Enzymes for reduced immunological stress

Abstract

Compositions suitable for oral administration to an animal comprising at least one immune stress-reducing enzyme in an amount effective to decrease the level of positive acute phase protein in an animal, increase the level of negative acute phase protein in an animal, and/or improve animal growth performance is provided, as are methods using such compositions. The compositions include animal feed compositions, liquid compositions other than animal feed, and solid compositions other than animal feed.

1 : A composition suitable for oral administration to an animal comprising an immune stress-reducing enzyme in an orally acceptable carrier, wherein said composition is selected from the group consisting of:
 (i) an animal feed comprising an amount of said enzyme effective to decrease the level of positive acute phase protein in said animal, increase the level of negative acute phase protein in said animal, and/or improve animal growth performance;   (ii) a liquid composition other than an animal feed comprising at least 40,000 IU enzyme/L; and   (iii) a solid composition other than an animal feed comprising at least 40,000 IU enzyme/kg,   
       wherein:
 (a) said enzyme is other than a β-mannanase-type hemicellulase or phospholipase, and 
 (b) if said enzyme comprises 1,3-β-glucanase, said composition is selected from the group consisting of (i) an animal feed comprising at least 20 IU 1,3-β-glucanase/kg feed; (ii) a liquid composition other than an animal feed comprising at least 155,000 IU 1,3-β-glucanase/L and (iii) a solid composition other than an animal feed comprising at least 300,000 IU 1,3-β-glucanase/kg. 
 
     
     
         2 - 4 . (canceled) 
     
     
         5 : The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the composition is an animal feed that comprises an ingredient that induces an immune response in the animal and wherein the enzyme comprises an enzyme that degrades said ingredient. 
     
     
         6 : The composition of  claim 5 , wherein said ingredient is an antigen displayed by a pathogenic microorganism. 
     
     
         7 : The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the enzyme comprises an enzyme selected from the group consisting of β-glucosidase, xyloglucanase, DNAases, non-specific nucleases, RNAse L, dsRNA specific adenosine deaminase, CG specific restriction endonuclease, N-glycanases, endo enzymes, PNGases, carbohydrases, α-1,2-fucosidase, α-1,3-1,4-fucosidase, α-1,6-mannosidase, α-1,2-mannosidase, α-1,3-mannosidase, β-1,4-galactosidase, endo-β-N acetylglucosaminidase F (endo F), peptide-N—(N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminyl)asparagine amidase F (PNGase F), PNGase A, endo-β-N-acetylglucosarninidase H (endoH), endo D, endo C, α-N-acetylgalacosamidase, β-1,3-galactosidase, endo-N-acyl-neuraminidase (endo N), α-2,3-neuraminidase, α-2,6-neuraminidase, α-2,8-neuraminidase, β-N -acetylhexosarninidase, endo-β-N-galactosidase, endo-α-N-acetylglactosaminidase, endo-α-1,6-D-mannanase, arabinogalactanase, α-mannanase, α-mannosidase, sphingomyelinase, chitinase, chitin deacetylase, carbohydrate deacetylase, N-acetylglucosaminidase, phosphatidylserine decarboxylase, sulfatase, β-galactosidase, arabinanase, hyaluronidase, α-arabinofuranosidase, chondroitinase, glucocerebrosidase, methyl esterase, ferulic acid esterase, furuloyl esterase, acetyl esterase, and carbohydrate deacetylase. 
     
     
         8 : The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the enzyme comprises 1,3-β-glucanase. 
     
     
         9 : The composition of  claim 8 , wherein the composition is selected from the group consisting of (i) an animal feed comprising at least 30 IU 1,3-β-glucanase/kg feed; (ii) a liquid composition other than an animal feed comprising at least 230,000 IU 1,3-β-glucanase/L and (iii) a solid composition other than an animal feed comprising at least 450,000 IU 1,3-β-glucanase/kg. 
     
     
         10 : The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the enzyme comprises an enzyme selected from the group consisting of chitinase, xyloglucanase and arabinanase. 
     
     
         11 : A composition suitable for oral administration to an animal comprising two or more immune stress-reducing enzymes, wherein said composition comprises at least one immune stress-reducing enzyme other than 1,4-β-mannanase and 1,3-β-glucanase, and wherein said composition is selected from the group consisting of:
 (i) an animal feed comprising an amount of said immune stress-reducing enzymes effective to decrease the level of positive acute phase protein in said animal, increase the level of negative acute phase protein in said animal, and/or improve animal growth performance; 
 (ii) a liquid composition other than an animal feed comprising at least one immune stress-reducing enzyme in an amount of at least 40,000 IU enzyme/L; and 
 (iii) a solid composition other than an animal feed comprising at least one immune stress-reducing enzyme in an amount of at least 40,000 IU enzyme/kg. 
 
