Non-medicinal food additive for animals, supplemented food containing same and method for improving animal growth

Abstract

This invention relates to a non-medical food additive that is an animal growth promoter containing 99% pure zeolite partially or totally exchanged with a C.sup.m+ cation (in other words a synthetic zeolite) with the general formula I below: $\frac{1}{m}{\mathrm{yC}}^{m+}\left(1-y\right)\frac{1}{n}{M}^{n+}{\mathrm{AlO}}_2{x\mathrm{SiO}}_2$ in which x is greater than 1 and advantageously between 1 and 15; M.sup.n+ represents an alkaline or alkaline earth exchangeable ion, advantageously Na.sup.+, K.sup.+, Ca.sup.2+ or Li.sup.+; n is between 1 and 2; y is the exchange rate and is between 0.001 and 1; C.sup.m+ is a metallic cation chosen from among copper Cu.sup.2+, silver Ag.sup.+ or zinc Zn.sup.2+; m is between 1 and 2. It also relates to an additive premix and a supplemented food containing it and a method of improving the growth of animals.

Claims

1. A premix of non-medical growth promoter food additive for animals containing a non-medical food additive on a support and/or in combination with at least another animal food additive, wherein the non-medical food additive is an animal growth promoter containing 99% pure type Y zeolite partially or totally exchanged with a C.sup.m+ cation with the general formula I below: $\frac{1}{m}{\mathrm{yC}}^{m+}\left(1-y\right)\frac{1}{n}{M}^{n+}{\mathrm{AlO}}_2{x\mathrm{SiO}}_2$ in which x is greater than 1; M.sup.n+ represents an alkaline or alkaline earth exchangeable ion; n is 1 or 2; y is the exchange rate and is between 0.001 and 1; C.sup.m+ is Cu.sup.2+; m is 2, and wherein the zeolite contains between 3 and 9% by weight of copper as a proportion of the total weight of zeolite.

2. The premix according to claim 1, wherein y is between 0.01 and 0.80.

3. The premix according to claim 1, wherein the zeolite contains between 5 and 6% by weight of copper as a proportion of the total weight of zeolite.

4. The premix according to claim 1, wherein x is 2.6.

5. The premix according to claim 1, wherein M.sup.n+ is Na.sup.+.

6. The premix according to claim 1, wherein y is between 0.1 and 0.5.

7. The premix according to claim 1, wherein the support and/or the other animal food additive is selected from the group consisting of cereal by-products, calcium carbonate, corn cobs, clays, acidifiers, vegetable extracts, aromatic substances, growth factors, vitamins, trace elements, and mixtures thereof.

8. A supplemented food for animals containing a non-medical food additive, wherein the non-medical food additive is an animal growth promoter containing 99% pure type Y zeolite partially or totally exchanged with a C.sup.m+ cation with the general formula I below: $\frac{1}{m}{\mathrm{yC}}^{m+}\left(1-y\right)\frac{1}{n}{M}^{n+}{\mathrm{AlO}}_2{x\mathrm{SiO}}_2$ in which x is greater than 1; M.sup.n+ represents an alkaline or alkaline earth exchangeable ion; n is 1 or 2; y is the exchange rate and is between 0.001 and 1; C.sup.m+ is Cu.sup.2+; m is 2, and wherein the zeolite contains between 3 and 9% by weight of copper as a proportion of the total weight of zeolite.

9. The supplemented food according to claim 8, wherein y is between 0.01 and 0.80.

10. The supplemented food according to claim 8, wherein the zeolite contains between 5 and 6% by weight of copper as a proportion of the total weight of zeolite.

11. The supplemented food according to claim 8, wherein x is 2.6.

12. The supplemented food according to claim 8, wherein M.sup.n+ is Na.sup.+.

13. The supplemented food according to claim 8, wherein y is between 0.1 and 0.5.

14. The supplemented food according to claim 8, wherein the quantity of zeolite present is 5 to 200 ppm by weight as a proportion of the total weight of the food.

15. The supplemented food according to claim 8, wherein the quantity of zeolite present is equal to about 10 ppm by weight as a proportion of the total weight of the food.

