Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61K—PREPARATIONS FOR MEDICAL, DENTAL OR TOILETRY PURPOSES
  • A61K36/00—Medicinal preparations of undetermined constitution containing material from algae, lichens, fungi or plants, or derivatives thereof, e.g. traditional herbal medicines
  • A61K36/02—Algae
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61K—PREPARATIONS FOR MEDICAL, DENTAL OR TOILETRY PURPOSES
  • A61K36/00—Medicinal preparations of undetermined constitution containing material from algae, lichens, fungi or plants, or derivatives thereof, e.g. traditional herbal medicines
  • A61K36/02—Algae
  • A61K36/03—Phaeophycota or phaeophyta (brown algae), e.g. Fucus
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61P—SPECIFIC THERAPEUTIC ACTIVITY OF CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS OR MEDICINAL PREPARATIONS
  • A61P1/00—Drugs for disorders of the alimentary tract or the digestive system
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61P—SPECIFIC THERAPEUTIC ACTIVITY OF CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS OR MEDICINAL PREPARATIONS
  • A61P1/00—Drugs for disorders of the alimentary tract or the digestive system
  • A61P1/12—Antidiarrhoeals
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02A—TECHNOLOGIES FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02A50/00—TECHNOLOGIES FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE in human health protection, e.g. against extreme weather
  • Y02A50/30—Against vector-borne diseases, e.g. mosquito-borne, fly-borne, tick-borne or waterborne diseases whose impact is exacerbated by climate change

