this can improve the systemic inflammatory state; leading to less stiffness of the joints. In yet another aspect, this invention provides a method for improving joint stiffness in a pet, the method comprising administering to a pet a nutritional agent that promotes the growth of bifidobacteria and lactobacteria in the gastrointestinal tract of the pet. The nutritional agent preferably helps to improve-when reducing-the systemic inflammatory state in the pet. This can be achieved by reducing the concentrations of pathogenic bacteria that are known to contribute to an increased inflammatory state. The pet is preferably an old pet; especially an old dog. El but can be older than 5 years old, for example over 7 years of age. The cat can be older than 7 years old. Preferably, the nutritional agent is administered to the pet in the form of a complete and nutritionally balanced pet food. The nutritional agent can be a prebiotic, a probiotic microorganism, or a fermentation product obtained from the fermentation of probiotic microorganisms. In this specification: "Prebiotic" means a substance or compound that is fermented by the intestinal flora of the pet and therefore promotes the growth or development of bifidobacteria and lactobacteria in the gastrointestinal tract of the pet at the expense of the pathogenic bacteria. The result of this fermentation is a release of fatty acids, in particular short-chain fatty acids in the colon. This has the effect of reducing the pH value in the colon. The "probiotic microorganism" means a microorganism that beneficially affects a host, by improving its intestinal microbial balance (Fuller, R; 1989; J. Applied Bacteriology, 66: 365-378). In general, probiotic microorganisms produce organic acids such as lactic acid and citric acid, which inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacteria such as Clos tridium perfringens and Helicobacter pylori.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED MODALITIES OF THE INVENTION This invention is based on the discovery that activity levels in a pet can be improved by administering to the pet a nutritional agent that promotes the growth of bifidobacteria and lactobacteria in the gastrointestinal tract of the pet. The activity levels of old pets, such as old dogs, is particularly improved.

