Patent Application
20050064018
The present invention relates to the use of vitamin D compounds for improving bone strength in animals, particularly pigs. More particularly, the invention relates to the use of 25-hydroxy vitamin D3, optionally in combination with vitamin D3, in the manufacture of a food or veterinary composition for improvement of bone strength in animals, particularly pigs. In another aspect, the invention relates to a method of improving bone strength in animals, particularly pigs, which comprises administering to an animal in need of such treatment 25-hydroxy vitamin D3, optionally in combination with vitamin D3. In still another aspect, the invention relates to a composition, particularly a pig food or premix therefor, comprising 25-hydroxy vitamin D3 in combination with vitamin D3.
In many pig herds locomotor disorders are an important problem. In herds where the value of individual purebred pigs is high or in breeding companies that produce premium hybrid pigs the cost of the mentioned disorders can be high. Osteochondrosis (dyschondroplasia), osteoarthrosis and leg weakness can cause severe crippling, and the frequency of these conditions has been high in pigs with otherwise ideal growth characteristics. These disorders are a worldwide problems that have caused concern in the pig industry for 50 or more years. Thus and accordingly, adequate bone resistance and mineralisation are a permanent objective in swine breeding.
In accordance with the present invention it has been found that the above problems in pig breeding or, more generally, raising of animals can be eliminated or substantially ameliorated by administering to the animals an effective amount of 25-hydroxy vitamin D3, optionally in combination with vitamin D3.
25-hydroxy vitamin D3 and vitamin D3 (hereinafter: inventive ingredients) are suitably administered together with the food. The term food as used herein comprises both solid and liquid food as well as drinking fluids such as drinking water. Particularly, inventive ingredients can be added as a formulated powder to a premix containing other minerals, vitamins, amino acids and trace elements which is added to regular animal food and thorough mixing to achieve even distribution therein.
In the manufacture of a pig food in accordance with the invention, from about 10 μg/kg to about 100 μg/kg of 25-hydroxy vitamin D3 and, if required, from about 200 IU/kg to about 4,000 IU/kg of vitamin D3 are added to regular pig food. Alternatively, a food premix may be prepared on the basis of regular food components by adding active ingredients to such food components in higher concentration, e.g., in a concentration of from about 2 mg/kg to about 20 mg/kg of 25-hydroxy vitamin D3 and, if required, from about 40,000 IU/kg to about 800,000 IU/kg of D3. If 5 kg of such premix are added per 1000 kg of regular food this would typically meet the individual need of the animal by normal food consumption. For piglets from 21 to 60 days of age preferable dosages are in the range of from about 10 to 30 μg/kg of 25-hydroxy vitamin D3 and from about 500 to about 2,000 IU/kg of vitamin D3. For pigs older than 60 days preferable dosages are in the range of and from about 10 to about 20 μg of 25-hydroxy vitamin D3 and from about 300 to about 1,200 IU/kg of vitamin D3.
The invention is further illustrated by the following examples.
Growing-fattening pigs of an initial body weight of 64.8±5.03 kg were fed a diet based on maize, barley and soybean meal ad libitum for 34 days. Groups of 16 animals each were fed as follows:
The effects of the addition of 25-hydroxy vitamin D3 and vitamin D3 to the diet were determined by measuring the strength (Newton at the breaking point) of the bones of the animals. The results are shown in Table 1.
(1)mean ± standard deviation of the mean of 8 determinations;
(2)mean ± standard deviation of the mean of 16 determinations;
a,bMean values within a row with unlike superscript letters were significantly different:
a-bP < 0.01;
c-d and e-fP < 0.05.
The addition of 25-hydroxy vitamin D3 and of the combination of 25-hydroxy vitamin D3 with vitamin D3 clearly improved the strength of the bones of the growing-finishing pig. The increase of the bone resistant was particularly high with the combination of 25-hydroxy vitamin D3 with vitamin D3.
Better bone quality is associated with a reduction of locomotor disorders.
Weaner piglets of an initial body weight of 8.4±1.2 kg were fed a diet based on maize, barley and soybean meal ad libitum for 33 days. Groups of 31 animals each were fed as follows:
The effects of the addition of 25-hydroxy vitamin D3 and vitamin D3 to the diet were determined by measuring the strength (Newton at the breaking point) of the bones of the animals. The results are shown in Table 2.
(1)mean ± standard deviation of the mean of 8 determinations;
a,bmean values within a row with unlike superscript letters were significantly different:
a-bP < 0.05.
In this example the increase of the bone resistant was particularly high with the combination of 25-hydroxy vitamin D3 with vitamin D3.
A pig food containing 25-hydroxy vitamin D3 and vitamin D3 can be prepared as follows:
(containing from about 1.25 g to 5 g of Hy·D® 1.25% Beadlet per 100 g of premix) The ingredients are mixed together and if needed the obtained mash food can be pelleted.
A premix for a piglet food containing 25-hydroxy vitamin D3 and vitamin D3 can be prepared as follows:
All ingredients are carefully mixed together and 0.5% (5 kg/1000 kg of food) of this premix is added to the final piglet food.
Alternatively, 25-hydrox vitamin D3 can also be added in a 1% diluted premix, containing a suitable carrier. Such carrier can be wheat flour, wheat middlings, corn cobbs, rice hulls, almond shells or calcium carbonate alone or in variable mixtures of several of these carriers. A typical formula is:
All ingredients are carefully mixed together and 0.05% (0.5 kg/1000 kg of food) of this premix is added to the final piglet food.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 03021362.3 | Sep 2003 | EP | regional |
