USE OF BENZOIC ACID AND ESSENTIAL OIL COMPOUNDS FOR IMPROVING GROWTH PERFORMANCE

Abstract

This invention relates to a composition comprising benzoic acid, derivatives or metabolites thereof, optionally in combination with a mixture of at least one essential oil compounds selected from the group consisting of thymol, eugenol and piperine, for improving growth performance of an animal subjected to coccidiosis vaccine challenge, and use thereof.

Claims

1. A composition comprising benzoic acid, derivatives or metabolites thereof, optionally in combination with a mixture of at least one essential oil compounds selected from the group consisting of thymol, eugenol and piperine, for improving growth performance of an animal subjected to coccidiosis vaccine challenge.

2. The composition of claim 1, wherein the animal is poultry including but not limited to turkeys, ducks and chickens (including but not limited to broiler chicks, layers), goose, pigeon.

3. The composition of claim 1, which is in form of an animal feed or an additive or a premix therefore.

4. Use of the composition of any one of claims 1 for improving growth performance of an animal subjected to coccidiosis vaccine challenge.

5. Use of claim 4, wherein the animal is poultry including but not limited to turkeys, ducks and chickens (including but not limited to broiler chicks, layers), goose, pigeon.

6. A method for improving growth performance of an animal subjected to coccidiosis vaccine challenge comprising administering to the animal an effective amount of the composition of claim 1.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the animal is poultry including but not limited to turkeys, ducks and chickens (including but not limited to broiler chicks, layers), goose, pigeon.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein benzoic acid, derivatives or metabolites thereof is administered in an amount of from 50 mg/kg to 1000 mg/kg feed, preferably in the range of 100 mg/kg to 500 mg/kg, most preferably in the range of 200 mg/kg to 250 mg/kg feed.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein benzoic acid, derivatives or metabolites thereof is administered in an amount sufficient to provide a daily dosage of 5 mg per kg body weight to about 80 mg per kg body weight, preferably 10 mg per kg body weight to about 40 mg per kg body weight, of the animal.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the essential oil compounds are administered in amounts of from 0.1 mg to 20 mg per kg feed (ppm), preferably in the range of from 0.3 mg to 10 mg per kg feed.

Description

EXAMPLE

Material and Methods

[0045] Experimental Design and Diets

[0046] A total of 800 day-old male broiler chickens (Arbor Acres Plus) were sorted by body weight and randomly assigned to 4 dietary treatments each with 8 replicates and 25 birds per pen. The treatments including a non-challenge group (PC), a challenge group (NC), NC supplemented with benzoic acid (1000 mg/kg feed), and NC supplemented with CRINA® Poultry Plus (300 mg/kg feed, DSM Nutritional Products, Switzerland). The diets were formulated based on wheat, corn and soybean meal. All diets were in pelleted form and formulated according to the recommendation of China NY/T33-2004. The basal diets were prepared in mash form as indicated in Table 1, then the basal diet was subdivided into 4 experimental diets, appropriate amounts of tested feed additives were mixed with a small quantity of basal diet as a premix which was then added to the feed to get the final concentration, according to the treatment. After mixing, the feed was pelleted at 75-80° C.

TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Ingredient and nutrient compositions of basal diets Basal diets Starter Grower Ingredients (%) (0 to 21 d) (21 to 35 d) Wheat 40.00 50.00 Corn 22.77 17.33 Soybean meal 29.82 24.75 Soybean oil 3.07 4.20 L-Lysine HCl 0.15 0.12 DL-Met 0.21 0.10 L-threonine 0.03 0.02 Sodium bicarbonate 0.24 0.22 Limestone 1.26 1.17 DCP 1.70 1.37 NaCl 0.25 0.22 Premix.sup.1 0.50 0.50 Total 100.00 100.00 Calculated nutrients & energy content ME, kcal/kg 2950 3050 CP, % 21.50 20.00 Ca, % 1.00 0.90 tP, % 0.69 0.63 nPP, % 0.45 0.40 Lys, % 1.15 1.01 SAA, % 0.91 0.76 Thr, % 0.81 0.73 Trp, % 0.28 0.25 Na, % 0.20 0.18 Analyzed nutrient content, % CP 22.56 20.13 Ca 1.06 0.93 tP 0.73 0.61 .sup.1Vitamin-mineral premix provided (per kg of diet) = Vitamin A 8250 IU, Vitamin D.sub.3 2187.5 IU, 25-OH-D.sub.3 69 μg, Vitamin E 41.25 IU, Vitamin K.sub.3 5 mg, Vitamin B.sub.1 2.5 mg, Vitamin B.sub.2 8.75 mg, Vitamin B.sub.6 5 mg, Vitamin B.sub.12 0.025 mg, Biotin 0.25 mg, Folic acid 2.5 mg, Niacinamide 50 mg, D-pantothenic acid 15 mg, Fe 120 mg, Cu 10 mg, Mn 110 mg, Zn 90 mg, I 0.5 mg, Se 0.25 mg, Choline 400 mg.

[0047] Birds Management and Sampling

[0048] The birds were reared in floor pens on fresh wood shaving bedding in an environmentally controlled room and received 23L:1D of lighting program during the first week and 20L:4D afterward until the end of the study. The temperature of the room was maintained at 32±1° C. on the day of arrival and adapted according to the age specific requirements of the chicks. Birds were offered starter diets during 0-21 d and grower diet during 21-35 d. Feed and water were provided ad libitum. At 4 days of age, the birds in challenge groups (NC) were received a coccidial vaccine (Coccivac B®, Merck Animal Health), which contained live oocysts of E. tenella, E. mivati, E. maxima and E. acervuline, with 2-fold dose in a 0.5 ml sterile water by gavage. Because of the small volume, non-challenged birds were not given a placebo gavage. Pen weight and feed intake were measured at day-old, 21 and 35 days of age, dead animals were monitored twice daily and the weights of dead birds were recorded for the calculation of FCR.

[0049] Statistical Analysis

[0050] The experiment was a completely randomized design with 4 treatments. The data were analyzed using the General Linear Model procedure of SPSS (version 22.0). Each pen served as an experimental unit. Contrast procedures were used to compare PC to NC, NC to the treatment with Benzoic acid or CRINA® Poultry Plus at P<0.05.

[0051] Results

[0052] The growth performance of broiler receiving different dietary treatments are presented in Table 2.

TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Growth performance of broilers receiving different dietary treatments from days 0 to 35 of age Treatment Description FI, g/bird WG, g/bird Mortality, % T1 PC 3072 1913 5.5 T2 NC 3021 1901 5.0 T3 Benzoic acid 3071 1930 6.0 T4 CRINA ® Poultry 3162 1959 4.5 Plus

[0053] In the overall period, CRINA® Poultry Plus significantly increased feed intake and weight gain while decreasing the mortality of the birds.

[0054] The clinic symptoms of a coccidiosis infection are related with intestinal mucosal damage, poor feed utilization and growth depression. In the current trial, the success of coccidial vaccine challenge was evidenced by the impaired feed intake and weight. The supplementation of CRINA° Poultry Plus could compensate this negative effect and the values reached to that of the PC.

[0055] Conclusions

[0056] Coccidial vaccine challenge results in growth depression while supplementation of benzoic acid or mixture of benzoic acid and essential oils improves growth performance of broiler chickens subjected to coccidiosis challenge.