Dehydrated castor oil as an animal feed supplement

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for improving the fat firmness and meat quality of a meat animal and/or altering the ratio of saturated fatty acids to unsaturated fatty acids in meat by administering to a meat animal (e.g., pig) a composition comprising an amount of dehydrated castor oil that is effective to improve the quality indices of the animal's meat.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for improving one or more of the quality indices of a meat animal's meat comprising administering to the meat animal a composition comprising an amount of dehydrated castor oil that is effective to improve one or more of the quality indices of the meat animal's meat. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the dehydrated castor oil comprises an ester of a conjugated linoleic acid. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the ester of a conjugated linoleic acid comprises conjugated linoleic acid triglyceride. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the ester of a conjugated linoleic acid comprises linoleic acid triglyceride. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the major geometric isomer present in the ester of a conjugated linoleic acid is the cis-9, trans-11 isomer. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprising L-carnitine comprising free L-carnitine, L-carnitine L-tartrate, L-carnitine magnesium citrate or acetyl-L-carnitine. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the meat animal is a pig. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the dehydrated castor oil is administered during the final finishing phase. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the quality index comprises the iodine value. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the quality index comprises the carcass iodine value. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein one or more other quality indices are not substantially affected. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the one or more other quality indices comprise drip loss, meat pH, loin eye color, loin eye size, feed intake, average daily gain or body weight. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the carcass iodine value is less than 70. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the carcass iodine value is about 65. 
     
     
         15 . A method for altering the ratio of saturated fatty acids to unsaturated fatty acids in meat, the method comprising administering to a meat animal dehydrated castor oil in an amount effective to alter the ratio of saturated fatty acid to unsaturated fatty acid in the meat. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the fatty acids comprise C16:0 and C16:1 fatty acids. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprises at least 20% DDGS. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the compositions is administered to the meat animal throughout the meat animal's life span, up to and including slaughter. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the DDGS is discontinued at least one week before slaughter.