Definitions

• This invention relates to nutraceutical formulations and the extraction processes used to obtain them.
• this invention relates to the prebiotic effect of ⁇ -glucans and/or ⁇ -fucans and the potential thereof for acting as replacements for in-feed antibiotics.
• This invention may also result in an increase in the levels of helpful microbes and a corresponding reduction in the level of harmful microbes in the gut.
• Other aspects of this invention relate to the improvement in nutrient digestibility and increased absorption of minerals and micronutrients in the host, and an improvement in animal performance in terms of increased weight gain, improved feed conversion ratios and greater daily intakes.
• this invention relates to human prebiotics and the development of a novel composition to be given to humans to increase levels of beneficial bacteria in the human gut.
• the invention also provides a synbiotic (consisting of a prebiotic along with a probiotic) composition which when given to humans helps to restore helpful bacteria and boost their growth in the human gut.
• the key parameters to be considered include the average daily gain (weight gain per piglet per day), the feed conversion ratio (a measure of the performance efficiency of the piglet), the average daily intake (grams of food intake/day) and a reduction in scouring (a measure of the consistency of the feces, and an indicator of diarrhea in the young pig).
• Any composition that seeks to improve performance should effect an increase in the ADG, an improvement in the FCR (as indicated by a reduction in its value) and a reduction in scouring (indicated by more solid feces).
• lactose is an expensive dietary component, and there exists a need to discover components that can limit the amount of lactose required in the diet, while enhancing its beneficial effects.
• high levels of lactose make diets difficult to prepare, as lactose is hygroscopic and difficult to deal with, especially at high levels.
• probiotics or direct-fed microbials
• animal diets Another common strategy being used is the introduction of probiotics (or direct-fed microbials) in animal diets.
• probiotics or direct-fed microbials
• development of probiotics is limited by certain restraining factors including stringent European legislation on the use of probiotics and a wide range of alternate ingredients.
• animal feed products are often treated at high temperatures and probiotics (being microbial in nature) cannot survive such temperatures.
• FOS Fructose oligosaccharides
• probiotics which are particular strains of microbes fed directly to the individual.
• the human gut flora consists of over 400 species of bacteria and probiotics can only aim to re-introduce a few of these species.
• Current prebiotics, like insulin are non-specific and may in fact boost the levels of harmful bacteria like E. coli (Jaskari et al, 1998, Pierce at al, 2005), while increasing the levels of beneficial bacteria like bifidobacteria . Therefore, there exists a need for a prebiotic composition that can selectively boost the levels of beneficial carbodydrate fermenting bacteria like the bifidobacteria while reducing the levels of E. coli and Salmonella.
• a prebiotic is defined as a non-digestible food ingredient that beneficially affects the host by selectively stimulating the growth and/or activity of one or more of bacteria.
• the non-digestibility of prebiotics ensures that they can reach the colon and act as an energy source for bacteria, unlike normal sugars, which get digested directly by the host (Gibson et al, 1995).
• ⁇ -glucans are homopolysaccarides of linear or branched glucose residues.
• ⁇ -(1,3) glucans are a naturally occurring class of polysaccharides found in many species of yeast (including Baker's Yeast or S. cerevisiae ), mushrooms, plants (including cereals) and some bacterial, lichen and algal species (particularly brown algae or the Ascophyllum and Laminaria families).
• beta glucans isolated from cereal sources like wheat, barley and oats
• cereal sources like wheat, barley and oats
• the beta glucans isolated from cereal sources being linear homopolysaccharides (of glucose) with approximately 70% (1,4)-linkages and 30% (1,3)-linkages
• the glucans isolated from yeast consists predominantly of ⁇ -(1,3) glucan chains with ⁇ -(1,6) branching as well as a small incidence of ⁇ -(1,6) linked chains.
• Laminarin Algal ⁇ -glucans, called laminarin, consist of ⁇ -(1,3)-D glucan with occasional (1,6) linked branches.
• Laminarin from Laminaria digitata occurs as two homologous series of molecules, a minor G series containing 22-28 glucosyl residues and a more abundant M series consisting of 20-30 glucosyl residues linked to a mannitol residue.
• Laminarin from many species of Laminaria (including Laminaria hyperborea ) is insoluble and consists of predominantly ⁇ -(1,3) chains while the laminarin from Laminaria digitata is soluble and consists of small but significant levels of ⁇ -(1,6) linked branches. (Read et al, 1996).
• the ⁇ -glucans found in yeast are long linear chains of up to 1300-1500 residues of glucan molecules linked by a ⁇ -(1,3) bond with a minor incidence of ⁇ -(1,6) chains (which are much smaller and have only about 140 residues).
• Algal ⁇ -glucans on the other hand also called laminarin
• Laminaria digitata has the 1,6 branching which make the glucans derived from them water soluble.
• Other laminaria species like hyperborea do not have this branching which makes the linear chains aggregate and makes the glucans extracted from it, predominantly insoluble.
• Fucoidans Natural polysaccharides built up essentially of sulfated alpha-L-fucose residues are known as fucoidans (or ⁇ -fucans). These are present in brown algae, some echinoderms and are the predominant polysaccharide in brown seaweed, like Ascophyllum nodosum and the Laminaria spp. Fucoidans ( ⁇ -fucans) have been extensively studied due to their diverse biological activities, since they are potent anticoagulant, antitumor, and antiviral agents.
• U.S. Pat. No. 4,891,220 discloses methods and compositions to lower serum lipid levels using yeast glucans which are cholesterol-lowering agent.
• U.S. Pat. No. 6,143,731 discusses the ability of yeast glucans to act as a source of fiber, reduce the level of serum cholesterol, increase HDL cholesterol levels and act as bulking agents in humans and animals.
• Hogberg et al (2005) discuss the alteration of the molar proportions of various short chain fatty acids and lactic acid in pigs fed cereal ⁇ -glucans and other non-starch polysaccharides.
• NSPs Non Starch Polysaccharides
• Martensson et al (2005) discuss the ability of fermented oat based product containing native oat ⁇ -glucans and glucans derived from Pediococcus damnosus to reduce cholesterol levels in humans and also stimulate the bifidobacteria flora.
• Pediococcus sp. produces a glucan exo-polysaccharide which contains a ⁇ -(1,3)(1,2) tri-saccharide repeating unit (Llauberes et al, 1990).
• none of these researchers have indicated a prebiotic effect for ⁇ -(1,3) (1,6) glucans or the ability of these glucans to act as a selective substrate for beneficial bacteria, especially of the bifidobacteria spp.
