Use of a feed composition for reducing methane emission in ruminants, and/or to improve ruminant performance

Abstract

The present invention relates to the field of reduction of methane emission in ruminants. Particularly, it relates to the use of a feed composition or a feed additive comprising at least one antibiotic and at least one organic molecule substituted at any position with at least one nitrooxy group for reducing the production of methane emanating from the digestive activities of ruminants, and/or to improve the ruminant performance.

Claims

1. A feed composition or feed additive for a ruminant animal comprising: (i) at least one antibiotic, and (ii) at least one organic molecule or a salt thereof which is selected from the group consisting of 3-nitrooxypropanol, rac-4-Phenylbutane-1,2-diyl dinitrate, 2-(hydroxymethyl)-2-(nitrooxymethyl)-1,3-propanediol, N-ethyl-3-nitro-oxy-propionic sulfonyl amide, 5-nitrooxy-pentanenitrile, 5-nitrooxy-pentane, 3-nitro-oxy-propyl propionate, 1,3-bis-nitrooxypropane, 1,4-bis-nitrooxybutane, 1,5-bis-nitrooxypentane, 3-nitro-oxy-propyl benzoate, 3-nitro-oxy-propyl hexanoate, 3-nitro-oxy-propyl 5-nitro-oxy-hexanoate, benzylnitrate, isosorbid-dinitrate, N-[2-(nitrooxy)ethyl]-3-pyridinecarboxamide, 3-nitrooxy propionic acid, methyl-3-nitrooxy propionate, ethyl-3-nitrooxy propionate, ethyl-4-nitrooxy butanoate, ethyl-3-nitrooxy butanoate, 5-nitrooxy pentanoic acid, ethyl-5-nitrooxy pentanoate, 6-nitrooxy hexanoic acid, ethyl-6-nitrooxy hexanoate, ethyl-4-nitrooxy-cyclohexylcarboxylate, 8-nitrooxy octanoic acid, ethyl-8-nitrooxy octanoate, 11-nitrooxy undecanoic acid, ethyl-11-nitrooxy undecanoate, 5-nitrooxy-pentanoic amide and 5-nitrooxy-N-methyl-pentanoic amide, wherein the at least one organic molecule is present in an amount sufficient to reduce formation of methane emanating from digestive activities of the ruminant animal and/or to improve performance of the ruminant animal, and wherein the at least one organic molecule and the at least one antibiotic are present in a weight ratio of the at least one organic molecule to the at least one antibiotic of between 0.05 and 50.

2. The feed composition or feed additive of claim 1 which is a form selected from the group consisting of a mineral premix, a vitamin premix, premix including vitamins and minerals, and a bolus.

3. The feed composition or feed additive of claim 1, wherein the antibiotic is at least one selected from the group consisting of monensin, lasalocid, narasin, maduramycin, semduramycin, salinomycin, avoparcin, actaplanin, and penicillin.

4. The feed composition or feed additive of claim 1, which further comprises at least one additional active substance selected from the group consisting of diallyl disulfide, garlic oil, allyl isothiocyanate, deoxycholic acid, chenodeoxycholic acid and derivatives thereof.

5. The feed composition or feed additive of claim 1, wherein the ruminant animal is selected from the group consisting of cattle, goats, sheep, giraffes, American Bison, European bison, yaks, water buffalo, deer, camels, alpacas, llamas, wildebeest, antelope, pronghorn, and nilgai.

6. The feed composition or feed additive of claim 1, wherein the organic molecule is present in an amount sufficient to reduce formation of methane emanating from digestive activities of ruminants calculated in liters per kilogram of dry matter intake by at least 10% when measured in metabolic chambers.

7. The feed composition or feed additive of claim 1, wherein the amount of the at least one organic molecule is present in an amount of 1 mg to 10 g per kg feed.

8. The feed composition or feed additive of claim 1, wherein the amount of the at least one antibiotic is present in an amount from 0.5 to 150 mg per kg feed.

9. A feed composition or feed additive for a ruminant animal comprising: (i) at least one antibiotic, and (ii) at least one nitrooxy compound or salt thereof selected from the group consisting of 3-nitrooxy propanol, ethyl-3-nitrooxy propionate, methyl-3-nitrooxy propionate, and 3-nitrooxy propionic acid in an amount sufficient to reduce formation of methane emanating from digestive activities of the ruminant animal calculated in liters per kilogram of dry matter intake by at least 10% when measured in metabolic chambers.

10. The feed composition or feed additive as in claim 9, wherein the at least one nitrooxy compound is 3-nitrooxy propanol which is present in an amount from 1 mg to 10 g per kg feed.

11. The feed composition or feed additive of claim 10, wherein the amount of the at least one antibiotic is present in an amount from 0.5 to 150 mg per kg feed.

12. The feed composition or feed additive of claim 9 which is a form selected from the group consisting of a mineral premix, a vitamin premix, premix including vitamins and minerals, and a bolus.

13. The feed composition or feed additive of claim 9, wherein the antibiotic is at least one selected from the group consisting of monensin, lasalocid, narasin, maduramycin, semduramycin, salinomycin, avoparcin, actaplanin, and penicillin.

