Method of accelerating muscle growth, decreasing fat deposits and improving feed efficiency in livestock animals

Abstract

A method of promoting or improving the feed efficiency and the muscle to fat ratio in animals by administering to the animals a therapeutically effective amount of a pure or substantially pure RR-isomer of ractopamine is disclosed. Also disclosed are animal feed preparations and compositions and pharmaceutical preparations capable of increasing lean meat deposition in an animal or decreasing body fat, or promoting or improving the growth of an animal or improving the feed efficiency of an animal. Feed preparation, compositions and pharmaceutical preparations including therapeutically effective amounts of a pure or substantially pure RR-isomer of ractopamine are disclosed

1 . A method of promoting muscle growth, decreasing fat deposits or improving feed efficiency of livestock animals, which comprises administering to said animals a composition that comprises an effective amount of an enantiomeric mixture of substantially pure RR/SS-ractopamine, comprising approximately 50 percent RR-ractopamine and approximately 50 percent SS-ractopamine, or pharmaceutically acceptable salts or solvates thereof, while minimizing or eliminating side effects caused by RR/RS/SR/SS-ractopamine. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said side effect is stress. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said side effect is tachycardia. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said side effect is increased morbidity. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said side effect is a decrease in meat quality. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the RR/SS-ractopamine is substantially pure RR/SS-ractopamine. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the effective amount of the RR/SS-ractopamine or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or solvate thereof is administered to said animals as a feed additive, the concentrations of RR/SS-ractopamine being from 1 ppm to 500 ppm in the feed. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein an effective amount of RR/SS-ractopamine or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or solvate thereof is administered to said animals in drinking water, the concentrations of RR/SS-ractopamine being from 1 ppm to 500 ppm in the drinking water. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the RR/SS-ractopamine or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof is administered in combination with an effective amount of at least one antibacterial compound. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the RR/SS-ractopamine or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof is administered in combination with an effective amount of at least one immune-stimulating compound. 
     
     
         11 . A feedstuff composition for animals, comprising an admixture of protein-containing feed materials with RR/SS-ractopamine or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or solvate thereof.