• US 20050020490 discusses the ability of yeast glucans to improve the growth rate during an immune system challenge.
• US 20030219468 discusses the beneficial effects of ⁇ -glucans, combined with sorbic acid, on the hygiene state of feed as well as the growth performance of animals fed the combination.
• U.S. Pat. No. 6,939,864 discusses the synergistic effects of yeast ⁇ -glucans and ascorbic acid on animal growth and well-being.
• U.S. Pat. No. 6,214,337 relates to the beneficial effects of yeast glucans on pig performance, when fed in combination with an antibiotic.
• Hayen et al in U.S. Pat. No. 6,214,337 refer to the addition of yeast glucans to animal feed to improve animal growth.
• the glucans used are ⁇ (1,3)- and ⁇ (1,6)-glucans derived from yeast such as, for example, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. They measure the effects of these glucans, when used synergistically with the antibiotics, and do not propose the glucans as replacements for antibiotics.
• Alginate another polysaccharide from algae has been reported to have various benefits, including positive effects on gastrointestinal and cardiovascular health, and may act as a dietary fiber (Brownlee et al., 2005). However, the levels of alginate tested are much higher than those contained in the current composition. Furthermore, studies on a potential prebiotic effect have been inconclusive.
• a suitable source of the active ingredients of this application is seaweed, particularly brown algae.
• US 2003119780, US 20050065114 and US 20050095250 discuss methods of producing laminarin with an anti-cancer application, either by extracting the laminarin from seaweed or by synthesizing small molecule laminarin analogues.
• the method used to extract laminarin consists usually of an acid hydrolysis step followed by centrifugation followed by ultrafiltration to get the purified laminarin of the desired molecular size.
• Laminarin from certain seaweeds such as Laminaria digitata has the advantage that it is water soluble, reducing the need for an additional solubilization step in the process.
• laminarin/glucan a specific conformation of laminarin/glucan is not required as the prebiotic or anti-microbial action is not determined by its three-dimensional conformation but the nature of the bond and the chain length.
• the laminarin need not be separated from additional algal sugars like fucoidan or sugar alcohols like mannitol, as they have beneficial biological actions of their own and act synergistically with laminarin to improve gut health.
• the nutritional uniqueness of seaweed also involves a category of nutrients called sulfated polysaccharides. These carbohydrate-related nutrients, also called fucans, have been studied for their anti-inflammatory properties, and fucan extracts from brown sea-vegetables have been found to inhibit human complement activation in-vitro (Blonden et al, 1995).
• Laminarins both naturally extracted and synthetically derived, have also been investigated for their immunological properties and US 20050208079 mentions these effects as well as methods of preparing such biologically active extracts.
• US 2005095250 discusses the anti-cancer effect of laminarin, when applied in combination with a monoclonal antibody while US 20030119780 discusses these effects for laminarin alone.
• US 20050065114 discusses the anti-tumor effects of short chain laminarin analogues and methods of preparing the same.
• US 20040127457 discusses the anti-inflammatory action of laminarin. All these applications depend on the immuno-stimulating properties of laminarin for their action.
• Turner et al, 2002 found a slight improvement in growth performance and no immune response in pigs fed Ascophyllum nodosum extract. However, they do not mention the nature of the extract (acid or alkaline) or the composition of the extract. Thus it is difficult to speculate which components in the extract were responsible for the results. As is indicated elsewhere in this document, the extraction method has a large bearing on the composition of the resulting extract.
• compositions teach the use of ⁇ -glucans or ⁇ -fucans, singly or in combination for improved mineral and micronutrient absorption. Furthermore, none of the above refer to the use of Beta (1,3) (1,6) glucans or ⁇ -fucans, singly or in combination as prebiotics in mammals, as a means to reduce the threat of E. coli and Salmonella infection (particularly in weaned pigs) and as a means to improve ileal and apparent nutrient digestibility. Nor do they refer to the benefits of ⁇ -glucans and ⁇ -fucans, particularly those derived from seaweed, as means to improve pig performance and act as replacements for in-feed antibiotics in pigs.
• prebiotic composition that can be economically extracted and is biologically active as a prebiotic in humans or animals.
• prebiotic composition with high levels of ⁇ -(1,3)(1,6)-glucans and/or ⁇ -fucans, and a process for obtaining it.
• a further object is the extraction of novel compositions that can be used as feed supplements from the group consisting of seaweed, barley, yeast, oats, mushrooms and other fungi/microbes.
• the feed supplement provides a means for regulation of the gut microflora to aid in the growth of beneficial microbes; and/or a means for acidification of the gut leading to an improvement in gut health and/or a reduction in the growth of pathogenic bacteria (particularly in small pigs).
• Other aspects of this invention relate to an improvement in the absorption of minerals in the hind gut as well as an improvement in animal performance. Aspects of the invention are particularly useful in improvements in pig, cattle and poultry husbandry.
• the invention also provides a symbiotic (consisting of a prebiotic along with a probiotic) given to humans to restore helpful bacteria and boost their growth in the gut.
• compositions consisting of a high proportion of ⁇ -glucans and ⁇ -fucans is able to act as an anti-microbial, particularly in young mammals (reducing the threat of infections like E. coli and Salmonella ) and improve animal performance.
• This composition also acts as a prebiotic in humans and other large mammals and selectively boosts the growth of beneficial microbes. It also improves mineral absorption in the hind gut and increases nutrient digestibility. This is a large improvement over the art as, currently, there is no single composition that can concomitantly achieve all these objectives.
• the present invention relates to a composition
• a composition comprising at least about 8% by weight ⁇ -glucans or at least about 8% ⁇ -fucans or a mixture thereof.
• the ⁇ -glucans are present in an amount of between about 8% and about 30% by weight.
• the ⁇ -glucans comprise ⁇ -(1,3)(1,6)-glucans. Favourably, these are derived from seaweed and/or yeast.
• the ⁇ -glucan present is Laminarin, although alternative ⁇ -glucans such as scleroglucan and PSAT are encompassed by the invention.