14. The feed composition or feed additive of claim 9, which further comprises at least one additional active substance selected from the group consisting of diallyl disulfide, garlic oil, allyl isothiocyanate, deoxycholic acid, chenodeoxycholic acid and derivatives thereof.

15. The feed composition or feed additive of claim 9, wherein the ruminant animal is selected from the group consisting of cattle, goats, sheep, giraffes, American Bison, European bison, yaks, water buffalo, deer, camels, alpacas, llamas, wildebeest, antelope, pronghorn, and nilgai.

Description

EXAMPLES

Example 1: In Vitro Test for Methane Production

(1) A modified version of the Hohenheim Forage value Test (HFT) was used for testing the effect of specific compounds on the rumen functions mimicked by this in-vitro system.

(2) Principle:

(3) Feed is gadded into a syringe with a composition of rumen liquor and an appropriate mixture of buffers. The solution is incubated at 39 C. After 8 hours the quantity (and composition) of gas phase produced is measured and put into a formula for conversion.

(4) Reagents:

(5) Mass Element Solution: 6.2 g potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KH.sub.2PO.sub.4) 0.6 g magnesium sulfate heptahydrate (MgSO.sub.4*7H.sub.2O) 9 ml concentrated phosphoric acid (1 mol/l) dissolved in distilled water to 1 l (pH about 1.6)

(6) Buffer Solution: 35.0 g sodium hydrogen carbonate (NaHCO.sub.3) 4.0 g ammonium hydrogen carbonate ((NH.sub.4)HCO.sub.3) dissolved in distilled water to 1 l

(7) Trace Element Solution:

(8) 13.2 g calcium chloride dihydrate (CaCl.sub.2*2H.sub.2O) 10.0 g manganese(II) chloride tetrahydrate (MnCl.sub.2*4H.sub.2O) 1.0 g cobalt(II) chloride hexahydrate (CoCl.sub.2*6H.sub.2O) 8.0 g iron(III) chloride (FeCl.sub.3*6H.sub.2O) dissolved in distilled water to 100 ml

(9) Sodium Salt Solution: 100 mg sodium salt dissolved in distilled water to 100 ml

(10) Reduction Solution: first 3 ml sodium hydroxide (c=1 mol/I), then 427.5 mg sodium sulfide hydrate (Na.sub.2S*H.sub.2O) are added to 71.25 ml H.sub.2O solution must be prepared shortly before it is added to the medium solution

(11) Procedure:

(12) Sample Weighing: The feed stuff is sieved to 1 mmusually TMR (44% concentrate, 6% hay, 37% maize silage and 13% grass silage)and weighed exactly into 64 syringes. 4 of these syringes are the substrate controls, which display the gas production without the effect of the tested compounds. 4 other syringes are positive control, in which bromoethane sulfonate has been added to 0.1 mM. When needed, 4 syringes contain a carrier control (if the test compounds need a carrier). The remaining syringes contain the test substances, by groups of 4 syringes.

(13) Preparation of the Medium Solution: The components are mixed in a Woulff bottle in following order: 711 ml water 0.18 ml trace element solution 355.5 ml buffer solution 355.5 ml mass element solution The completed solution is warmed up to 39 C. followed by the addition of 1.83 ml sodium salt solution and the addition of reduction solution at 36 C. The rumen liquor is added, when the indicator turns colourless.

(14) Extraction of the Rumen Liquor: 750 ml of rumen liquor are added to approximately 1,400 ml of medium solution under continued agitation and CO.sub.2-gassing.

(15) Filling the Syringes, Incubation and Determining Gas Volumes and VFA Values: The diluted rumen fluid (24 ml) is added to the glass syringe. The syringes are then incubated for 8 hours at 39 C. under gentle agitation. After 8 hours, the volume of gas produced is measured, and the percentage of methane in the gas phase is determined by gas chromatography.

(16) Results

(17) The food fermented was artificial TMR (44% concentrate, 6% hay, 37% maize silage and 13% grass silage). Monensin was obtained from Elanco, and used at a concentration of 0.01% dry matter (DM). 3-nitrooxy-pentanol was used at two different concentrations 0.01% and 0.005% DM.

(18) The results are presented in the following Table 2. Clear additive effects were obtained. Surprisingly, even with maximal methane inhibition when 3-nitrooxy propanol was used at 0.01% DM, further additive effect was observed on the acetate/propionate ratio when combined with monensin, which translates into additional performance benefit for the animal.

(19) TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Effect on Methane reduction, volatile fatty acids (VFA) production and VFA profile resulting from the average of three experiments with either monensin, 3-nitrooxy propanol, or combination of both. Ace. = acetate; Prop. = propionate; But = butyrate. Effect on Effect Methano- on VFA genesis production VFA profile (as (% com- (% com- percentage of Composi- Dose pared to pared to total VFA) tion (% DM) control) control) Ace. Prop. But. Monensin 0.01 23% 6% 56 38 6 3-nitrooxy 0.01 97% 13% 50 42 8 propanol 3-nitrooxy 0.005 21% 3% 57 36 7 propanol 3-nitrooxy 0.01 + 0.01 99% 15% 46 47 7 propanol + Monensin 3-nitrooxy 0.005 + 0.01 48% 8% 52 41 7 propanol + Monensin Negative 60 33 7 control