16. A supplemented food for animals, containing a premix according to claim 1.

17. A method of improving the growth of an animals comprising administering to the animal a food comprising a 99% pure type Y zeolite partially or totally exchanged with a C.sup.m+ cation with the general formula I below: $\frac{1}{m}{\mathrm{yC}}^{m+}\left(1-y\right)\frac{1}{n}{M}^{n+}{\mathrm{AlO}}_{2}x{\mathrm{SiO}}_2$ in which x is greater than 1; M.sup.n+ represents an alkaline or alkaline earth exchangeable ion; n is between 1 or 2; y is the exchange rate and is between 0.001 and 1; C.sup.m+ is Cu.sup.2+; m is 2, and wherein the zeolite contains between 3 and 9% by weight of copper as a proportion of the total weight of zeolite.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the animals are selected from the group consisting of porcines, bovines, ovines, goats, poultry, rabbits, fish and birds.

19. The method according to claim 17, wherein the zeolite is incorporated in the food of said animals with a quantity of 5 to 200 ppm by weight as a proportion of the total weight of food.

20. A method of improving the growth of an animals comprising administering to the animal the premix according to claim 1.

21. A premix of non-medical growth promoter food additive for animals containing a non-medical food additive and another ingredient selected from among the group consisting of cereal by-products, calcium carbonate, corn cobs, vegetable extracts, growth factors, vitamins, trace elements, aromatic substances, and mixtures thereof, wherein the non-medical food additive is an animal growth promoter containing 99% pure type Y zeolite partially or totally exchanged with a C.sup.m+ cation with the general formula I below: $\frac{1}{m}{\mathrm{yC}}^{m+}\left(1-y\right)\frac{1}{n}{M}^{n+}{\mathrm{AlO}}_2{x\mathrm{SiO}}_2$ in which x is greater than 1; M.sup.n+ represents an alkaline or alkaline earth exchangeable ion; n is 1 or 2; y is the exchange rate and is between 0.001 and 1; C.sup.m+ is Cu.sup.2+; m is 2, and wherein the zeolite contains between 3 and 9% by weight of copper as a proportion of the total weight of zeolite.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

(1) FIG. 1 represents the inhibiting activity of Escherichia Coli for different zeolites exchanged or not exchanged with copper, silver or zinc, and for montmorillonite exchanged with copper (doses of 10 grams per litre of zeolite for 15 minutes exposure or 20 grams per litre of zeolite for 30 minutes exposure).

(2) FIG. 2 represents the inhibiting activity of Clostridium sporogenes for different zeolites exchanged or not exchanged with copper, silver or zinc, and for montmorillonite exchanged with copper (doses of 10 grams per litre of zeolite for 15 minutes exposure or 20 grams per litre of zeolite for 30 minutes exposure).

EXAMPLE 1

Preparation of a Type Y Zeolite Containing 5.1% by Weight of Cu.SUP.2+ According to this Invention

(3) The initial NaY zeolite (before exchange) used has an Si/Al (atomic) ratio equal to 2.6 (x=2.6); its general formula is Na AlO.sub.2, 2.6 SiO.sub.2 wH.sub.2O, the water representing the water absorbed in the zeolite pores (capillary condensation), that can be eliminated by increasing the temperature. Pores open at between 8 and 9 with a supercage at 13 .

(4) Na.sup.+ is exchanged by Cu.sup.++ as follows:

(5) The NaY zeolite in powder form is put into suspension while stirring in an aqueous solution (demineralised water) of Cu.sup.++ copper nitrate (other salts such as sulphate may be suitable).

(6) In this case, 200 g of zeolite is used in 0.5 litres of aqueous solution of copper sulphate (0.44 Molar), which is a V/P ratio of 2.5, a temperature of 70 C. and an exchange time of 3 hours.

(7) The next step is to recover exchanged zeolite, which is bluish, by filtration and washing on a filter funnel and washing on a filter with percolation with two litres of demineralised water. The zeolite is then dried (in the drying oven at 120 C. over night), and the copper content measured by Inducted Conducted Plasma (ICP) (plasma torch emission spectroscopy) (dry at 400 C.)) is 5.2%. Therefore the exchange % is 40%.

EXAMPLES 2 TO 10

Preparation of a Type Y or A Zeolite Exchanged with Copper, Zinc or Silver According to this Invention

(8) The operating conditions and therefore the copper content can be varied. Table 1 given below represents the different operating conditions for examples 2 to 10 and zeolites according to this invention with the metal content obtained.

(9) For all these examples, V/P=2.5, the exchange temperature is 60 C. and the exchange time is 3 hours.