• Laminarin is the storage polysaccharide of Laminaria and other brown algae; and is primarily made up of ⁇ -(1-3)-glucan with some ⁇ -(1-6) linkages.
• Other sources of ⁇ -glucans include yeast extracts, mushrooms, barley and oats.
• the ⁇ -fucans are present in an amount of between about 8% and about 30% by weight.
• the present invention encompasses the use of many ⁇ -fucans, and in particular the fucans present in many sea plants (such as seaweed) and sea vegetables, such as the sea cucumber body wall; in particular the ⁇ -fucan present in the cell walls of marine brown algae, and the egg jelly coat of sea urchin eggs.
• the present invention utilises fucoidan, the ⁇ -fucan present in brown seaweed.
• the composition contains a high proportion of ⁇ -glucans and/or ⁇ -fucans and natural minerals and a corresponding low proportion of alginate and polyphenols.
• the prebiotic composition comprises a mixture of at least about 8% by weight ⁇ -glucans and at least about 8% ⁇ -fucans.
• the composition comprises between about 8% and 30% ⁇ -glucans and between about 8% and about 30% ⁇ -fucans.
• the combined amount of ⁇ -glucans and ⁇ -fucans may be up to about 60% (w/w) of the said composition; preferably the ⁇ -glucans and/or ⁇ -fucans are present in a combined amount of between about 20% to about 30% of the composition.
• Some embodiments of the invention may provide different ratios depending on the intended usage, for example, some embodiments may provide increased ⁇ -fucan proportion to provide increased effect as an antibiotic substitution. Other applications of non-equal ratios will be readily apparent to the skilled person, taking into account the different relative qualities of ⁇ -glucans and ⁇ -fucans and the intended usage thereof.
• compositions of the invention may further comprise mannitol. While not wishing to be bound by theory, it is believe that mannitol when used in combination with one or both of ⁇ -glucans and ⁇ -fucans, provides a co-operative effect to increase the overall efficacy; due in part to mannitol increasing the sweetness of the feed supplement or mannitol aiding the translocation of minerals and/or trace elements in the digestive tract due to its smaller molecular size.
• mannitol is present in an amount of between about 5% and about 25% (w/w) of the composition.
• lactose pure or as whey
• lactose may be also be provided with the compositions of the invention.
• lactose is present in an amount of between about 5% and about 30% (w/w) of the composition.
• the composition may also further comprise minerals and trace elements. The levels of minerals can be from 5 to 40% depending on the application.
• the compositions of the invention may be used in combination with animal feed. Ideally, the compositions of the invention may be used in combination with animal feed in an amount of about 0.1 to about 10% by weight. In alternate embodiments, the animal feed may also contain up to 30% of lactose.
• the lactose can act synergistically with the other components of the composition.
• the ⁇ -glucans and/or ⁇ -fucans are derived from natural materials such as seaweed, barley, mushrooms, oats, yeast and other microbial sources.
• the seaweed may be one or more selected from the group consisting of Laminariaceae, Fucacea, Gigartinaceae, Ascophyllum, Laminaria, Durvillea, Macrocystis, Chondrus and Eclclonia . Particularly preferred are Laminaria and/or Ascophyllum .
• the ⁇ -glucans and/or ⁇ -fucans may be derived from more than one source. Other components of the invention may be derived from the same or alternative sources.
• the composition may be provided in a powder form.
• the total solid content may be above about 90% of the total weight.
• total ash content may be below about 40%; total protein content may be in the range of about 3 to about 7%; the total fat content may be about 4%; total carbohydrate content may be about 50%; reducing sugar content may be in the range of about 1 to about 5%; total concentration of ⁇ -glucans and/or ⁇ -fucans may be about 20% to about 25%; Insoluble (non-dietary) fibre content may be in the range of about 2 to about 6%; methylpentosan content may be in the range of about 2 to about 6%; total phenol content may be below about 5%, and ideally below 2%; total content of antioxidants (including BHA, BHT, Ethoxyquin, Vitamin C, Tocopherols) may be up to about 5%, total content of alginate may be less than about 5% and ideally less than about 2%.
• antioxidants including BHA, BHT, Ethoxyquin, Vitamin C, Tocopherols
• the composition may also contain contains trace (less than about 500 ppm) amounts of plant growth hormones like Cytokinins, Auxins, Gibberellin and Betaines;
• the prebiotic composition may also contain an appropriate amount of a low pH food grade preservative, such as sodium benzoate, although a huge variety of food preservatives would be suitable.
• the prebiotic composition may be provided in a liquid form such that it contains about 10 to about 50% (w/v) of the powder as previously described.
• the liquid extract may then be spray dried to obtain an extract in powder form, which may, for example, be cream-coloured.
• the invention may also be provided in the form of an animal feed composition comprising animal feed and the prebiotic composition of the invention, wherein said composition is present at about 0.001 to about 10% by weight, said amount being sufficient to effect prebiotic action and pH lowering action in an animal and which is orally administered as part of said animal feed composition.
• the animal feed compositions and/or prebiotic compositions of the invention may be administered independently to the animals or along with a carrier selected from a group consisting of but not limited to water, oil, milk and mixtures thereof.
• the prebiotic composition may be mixed together with one or more probiotic cultures, suitably as a tablet or a capsule. Some embodiments may contain over 10% or more probiotic culture, while in other embodiments, the ratio of prebiotic to probiotic culture is 1:3
• a broad range of probiotic cultures may be suitable for use in the various embodiments of the invention, such as Bifidobacteria Lactobacilli, leichmannii, L. plantarum, L. cellobiosius, B. adolescentis and/or L. acidophilus .
• the probiotic culture is a Lactobacilli or Bifidobacteria.
• the invention also provides for a pharmaceutical preparation comprising a suitable pharmaceutical carrier and one or more of the compositions of the present invention.
• the invention also relates to a method of obtaining such a composition from seaweed consisting of a novel acid extraction step combined with a nanofiltration step.
• the inventors have found that subjecting the acid extract of seaweed such as laminaria spp to a nanofiltration step results in a clear separation of the salts and results in light green liquid which can be dried into a cream colored powder which is ideal for the purposes of this invention.
• the liquid may also be used independently.
• This additional step of combining an acid extraction step with a nanofiltration step is novel.
• a further aspect of the invention is a method for the extraction of ⁇ -glucans, ⁇ -fucans and mannitol from seaweed.