The nutritional agent can be a prebiotic or a probiotic microorganism, or a fermentation product obtained from the fermentation of a probiotic microorganism. In addition, combinations of probiotic microorganisms, prebiotics and fermentation products can be administered to the pet. Suitable prebiotics include oligosaccharides, such as inulin and its hydrolysis products commonly known as fructooligosaccharides, galactooligosaccharides, xelo-oligosaccharides or oligo starch derivatives. Can also be used combinations of starches and gums Prebiotics can be provided in any suitable way. For example, the prebiotic can be provided in the form of plant material containing the prebiotic. Suitable plant materials include asparagus, artichokes, onions, wheat, cassava or chicory, or residues of these plant materials. Alternatively, the prebiotic can be provided as an inulin extract. Chicory extracts are particularly suitable. Suitable inulin extracts can be obtained from Orafti SA of Tirlemont 300, Belgium under the trade name "Raftiline". For example, insulin can be provided in the form of RaftilineTST which is a fine white powder containing about 90% to about 94% by weight of inulin, up to about 4% by weight of glucose and fructose, and about 4 to 9% in weight of sucrose. Alternatively, the prebiotic may be in the form of a fructooligosaccharide as obtained from Orafti SA of Tirlemont 3300, Belgium under the tradename "Raftilose". For example, inulin can be provided in the form of Raftilose®P95. Otherwise, fructo-oligosaccharides can be obtained by the hydrolysis of inulin, by enzymatic methods, or by the use of microorganisms. The probiotic microorganism can be selected from one or more microorganisms suitable for animal consumption and which is capable of improving the microbial balance in the intestine. Examples of suitable probiotic microorganisms include yeasts such as Saccharomyces, Debaromyces, Candida, Pichia and Torulopsis, molds such as Aspergillus, Rhizopus, Mucor and Penicillium um and Torulopsis and bacteria such as the genera Bifidobacterium, Ba cteroides, Fusoba cterium, Melissococcus, Propionibacterium, Streptococcus, Enterococcus, Ctococcus r Staphylococcus, Peptostrepococcus, Bacillus, Pediococcus, Micrococcus, Leuconostoc, Weisella, Aerococcus, Oenococcus Lactobacillus Specific examples of suitable probiotic microorganisms are: Saccharomyces cereviseae, Bacillus coagulans, Bacillus licheniformis r Bacillus subtilis, Bifidobacterium bifidum, Bifidobacterium inf 'antis, Bifidobacterium longum, Enterococcus Faecíum, Enterococcus faecalis, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus alimentarius, Lactobacillus casei subsp. Casei, Lactobacillus cas is Shirota, Lactobacillus curvatus, Lactobacillus delbruckii subsp. Lactis, Lactobacillus farciminus, Lactobacillus gasseri, Lactobacillus helveticus, Lactobacillus j ohnsonii r Lactobacillus reuteriK, Lactobacillus rhamnosus (Lactobacillus GG), Lactobacillus sake, Lactococcus lactis, Micrococcus varians, Pediococcus acidilactici, Pediococcus pentosaceus, Pediococcus acidilactici, Pediococcus halophilus, Streptococcus faecalis, Streptococcus thermophilus, Staphylococcus carnosus and Staphylococcus xilosus. Probiotic microorganisms can be in dry powder form, especially in the form of spores for microorganisms that form spores. In addition, if desired, the probiotic microorganism can be encapsulated to further increase the likelihood of survival, for example in a sugar matrix, fat matrix or polysaccharide matrix. The nutritional agent can be administered to the pet as a supplement to the pet's normal diet or as a component of a nutritionally complete pet food. It is preferred to include the nutritional agent in a nutritionally complete pet animal. The nutritionally complete pet food can be in any suitable form, for example in a dry form, in a semi-moist form and in a wet form. These pet foods can be produced as is conventional. Apart from the nutritional agent, these pet foods may include one or more of a source of starch, a source of protein and a source of lipids. Suitable sources of starch are, for example, grains and legumes such as corn, rice, wheat, barley, oats, soybeans and mixtures thereof. Suitable protein sources can be selected from any suitable animal or vegetable protein source, for example meat and flour, poultry meal, fish meal, soy protein concentrates, milk proteins, gluten and the like. For old animals, it is preferred that the protein source contains a high quality protein. Suitable lipid sources include meat, animal fats and vegetable fats. The choice of starch, protein and lipid sources will be determined to a large extent by the nutritional needs of the animal, palatability considerations, and the type of product produced. In addition, various other ingredients, for example, sugar, salt, spices, seasonings, vitamins, minerals, flavoring agents, fats and the like can also be incorporated into the pet food, as desired. For older pets, pet food preferably contains proportionally less fat than younger pet foods. In addition, starch sources may include one or more of rice, barley, wheat and corn. For dry pet food, a suitable process such as extrusion cooking may be used, although baking and other suitable processes may be used. When this is baked by extrusion, the dried pet element is usually provided in the form of a cookie. If a prebiotic is used, the prebiotic can be mixed with the other ingredients of the dry pet food before processing. A suitable process is described in the European patent application No. 08550569; the description of which is incorporated by reference. If a probiotic microorganism is used, the organism is better coated on or stuffed into the dry pet food. A suitable process is described in the European patent application No. 0862863; the description of which is incorporated by reference herein. For wet foods, the processes described in U.S. Patent Nos. 4,781,939 and 5,132,137 can be used to produce the simulated meat products. The descriptions of this patent are incorporated by reference. Other methods for producing chunk-like products can also be used, for example cooking in a steam oven. Alternatively, loaf-type products can be produced by emulsifying a suitable meat material to produce a meat emulsion, adding a suitable gelling agent, and heating the meat emulsion before filling it into cans or other containers. The maximum level of prebiotic in pet food is preferably about 20% by weight, especially about 10% by weight. However, it is found that considerably lower levels are effective to increase activity levels. For example, the prebiotic can comprise about 0.1% to about 5% by weight of the pet food. For pet foods that use chicory with the prebiotic, the chicory may be included to comprise about 0.5% to about 10% by weight of the food mixture; more preferably about 1% to about 5% by weight. If a probiotic microorganism is used, the pet food preferably contains about 10 4 to about 10 10 cells of the probiotic microorganism per gram of the pet food; more preferably about 106 to about 10 cells of the probiotic microorganism per gram. The pet food may contain about 0.25% to about 20% by weight of the mixture of the probiotic microorganism; preferably about 0.5% to about 6% by weight; for example about 3% to about 6% by weight. Pet foods may contain other active agents such as long chain fatty acids. Suitable long chain fatty acids include alpha-linoleic acid, gamma-linolenic acid, linoleic acid, eicosapentanoic acid, and docosahexaenoic acid. Fish oils are a suitable source of eicosapentaenoic acids and docosahexaenoic acid. Borage oil, blackcurrant seed oil and donut grass oil are adequate sources of gamma-linolenic acid. Safflower oils, sunflower oils, corn oils and soybean oils are suitable sources of linoleic acid. If necessary, the foods for mastoas are supplemented with minerals and vitamins so that they are nutritionally complete. The amount of pet food that will be consumed by the pet, to obtain a beneficial effect, will depend on the size of the pet, the type of pet, and the age of the pet. However, an amount of the pet food to provide a daily amount of about 1 g to about 100 g of prebiotic, or about 106 to about 1012 cells of the probiotic microorganism, could usually be adequate. Numerous modifications can be made to the embodiments described above without departing from the scope of the invention. The specific examples that record the remarkable effects of the food of a modality of the inventive diet according to the invention, - ~ to old pets, are now described for further illustration.

Example 1 A pet owner in Pretoria, South Africa, has two golden retrievers, ages 8 and 9 years old. He regarded them as an integral part of his family nucleus and consequently used them to provide what he considered the best possible nutrition - a conventional adult food of a brand for veterinarians. Nonetheless, he observed that his dogs had poor hair quality and had decreased activity typical of adult dogs. The owner states that he started feeding his dogs with the pet food sold under the trade name Olympic Senior (this is a dry dog food, which contains an effective amount of the prebiotic inulin). He reports having observed the following changes in his dogs: • brighter coats, • healthy appearance and, • a return to the way of life they had had a few years before. "Olympic" is a trademark owned by Epol (Proprietary) Limited.