(10) TABLE-US-00001 Concentration (molar) in metallic Metal salt in the content Initial Metallic aqueous in % by % Example zeolite salt solution weight exchange 2 NaY Copper 0.05 2.35% Cu 18 sulphate 3 NaY Copper 1 8.7% Cu 68 sulphate 4 NaY Zinc 0.6 5% Zn 37 nitrate 5 NaY Silver 0.01 0.2% Ag 0.5 nitrate 6 NaY Silver 0.5 14.7% Ag 37 nitrate 7 A Copper 0.5 9% Cu 41 sulphate 8 A Zinc 0.6 5% Zn 22 nitrate 9 A Silver 0.01 0.2% Ag 0.3 nitrate 10 A Silver 0.5 12.5% Ag 18 nitrate

EXAMPLE 11

Preparation of a Type Y Zeolite Containing 3.3% by Weight of Copper According to this Invention

(11) The exchange between zeolite and the metallic salt can be made in the solid state.

(12) Thus, 100 g of zeolite is intimately mixed in a mortar with 13 g of copper sulphate Cu SO.sub.4 5H.sub.2O. The mix is thus kept over night at ambient temperature.

(13) The next step is washing with demineralised water (1 litre) on a filter funnel to extract non-exchanged copper.

(14) The zeolite is then dried at 120 C.; the copper content (measured by ICP) is 3.3% by weight; the exchange rate is 25%.

(15) The same is performed at 60 C. (instead of ambient temperature); the copper content is approximately the same, which is logical because in this case copper is practically entirely exchanged.

EXAMPLE 12

In Vivo Tests of NaY Zeolites According to this Invention Containing Between 5 and 6% by Weight of Copper in Different Animals

(16) The growth data and consumption index data (that illustrates the food efficiency, as being the food quantity necessary to obtain one kilogram of additional live weightthe consumption index is unitless by definition, since it is the ratio of two equivalent measurements) are indicated in indexed form; the control is indexed to 100, and the performances of experimental batches with zeolite are indexed with respect to this base. An index of 103.2 means a performance 3.2% better than the control performance.

(17) Piglets

(18) First piglet test: 192 piglets between 42 and 70 days old broken down into batches according to their live weight and receiving food corresponding to their physiological stage supplemented by variable quantities of NaY zeolite containing 6% by weight of copper according to this invention (0 ppm (control) 3, 6 or 12 ppm).

(19) The average performances are given in table 2 below:

(20) TABLE-US-00002 control Incorporation rate of zeolite 0 3 6 12 according to this invention in ppm Growth 100 94.7 109 103.5 Consumption index 100 103.2 95.7 95.7

(21) The incorporation of zeolite according to this invention gives an improvement in the growth of piglets between 42 and days old. This improvement can be modelled using a 2.sup.nd degree equation that allows a maximum for a zeolite incorporation ratio according to this invention equal to between 9 and 10 ppm in proportion to the total weight of the food.

(22) Second piglet test: 56 piglets from 21 to 42 days old weight, and receiving a food corresponding to their physiological stage, supplemented by variable quantities of NaY zeolite containing 6% by weight of copper according to this invention (0 ppm (control) 5, 10 or 20 ppm).

(23) The average performances are given in table 3 below:

(24) TABLE-US-00003 control Incorporation rate of zeolite 0 5 10 20 according to this invention in ppm Growth 100 114.6 116.4 110.4

(25) The incorporation of zeolite according to this invention gives an improvement in the growth of piglets between 21 and days old. This improvement can be modelled using a 2.sup.nd degree equation that allows a maximum for a zeolite incorporation ratio according to this invention equal to about 12 ppm in proportion to the total weight of the food.

(26) Third piglet test: 56 piglets from 21 to 42 days old, and then from 42 to 70 days old broken down into batches according to their live weight, and receiving a food corresponding to their physiological stage, supplemented by variable quantities of NaY zeolite containing 6% by weight of copper according to this invention (2.8 ppm (control) 5, 7.2 or 11.6 ppm).

(27) The average performances are given in table 4 below:

(28) TABLE-US-00004 control Incorporation rate or zeolite 2.8 5 7.2 11.6 according to this invention in ppm Growth 100 105.5 109.7 108.9

(29) The incorporation of zeolite according to this invention gives an improvement in the growth of piglets between 21 and days old. This improvement can be modelled using a 2nd degree equation that allows a maximum for a zeolite incorporation ratio according to this invention equal to between 9 and 10 ppm in proportion to the total weight of the food.