• the seaweed may be of different species, for example: Ascophyllum nodosum, Fucus, Laminaria digitata, Laminaria saccharina, Laminaria hyperborea.
• the invention provides a process for obtaining a composition from seaweed comprising;
• a subset of any of these processes can be used to make, for example, the ⁇ -(1,3) (1,6) glucans from yeast for some favourable aspects of the present invention.
• it is not essential to separate the cell wall manno-proteins and lipids, as these may have beneficial biological effects of their own when applied to animals.
• the present invention is a significant improvement over developments disclosed in the prior art.
• Known acid extraction methods for example GB 727,013, are known to be somewhat uneconomical as a relatively low yield of nutrients is obtained. Primarily for this reason, the tendency has been to use an alkali extraction process as these typically obtain higher nutrient yields than previously known acid extraction methods.
• research has shown that, surprisingly, using alkaline extracted seaweed extracts resulted in a tendency to reduce weight gain in test animals (Pierce, A, 2002).
• This alkali method of extraction provides a higher proportion of total nutrients, although a low proportion of ⁇ -glucans; of no more than 8% and typically 6%-7.5%, and ⁇ -fucans; typically of 6%-8%, although yields of up to 9% are potentially possible.
• Alkaline extracts will typically include 25% Alginate and 7% polyphenols.
• the acid extraction methods of the present invention yield 80% less alginates and polyphenols than normal alkali extractions, for example, producing up to about 5% alginates and up to about 1-2% polyphenols.
• the present invention provides particular components of the seaweed extract ( ⁇ -fucans and/or ⁇ -glucans), derived by novel extraction processes that are beneficial to animal and human health.
• the mode of action prescribed in those documents, i.e. through a stimulation of the immune system is quite different from the mode of action of our composition, which acts as a prebiotic in large mammals and an anti-microbial in young mammals.
• compositions and methods that have a number of uses.
• the compositions of the invention can act as a prebiotic, i.e. to selectively act as a substrate for, and boost the growth of beneficial microbes like bifidobacteria in large mammals.
• compositions comprising ⁇ -(1,3)(1,6) glucans (for example, those derived from yeast or seaweeds) are suitable with compositions comprising ⁇ -(1,3)(1,6) glucans derived from seaweed being particularly favourable. This effect is enhanced when the glucans are fed in combination with fucoidan and mannitol.
• the beneficial bacteria through competitive exclusion and through the secretion of specific metabolites (bacteriocins), reduce the growth of harmful bacteria like E. Coli and Salmonella .
• the invention also provides methods of reducing the growth of harmful bacteria in mammalian intestines.
• the composition also has a direct anti-microbial action in young mammals, whose digestive systems may not be developed to break the constituents down into a prebiotic form. In this way, the composition acts as an excellent replacement to in-feed antibiotics and enhances animal performance to match and even exceed the effects of those antibiotics.
• compositions of the invention also provide a means for acidification of the large intestine which is beneficial to the animals and farming efficiency in the absence of in-feed antibiotic growth promoters. This lowering of the pH reduces the growth of harmful microbes like E. coli and enhances the prebiotic action of these carbohydrates.
• Compositions of the invention may be used as replacements for in-feed antibiotics.
• Another aspect of the present invention provides a synbiotic for humans or animals to restore helpful bacteria and boost their growth in the gut.
• fucoidan ⁇ -fucan
• fucoidan ⁇ -fucan
• the invention provides a method of improving gut health in humans or animals comprising treating the human or animal with one of more compositions of the invention, and in particular, the ⁇ -(1,3)(1,6) glucans from yeast, plant, fungal, microbial and algal sources.
• NSPs particularly insoluble NSPs, have been implicated in reduced performance and digestibility. This is because high levels of NSPs in the diet increase the size of the gut (particularly the length of the long intestine) which places a bigger energy demand on the animal.
• the compositions of the invention are administered separately in the dose recommended, they actually improve performance.
• algal polysaccharides particularly laminarin and fuocidan have beneficial effects on pig performance as measured by food intakes, daily gain and feed conversion ratios.
• the invention provides for the use of algal polysaccharides, particularly laminarin and fuocidan, in feed supplements, as there will have beneficial effects on pig performance as measured by growth rates, daily gain and feed conversion ratios. These effects will vary depending on the algal source and the solubilities of the resulting polysaccharides.
• the invention also provides methods of improving nutrient digestibility in large animals or humans comprising feeding the animals or humans compositions of the invention.
• ⁇ -(1,3) (1,6) glucans from yeast, fungal, microbial, plant or algal sources will improve nutrient digestibility in mammals. These will also improve the absorption of minerals and micronutrients by mammals. This is due to an improved gut structure (greater area for absorption of nutrients), and the increase of lactic acid producing bacteria particularly in large mammals.
• compositions of the invention in general favour the use of the ⁇ -glucans derived from seaweed, as these are smaller and more soluble than even the ⁇ -glucans derived from yeast.
• compositions of the invention also relate to pharmaceutical preparations and feedstuffs.
• compositions of the invention for one or more of the group consisting of: improving gut health in humans or animals, promoting the growth of beneficial bacteria in human or animal intestines, reducing the levels of harmful microbes like E. coli and Salmonella in animal or human intestines, improving animal performance and acting as a replacement for in-feed antibiotics and improving mineral absorption and nutrient digestibility.
• compositions comprising ⁇ -glucans and/or ⁇ -fucans in the preparation of a medicament for the treatment of one or more of the group consisting of gut inflammation and gut infection.
• a pharmaceutical preparation comprising one or more of the above described compositions and a suitable pharmaceutical carrier.
• suitable carriers are well known in the art and include liposomes, emulsions, surfactants, vegetable oils, totally or partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, lecithins, plant phosphatides and natural waxes. soya oil, totally or partially hydrogenated soya oil, rapeseed oil, ground nut oil, soya lecithin, soya phosphatides, egg lecithin and beeswax.