Example 2 A second pet owner in South Africa reports having an old Staffordshire Terrier that was arthritic, moved slowly and was much less active than when he was younger. In particular, I no longer ran around. The owner began to feed him with a diet of the Olympic Senior pet food, the same as in Example 1. Within a few months, the activity levels of the dog increased, it started to run around again and apparently now it is alert and is able to jump a fence of approximately 90 cm.

Example 3 A pet owner in Britain reported having an old Labrador Retriever who was "very arthritic" and had trouble walking up the stairs. He began feeding his dog with Complete Digestion +, a dry dog food containing about 1% chicory as a source of prebiotic inulin. Within a month with the product, the dog began to eat around "like a puppy" and "is now going up the stairs so fast that he travels on his own feet". "Winalot" is a commercial brand that belongs to Societé de Prodbits Nestlé de Sbiza.

Example 4 A pet owner in California, USA reports that, after changing a dog diet to Alpo Complete, which is dry dog food, it contains approximately 1% chicory by weight (ALPO is a trademark of Societé de Prodbits Nestlé ), sb fur began to become perceptibly more rulante, sbs more rulantes eyes and sbs total activity levels were increased. A dog owner in Pennsylvania reported similarly as a dog, after switching to Alpo Complete diet soon showed signs of improvement in appearance and "actitbd", while being a dog owner in West Virginia or served as a dog. dog no longer behaves as an acbordo with sbs 13 years, but rather he seemed younger.

Claims (26)

1. A method to improve activity in a pet, the method comprises administering to the pet a nutritional agent that promotes the growth of bifidobacteria and lactobacteria in the gastrointestinal tract of the pet.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the nutritional agent is a component of a nutritionally complete pet food.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the nutritional agent is selected from the group of prebiotics and probiotic microorganisms.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein the prebiotic is selected from the group of inulin, fructo-oligosaccharides and plant materials containing inulin and / or fructo-oligosaccharides.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the pet food further comprises a long chain fatty acid.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the pet food further comprises a source of starch selected from one or more of corn, rice, barley and wheat.

7. A method to improve activity in an old pet, the method comprises administering to the pet a nutritionally complete pet food, which contains a nutritional agent that promotes the growth of bifidobacteria and lactobacteria in the gastrointestinal tract of the pet.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein the nutritional agent is selected from the group of prebiotics and probiotic microorganisms.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein the prebiotic is selected from the group of inulin, fructo-oligosaccharides and plant materials containing inulin and / or fructo-oligosaccharides.

A method according to claim 7, wherein the pet food contains about 0.1% to about 5% by weight of a prebiotic as the nutritional agent.

11. A method according to claim 7, wherein the pet food contains about 104 to about 1010 cells of a probiotic microorganism per gram of the pet food, as the nutritional agent.

12. A method according to claim 7, wherein the pet food comprises a long chain fatty acid.

13. A method according to claim 1, wherein the pet food further comprises a source of starch selected from one or more of corn, rice, barley and wheat.

14. A method for improving activity in an old dog, the method comprising administering to the dog a nutritionally complete pet food, which contains a nutritional agent that promotes the growth of bifidobacteria and lactobacteria in the gastrointestinal tract of the dog.

15. A method for improving activity in an old dog, the method comprising administering to the dog a nutritionally complete pet food, which contains a nutritional agent that promotes the growth of bifidobacteria and lactobacteria in the gastrointestinal tract of the dog.

16. A method to improve joint stiffness in a pet, the method comprises administering to the pet a nutritional agent that promotes the growth of bifidobacteria and lactobacteria in the gastrointestinal tract of the pet.

17. A method according to claim 16, wherein the nutritional agent helps to improve the systemic inflammatory state in the pet.

18. A method according to claim 17, wherein the nutritional agent helps reduce the concentrations of the pathogenic bacteria that are known to contribute to an increased inflammatory state.

19. A method according to any of claims 16 to 18, in which the pet is an old dog.

20. A method according to any of claims 16 to 18, in which the pet is an old cat.

21. A method to improve the activity of an old dog, the method comprises administering to the dog a nutritionally complete pet food which contains a prebiotic selected from the group of inulin, fructooligosaccharides and plant materials containing inulin and fructooligosaccharides.

22. A method to provide a pet with more energy, comprising administering to the pet a nutritional agent that promotes the growth of bifidobacteria and lactobacteria in the gastrointestinal tract of the pet.

23, A method for improving physical activity in an old pet, comprising administering to the pet a pet food composition comprising about 1% by weight of chicory.

24. A method for improving physical activity levels in an old pet, comprising administering to the pet a pet food composition comprising at least about 1% by weight of chicory as a source of inulin.

25. A method for increasing the activity level in a pet of at least 5 years of age, comprising feeding the pet a balanced diet comprising a pet food formulation comprising inulin in an effective amount to reduce the stiffness of the joints.

26. A method for returning an adult pet to a previous level of quality of life, comprising administering to the pet a pet food composition comprising inulin in an effective amount to increase physical activity in such a pet.