(30) Chickens

(31) 660 chickens from 1 to 28 days old broken down into batches according to their live weight, and receiving a food corresponding to their physiological stage, supplemented by variable quantities of NaY zeolite containing 6% by weight of copper according to this invention (0 ppm (control) 5, 10 or 20 ppm).

(32) The average performances are given in table 5 below:

(33) TABLE-US-00005 control Incorporation rate of zeolite according to 0 6 15 this invention in ppm Growth 100 105.4 104.5

(34) The incorporation of zeolite according to this invention gives a small improvement in the growth of chickens between 1 and 28 days old.

(35) Turkeys

(36) 360 turkeys from 28 to 55 days old broken down into batches according to their live weight, and receiving a food corresponding to their physiological stage, supplemented with 5 ppm of NaY zeolite containing 6% by weight of copper according to this invention or 0 ppm (control).

(37) The average performances are given in table 6 below:

(38) TABLE-US-00006 Weight Weight Weight Consumption Con- D28 D55 gain for period sumption gram gram gram gram index Control 990 3077 2087 4357 2.09 Zeolite 996 3235 2239 4440 1.97 according to this invention 5 ppm Statistical p < 0.001 p < 0.001 p < 0.001 sign.

(39) The incorporation of zeolite according to this invention gives a very significant improvement in the growth of turkeys between 28 and 55 days old.

EXAMPLE 13

In Vitro Test of Zeolites According to this Invention on Different Micro Organisms

(40) The methodology used is based on the measurement of the bactericide activity of zeolite according to this invention in a liquid medium, and is comparable regardless of the micro organism being tested. The principle is as follows: preparation of a suspension of bacteria with 10.sup.8 or 10.sup.9 germs per ml 50 ml of this suspension is put into contact with quantity of zeolite according to this invention, and stirring for a given time; numbering of germs remaining after treatment.

(41) Each dose x time pair includes its own control.

(42) Results are expressed as a reduction factor of the initial colony (number of control germs divided by the number of germs after treatment).

(43) Interest, Specific Nature of the Metallic Ion and Specific Nature of Zeolite

(44) The average reducing activity was calculated as being the quotient of the average reduction expressed in log 10, by the average value of the exposure (dose x time).

(45) Different zeolites were tested:

(46) A non-exchanged zeolite (NaY), NaY zeolites exchanged with copper containing 2.3% by weight of copper according to example 2 (NaYCu1: exchange rate 18%), 8.7% by weight of copper according to example 3 (NaYCu2: exchange rate 68%) and 10% by weight of copper (NaYCu3: exchange rate 78%), an NaY zeolite exchanged with silver containing 14.7% by weight of silver according to example 6 (NaYAg: exchange rate 37%), NaY zeolites exchanged with zinc containing 5.2% by weight of zinc (NaYZn1: exchange rate 38%) and 5% by weight of zinc according to example 4 (NaYZn2: exchange rate 37%), an A zeolite exchanged with copper containing 8.9% by weight of copper (A-Cu: exchange rate 41%), an A zeolite exchanged with silver containing 12.5% by weight of silver according to example 10 (A-Ag: exchange rate 18%), A zeolites exchanged with zinc containing 8.4% by weight of zinc (AZn1: exchange rate 38%) and 8% by weight of zinc (A-Zn2: exchange rate 36%) and montmorillonite exchanged with copper as described in Chinese publications (Xia et al., 2004 Poultry Science 83: 1868-1875, Xu et al., Asian-Aust. J. Anim. Sci. 2003 Vol 16, No. 11: 1673-1679, Xia et al., Asian-Aust. J. Anim. Sci. 2004. Vol 17, No. 12: 1712-1716 and Hu et al., Asian-Aust. J. Anim. Sci. 2004 Vol 17, No. 11: 1575-1581).

(47) FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate the average reducing activity of these zeolites on E. Coli and C. Sporogenes. Thus, note: the lack of activity of native zeolite (Nay vs Nay-Cu) the intermediate activity of Nay-Ag (exchange with silver) the activity of zeolite A exchanged with copper or silver the very low activity of montmorillonite exchanged with copper.