• the pharmaceutical preparation may also further include one or more selected from the group consisting of an enteric coating, L- and or D-amino-acids, vitamins, trace elements, natural oils, antioxidants, salts and solvents.
• GutCare is a trademark.
• the experiment was designed as a 3 ⁇ 2 factorial (3 lactose levels ⁇ 2 GutCare levels) consisting of 6 dietary treatments.
• the treatments were as follows (T1) 65 g/kg lactose with no supplementation, (T2) 170 g/kg lactose with no supplementation, (T3) 275 g/kg lactose with no supplementation, (T4) 65 g/kg lactose+5 g/kg GutCare, (T5) 170 g/kg lactose+5 g/kg GutCare and (T6) 275 g/kg lactose+5 g/kg GutCare.
• the starter diets were fed in meal form for 27 days.
• the compositions and chemical analysis of the experimental diets are shown in Table 1.
• the diets were formulated to have identical digestible energy (16 MJ/kg) and total lysine (16 g/kg) contents by adjusting soya oil and synthetic amino acids. Amino acid requirements were met relative to lysine (Close, 1994). All diets were milled on site. Chromic oxide (Cr 2 O 3 ) was added to the diet during milling at a concentration of 150 ppm to determine nutrient digestibility.
• 165 piglets (progeny of Large White X (Large White X Landrace sows)) were weaned at 24 days of age and had an initial live weight of 5.90 kg. The piglets were blocked on the basis of live weight and within each block were randomly assigned to one of six dietary treatments. The pigs were housed on fully slatted pens (1.68 m ⁇ 1.22 m). There were six replicates/treatment. Temperatures of the houses were kept at 30° C. during the first week and were then reduced by 2° C. per week. Each pig was weighed initially and on day 8, day 15, day 21 and day 27. The pigs were fed ad libitum and care was taken to avoid any wastage.
• Feed was available up to weighing but after weighing all the remaining feed in the trough was weighed back. Throughout the experiment samples of the feed were taken for chemical analysis. Fresh fecal samples were collected from each pen on a daily basis from days 10-14 to measure digestibilities. Feces samples were also collected from each pen every second week to measure fecal pH.
• Both concentrates and feces were analysed for nitrogen, dry matter, ash, gross energy, neutral detergent fibre and chromium concentration. After collection, the feces were dried at 100° C. for 72 hours. The concentrates and dried feces were then milled through a 1-mm screen (Christy and Norris hammer mill). The dry matter was determined after drying overnight (min 16 hours) at 103° C. Ash was determined after ignition of a known weight in a muffle furnace (Nabertherm, Bremen, Germany) at 550° for 4 hours.
• Crude protein was determined as Kjeldahl N ⁇ 6.25 using both a Buchi 323 distillation unit and a Buchi 435 digestion unit (Buchi, Flawil/Schweiz, Switzerland) according to AOAC (1980).
• Neutral detergent fibre and crude fibre was determined using a Fibertec extraction unit (Tecator, Hoganans, Sweden). The Neutral detergent fibre was determined according to Van Soest (1976).
• the experimental data was analysed as a 3 ⁇ 2 factorial using the General Linear Model procedure of Statistical Analysis System Institute (1985).
• the models for performance and digestibility analysis included the main effects of lactose level, the composition of the invention or GutCare and the interaction between lactose level and the composition of the invention or GutCare.
• Initial liveweight at weaning was included as a covariate in the model.
• Pigs offered diets containing GutCare had solider feces between days 21-27 than pigs offered diets without GutCare. Pigs offered diets containing GutCare had a significantly lower feces pH compared to pigs offered diets without GutCare. There was a significant interaction between lactose level and GutCare in dry matter (DMD) (P ⁇ 0.01), organic matter (OMD) (P ⁇ 0.01), neutral detergent fibre (NDF) (P ⁇ 0.05), nitrogen (P ⁇ 0.001) and gross energy (GE) (P ⁇ 0.001) digestibilities.
• DMD dry matter
• OMD organic matter
• NDF neutral detergent fibre
• GE gross energy
• GutCare extract to 275 g/kg lactose significantly reduced apparent nutrient digestibilities of DMD, OMD, NDF nitrogen and gross energy compared to pigs offered 275 g/kg lactose without GutCare.
• the inclusion of GutCare to 65 g/kg lactose significantly improved apparent nutrient digestibilities of DMD, OMD, NDF, nitrogen and digestible energy compared to pigs offered 65 g/kg lactose without GutCare.
• GutCare to the high lactose diets resulted in a decrease in DMD, NDF, OMD, nitrogen and GE digestibility of 0.02, 0.12, 0.02, 0.05 and 0.03 respectively compared to the high lactose diet unsupplemented with GutCare.
• Mul and Perry (1994) showed that an excess intake of oligosaccharides can result in excessive fermentation which may lead to undesirable conditions in the large intestine.
• the inclusion of the GutCare to the low lactose diets improved nutrient digestibility however, the inclusion of GutCare to the high lactose diets reduced nutrient digestibility due to an overloading of the gut as described above. However, the inclusion of GutCare in the diet lowered the pH of the feces, indicating a prebiotic effect.
• a process for producing the composition from algae comprises the following:
• the seaweed is preferably combined with water.
• the water may be brought to, or is at, a temperature between about 0° C. to about 100° C., preferably between about 37° C. and 95° C., more preferably about 50° C. to about 80° C., and most preferably about 75° C.
• the process of the invention is ideally carried out at pH 1 to pH 7, more preferably pH 1 to pH 6, more preferably about pH 4 to about pH 5 and most preferably about pH 4.5.
• the pH of the solution can be adjusted to about pH 4.5 prior to the agitation step.
• a pH between about pH 4 and about pH 5 optimises yield, while lowering the requirement for addition of acids, minimising the hydrolysis effects and harm thereof.
• the acid used is chosen from a group consisting of inorganic acids like hydrochloric acid, phosphoric acid and sulphuric acid and organic acids like lactic acid, formic acid and propionic acid, or any soluble inorganic or organic acid.
• the process of extraction is further aided by continuous agitation.
• the mixture is agitated for a period of time, preferably between about 1-10 hours, and most preferably about 3 hours.
• the agitation creates a slurry.
• the processed material can then be cooled to 10-50° C. thus protecting sensitive compounds and/or making the material safe to press.
• the mixture may then be decanted or pressed.
• the insoluble material may be collected and reprocessed using the same procedure outlined above.
• the liquid plus small insoluble residue is pumped to a clarifier where the remaining insoluble fractions are removed.
• the product may be clarified to yield a liquid composition.
• the clarified liquid can be pumped to a storage tank (direct to nanofiltration unit or evaporator) from where it can be pumped to evaporator for concentration or to nanofiltration (NF) plant where up to 70% of the chloride salts are removed and up to 30% of the sodium and potassium salts are removed.
