Combined use of triglycerides containing medium chain fatty acids and exogenous lipolytic enzymes as feed supplements

Abstract

The present invention provides a feed composition comprising about 0.01% to about 20% by weight of triglycerides and about 1 ppm to about 10,000 ppm of exogenous active lipolytic enzyme, wherein the triglycerides contain about 50% to about 100% of C 6 -C 10 medium chain fatty acids. The present invention also provides methods of using the feed composition of the present invention for controlling lipolysis, as well as treating growth impairment and digestive upsets in an animal.

1 . A feed composition comprising about 0.01% to about 20% by weight of triglycerides and about 1 ppm to about 10,000 ppm of exogenous active lipolytic enzyme, wherein said triglycerides contain about 50% to about 100% of C 6 -C 10  medium chain fatty acids (MCFA). 
     
     
         2 . The feed composition according to  claim 1 , wherein said triglycerides contain about 60% to about 100% of C 6 -C 10  MCFA. 
     
     
         3 . The feed composition according to  claim 2 , wherein said triglycerides contain about 70% to about 100% of C 6 -C 10  MCFA. 
     
     
         4 . The feed composition according to  claim 3 , wherein said triglycerides contain about 80% to about 100% of C 6 -C 10  MCFA. 
     
     
         5 . The feed composition according to  claim 4 , wherein said triglycerides contain about 90% to about 100% of C 6 -C 10  MCFA. 
     
     
         6 . The feed composition according to  claim 5 , wherein said triglycerides contain about 100% of C 6 -C 10  MCFA. 
     
     
         7 . The feed composition according to any one of  claims 1  to  6 , wherein said triglycerides are selected from caproic/caprylic/capric triglycerides, heptanoic/pelargonic triglycerides, pelargonic triglycerides, heptanoic triglycerides, caprylic/capric triglycerides, caproic/caprylic triglycerides, caproic/capric triglycerides, caproic triglycerides, caprylic triglycerides, capric triglycerides, and combination thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The feed composition according to  claim 7 , wherein said triglycerides are selected from caproic/caprylic/capric triglycerides, caprylic/capric triglycerides, caproic/caprylic triglycerides, caproic/capric triglycerides, caproic triglycerides, caprylic triglycerides, capric triglycerides, and combination thereof. 
     
     
         9 . The feed composition according to  claim 1 , wherein said exogenous active lipolytic enzyme is a lipase. 
     
     
         10 . The feed composition according to  claim 1 , wherein said exogenous active lipolytic enzyme is an esterase. 
     
     
         11 . The feed composition according to  claim 1 , wherein said exogenous active lipolytic enzyme is a mixture of lipase and esterase. 
     
     
         12 . The feed composition according to  claim 1 , further comprising an animal feed, wherein said animal feed comprises carbohydrate, protein, saccharides and a vitamin-mineral premix. 
     
     
         13 . The feed composition according to  claim 12 , wherein said animal feed comprises starch, dextrose, casein and a vitamin-mineral premix. 
     
     
         14 . The feed composition according to  claim 1 , further comprising an animal feed, wherein said animal feed comprises maize, barley, wheat, dried acid whey, cassaya, herring meal, soybean, soy-flour and a vitamin-mineral premix. 
     
     
         15 . The feed composition according to  claim 1  for feeding early weaned animals. 
     
     
         16 . The feed composition according to  claim 15 , wherein said animal is piglet. 
     
     
         17 . The feed composition according to  claim 1  for use as an antimicrobial agent. 
     
     
         18 . The feed composition according to  claim 1  for preventing digestive upsets. 
     
     
         19 . The feed composition according to  claim 1  for use as a growth promoter. 
     
     
         20 . A method for controlling lipolysis in the gastro-intestinal tract of an animal, comprising the step of administering to said animal a therapeutically effective amount of the feed composition according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         21 . The method according to  claim 20 , wherein said animal is an early weaned piglet. 
     
     
         22 . A method for treating growth impairment of an animal, comprising the step of administering to said animal a therapeutically effective amount of the feed composition according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         23 . The method according to  claim 22 , wherein said animal is an early weaned piglet. 
     
     
         24 . A method for treating digestive upsets of an animal, comprising the step of administering to said animal a therapeutically effective amount of the feed composition according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         25 . The method according to  claim 24 , wherein said animal is an early weaned piglet.