Use of beta-1,3 (4)-endoglucanohydrolase, beta-1,3 (4)-glucan, diatomaceous earth, mineral clay and glucomannan to augment immune function

Abstract

A method for the augmentation of immune function is described. The invention comprises a combination of β-1,3 (4)-endoglucanohydrolase, β-1,3 (4)-glucan, diatomaceous earth, mineral clay and glucomannan, which is fed to or consumed by mammalian or avian species in amounts sufficient to augment immune function. The invention described may be admixed with feeds or foods, incorporated into pelleted feeds or foods or administered orally to mammalian and avian species.

1 . A feed composition, comprising:
 about 98% to about 99.9875% by weight animal feed; and   about 0.0125% to about 2% by weight of a dry powder composition comprising silica, mineral clay, β glucans, β-1,3 (4)-endoglucanohydrolase, and mannans.   
     
     
         2 . The feed composition of  claim 1  where the feed composition comprises from about 98% to about 99.375% by weight animal feed and from about 0.0625% to about 2% by weight of the dry powder composition. 
     
     
         3 . The feed composition of  claim 1  where the feed composition comprises from about 99.5% to about 99.875% by weight animal feed and from about 0.125% to about 0.5% by weight of the dry powder composition. 
     
     
         4 . The feed composition of  claim 1  where the dry powder composition comprises from about 15% to about 40% silica, from about 50% to about 81% mineral clay, from about 1.0% to about 5.0% β-glucans, from about 0.05% to about 3.0% β-1,3(4)-endoglucanohydrolase, and from about 1% to about 8% mannans by weight. 
     
     
         5 . The feed composition of  claim 1  consisting essentially of the feed and the dry powder composition, wherein the dry powder composition consists essentially of silica, mineral clay, β-glucans, β-1,3 (4)-endoglucanohydrolase, and mannans. 
     
     
         6 . The feed composition of  claim 1  where the feed is a feed for an animal selected from mammalian and avian species. 
     
     
         7 - 10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . A method for preparing a feed composition, comprising:
 combining a dry powder composition comprising silica, mineral clay, β-glucans, β-1,3(4)-endoglucanohydrolase, and mannans with an animal feed to form a feed composition having a ratio of from about 0.0125% to about 2% by weight of the dry powder composition to from about 98% to about 99.9875% by weight of the animal feed.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , where the dry powder composition comprises from about 15% to about 40% silica, from about 50% to about 81% mineral clay, from about 1.0% to about 5.0% β-glucans, from about 0.05% to about 3.0% β-1,3 (4)-endoglucanohydrolase, and from about 1% to about 8% mannans by weight. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11  where the dry powder composition and the animal feed are combined in a ratio of from about 0.0625% to about 2% by weight of the dry powder composition to from about 98% to about 99.375% by weight of the animal feed. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11  where the dry powder composition and the animal feed are combined in a ratio of from about 0.125% to about 0.5% by weight of the dry powder composition to from about 99.5% to about 99.875% by weight of the animal feed. 
     
     
         15 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A method, comprising:
 administering animal feed and a dry powder composition to animals in a ratio of from 0.0125% to 2% by weight of the dry powder composition to 98% to 99.9875% by weight of the animal feed, the dry powder composition comprising silica, mineral clay, β-glucans, β-1,3 (4)-endoglucanohydrolase, and mannans, thereby reducing death losses of the animals, improving growth rates of the animals, or a combination thereof.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21  where the animals are selected from mammalian species, and administering the animal feed and the dry powder composition to the animals further reduces incidence of mycotic abortion, reduces incidence of jejunal hemorrhage syndrome, reduces incidence of scouring, improves growth efficiency, improves milk production, improves efficiency of milk production, reduces somatic cell counts in milk products, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22  where the mammalian species include ruminant animals. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 22  where the mammalian species include dairy cattle, beef cattle, and sheep. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21  where the animals are selected from avian species, and administering the animal feed and the dry powder composition to the animals further improves egg production, improves fertility, reduces incidence of enteric diseases, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25  where the avian species include poultry species used in commercial livestock production. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 21  where the dry powder composition comprises from about 15% to about 40% silica, from about 50% to about 81% mineral clay, from about 1.0% to about 5.0% β-glucans, from about 0.05% to about 3.0% β-1,3 (4)-endoglucanohydrolase, and from about 1% to about 8% mannans by weight. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 21  where the dry powder composition is administered to the animals in an amount sufficient to provide from 0.016 grams/kg to 0.37 grams/kg of live body weight per day of the dry powder composition. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 21  where administering the animal feed and the dry powder composition to the animals comprises administering an admixture of the animal feed and the dry powder composition. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 21  where administering the animal feed and the dry powder composition to the animals comprises:
 administering the animal feed to the animals; and 
 administering the dry powder composition directly to the animals.