• NF nanofiltration
• the operating pressure in the NF step is between 20-40 bar and preferably 25 bar and the membrane pore size is 10 ⁇ 3 -10 ⁇ 2 um.
• the product can be processed by either Electrodialysis or Ion Exchange.
• the concentrated, nanofiltered or demineralised product can be evaporated and a preservative such as sodium benzoate added if required in liquid form.
• a preservative such as sodium benzoate added if required in liquid form.
• the product can be crystalised in crystallation tanks where the mannitol is converted to crystals and removed by centrifugation. This involves obtaining a highly concentrated liquid, followed by transfer to crystallation tanks, followed by seeding, followed by cooling at a predetermined time and temperature.
• the product is then centrifuged is a two step separation process separating the crystals for drying in a fluid bed dryer and the balance of the product which is high in ⁇ -glucans and ⁇ -fucans available to be dried in a spray dryer. 12)
• the evaporated product can be dried in a spray dryer.
• the resultant powder is a cream colour.
• Solubilisation of the laminarin may be required if the starting raw material is Laminaria hyperborea. In this case the product after clarification is subjected to pH modification as per the process described for yeast glucans in US Pat. No 20040082539.
• the experiment was arranged as a 4 ⁇ 3 factorial (4 GutCare levels and 3 lactose levels), over four consecutive runs.
• 384 piglets progeny of Large White ⁇ (Large White ⁇ Landrace)) were selected after weaning at 21 days with an initial live weight of 7.43 kg.
• the pigs in run 1, 2, 3 and 4 had an initial live weight of 7.88 kg, 7.57 kg, 6.56 kg and 7.72 kg respectively.
• the pigs were blocked on the basis of live weight and within each block assigned to one of twelve dietary treatments.
• the dietary treatments consisted of (T1) 24.3 g/kg lactose with 0 g/kg GutCare, (T2) 24.3 g/kg lactose with 3 g/kg GutCare, (T3) 24.3 g/kg lactose with 6 g/kg GutCare (T4) 24.3 g/kg lactose with 12 g/kg GutCare, (T5) 15.3 g/kg lactose with 0 g/kg GutCare, (T6) 15.3 g/kg lactose with 3 g/kg GutCare. (T7) 15.3 g/kg lactose with 6 g/kg GutCare. (T8) 15.3 g/kg lactose with 12 g/kg GutCare.
• Pigs were housed in groups of four (eight replicates per treatment) as described in Example 2. Pigs were weighed initially and on days 7, 14 and 21. Fresh fecal samples were collected once daily from all pens on days 10 to 15.
• ADFI ADFI
• the experiment was designed as a 2 ⁇ 1 factorial.
• Ten piglets progeny of Large White ⁇ (Large White ⁇ Landrace)) were selected from four closely related sows at 24 days of age.
• the piglets had a weaning weight of 7.8 (s.d 0.83) kg. They were blocked on the basis of litter, weight and sex and within each block randomly assigned to one of two dietary treatments.
• the dietary treatments were as follows: T1) Standard Diet; T2) Standard Diet+1.8 g/kg GutCare. Diets were formulated as described in Experiment 2.
• GutCare had a significant effect on the microbial populations in the caecum with a decrease in the E. coli (P ⁇ 0.01), Bifidobacteria (P ⁇ 0.05), and Lactobacilli (P ⁇ 0.05) populations. GutCare had a significant effect on the E. coli population (P ⁇ 0.01) and the Lactobacilli population (P ⁇ 0.001) of the colon, causing a decline.
• composition has a pronounced anti-microbial action, similar to in-feed antibiotics in piglets. This is beneficial from a performance perspective, as a lower microbial load will result in a lower energy cost to the pig. Also, the removal of harmful bacteria like E. coli helps control disease rates in piglets.
• the composition plays a role similar to the antibiotics in small pigs, acting as a replacement for them. This behaviour is different to the behaviour in large pigs where the formulation plays more of a prebiotic role. The reason for the difference could be the inability of the small pigs to break down some of the components in the composition to a form in which they act as a prebiotic. This is in line with the objectives of the formulation to act as a substitute for antibiotics in the small pig.
• the experiment was designed as a complete randomised design comprising of five dietary treatments. All diets were formulated to have identical concentrations of net energy (9.8 MJ/kg) and total lysine (10.0 g/kg). The amino acid requirements were met relative to lysine (Close, 1994). All diets were fed in meal form. GutCare was supplied by BioAtlantis Ltd. (Kerry Technology Park, Tralee, Ireland). The dietary composition and analysis are presented in Table 6.
• urine was collected in a plastic container, via a funnel below the crate, containing 20 ml of sulphuric acid (25% H 2 SO 4 ). The urine volume was recorded daily and a 50 ml sample was collected and frozen for laboratory analysis. Total feces weight was recorded daily and oven dried at 100° C. At the end of the collection period, the feces samples were pooled and a sub-sample retained for laboratory analysis. Feed samples were collected each day and retained for chemical analysis.
• Digesta samples (approximately 10 g+1 g) were aseptically removed from the colon of each animal immediately after slaughter, stored in sterile containers (Sarstedt, Wexford, Ireland) on ice and transported to the laboratory within 7 h.
• Bifidobacteria spp. and E. coli were isolated and counted according to the method described by O'Connell et al., (2005). Bifidobacteria spp was chosen because of its positive effect on gut health while E. coli species was chosen because of its negative effect on gut health (De Lange, 2000).
• Lactofeed consists of 955 g/kg dry matter (DM); 700 g/kg of lactose; 125 g/kg of crude protein; 90 g/kg of ash; 50 g/kg of oil and 10 g/kg of crude fibre.
• DM dry matter
• lactose lactose
• 125 g/kg of crude protein a crude protein
• 90 g/kg of ash a crude protein
• 50 g/kg of oil 50 g/kg of oil and 10 g/kg of crude fibre.
• ⁇ BioAtlantis Co. Kerry. ⁇ Calculated from proximate analysis (Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, 1991).
• the chemical analysis is as follows: (g/kg) dry matter 955, crude protein 125, oil 50, ash 90, fibre 10, gross energy content 15.5 MJ kg and a pH of 6.5-7. 2 Provided (mg/kg completed diet): Cu 175, Fe 140, Mn 47, Zn 120, I .6, Se 0.3, retinol 1.8, cholecalciferol 0.025, alpha-tocopherol 67, phytylmenaquinone 4, cyanocobalamin 0.01, riboflavin 2, nicotinic acid 12, pantothenic acid 10, choline chloride 250, thiamine 2, pyridoxine 0.015. Chromium III oxide included at 200 mg/kg complete diet. 3 Calculated concentration of Lactose. ⁇ Calculated from proximate analysis. (Ministry of Agriculture, 1991)
• ⁇ Provided per kg of complete diet: 3 mg retinol, 0.05 mg cholecalciferol, 40 mg alpha-tocopherol, 90 mg copper as copper II sulphate, 100 mg iron as iron II sulphate, 100 mg zinc as zinc oxide, 0.3 mg selenium as sodium selenite, 25 mg manganese as manganous oxide and 0.2 mg iodine as calcium iodate on a calcium sulphate/calcium carbonate carrier

Priority Applications (3)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Related Parent Applications (1)

Related Child Applications (1)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=38049053

Family Applications (4)

Family Applications After (3)

Country Status (9)

Cited By (5)

Families Citing this family (7)

Citations (4)

Family Cites Families (36)

• 2006
  • 2006-11-21 PL PL06809743T patent/PL1965809T3/pl unknown
  • 2006-11-21 PT PT06809743T patent/PT1965809E/pt unknown
  • 2006-11-21 WO PCT/IE2006/000131 patent/WO2007057873A2/en active Application Filing
  • 2006-11-21 DK DK06809743T patent/DK1965809T3/da active
  • 2006-11-21 ES ES06809743T patent/ES2333259T3/es active Active
  • 2006-11-21 EP EP06809743A patent/EP1965809B9/de active Active
  • 2006-11-21 US US12/094,383 patent/US20090148414A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2006-11-21 AT AT06809743T patent/ATE442153T1/de active
  • 2006-11-21 DE DE602006009144T patent/DE602006009144D1/de active Active
• 2018
  • 2018-02-26 US US15/905,361 patent/US10688140B2/en active Active
• 2019
  • 2019-07-08 US US16/505,348 patent/US10780137B2/en active Active
• 2020
  • 2020-08-13 US US16/992,989 patent/US20200368301A1/en active Pending

Patent Citations (4)

Non-Patent Citations (1)

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events