     
     
         12 : The composition of  claim 11 , wherein said composition is an animal feed comprising at least one immune stress-reducing enzyme in an amount of at least 20 IU enzyme/kg feed. 
     
     
         13 : The composition of  claim 11 , wherein the composition is a solid composition other than an animal feed comprising at least one immune stress-reducing enzyme in an amount of at least 80,000 IU enzyme/kg. 
     
     
         14 : The composition of  claim 11 , wherein the composition is a solid composition other than an animal feed comprising at least 160,000 IU enzyme/kg. 
     
     
         15 : The composition according to  claim 11 , comprising at least one of 1,4-β-mannanase and 1,3-β-glucanase. 
     
     
         16 : The composition of  claim 11 , comprising at least one enzyme selected from the group consisting of β-glucosidase, xyloglucanase, DNAases, non-specific nucleases, RNAse L, dsRNA specific adenosine deaminase, CG specific restriction endonuclease, N-glycanases, endo enzymes, PNGases, carbohydrases, α-1,2-fucosidase, α-1,3-1,4-fucosidase, α-1,6-mannosidase, α-1,2-mannosidase, α-1,3-mannosidase, β-1,4-galactosidase, endo-β-N acetylglucosaminidase F (endo F), peptide-N—(N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminyl)asparagine amidase F (PNGase F), PNGase A, endo-β-N-acetylglucosarninidase H (endoH), endo D, endo C, α-N-acetylgalacosamidase, β-1,3-galactosidase, endo-N-acyl-neuraminidase (endo N), α-2,3-neuraminidase, α-2,6-neuraminidase, α-2,8-neuraminidase, β-N -acetylhexosarninidase, endo-β-N-galactosidase, endo-α-N-acetylglactosaminidase, endo-α-1,6-D-mannanase, arabinogalactanase, α-mannanase, α-mannosidase, sphingomyelinase, chitinase, chitin deacetylase, carbohydrate deacetylase, N-acetylglucosaminidase, phosphatidylserine decarboxylase, sulfatase, β-galactosidase, arabinanase, hyaluronidase, α-arabinofuranosidase, chondroitinase, glucocerebrosidase, methyl esterase, ferulic acid esterase, furuloyl esterase, acetyl esterase, and carbohydrate deacetylase. 
     
     
         17 : The composition according to  claim 11 , wherein the composition is selected from the group consisting of (i) a composition comprising 1,4-β-mannanase and chitanase; (ii) a composition comprising 1,4-β-mannanase and xyloglucanase; (iii) a composition comprising 1,4-β-mannanase and arabinanase; (iv) a composition comprising 1,3-β-glucanase and chitanase; (v) a composition comprising 1,3-β-glucanase and xyloglucanase; (vi) a composition comprising 1,3-β-glucanase and arabinanase and (vii) a composition comprising 1,4-β-mannanase, 1,3-β-glucanase and arabinanase. 
     
     
         18 : A composition suitable for oral administration to an animal comprising 1,4-β-mannanase and 1,3-β-glucanase, wherein said composition is selected from the group consisting of (i) an animal feed comprising 1,4-β-mannanase and at least 20 IU 1,3-β-glucanase/kg feed, (ii) a liquid composition other than an animal feed comprising 1,4-β-mannanase and at least 155,000 IU 1,3-β-glucanase/L and (iii) a solid composition other than an animal feed comprising 1,4-β-mannanase and at least 300,000 IU 1,3-13-glucanase/kg. 
     
     
         19 : The composition of  claim 18 , wherein the composition is selected from the group consisting of (i) an animal feed comprising 1,4-β-mannanase and at least 30 IU 1,3-β-glucanase/kg feed; (ii) a liquid composition other than an animal feed comprising 1,4-β-mannanase and at least 230,000 IU 1,3-β-glucanase/L and (iii) a solid composition other than an animal feed comprising 1,4-β-mannanase and at least 450,000 IU 1,3-β-glucanase/kg. 
     
     
         20 : The composition of  claim 18 , further comprising one or more additional immune stress-reducing enzymes. 
     
     
         21 : A method of improving animal growth performance and/or reducing immune stress in an animal, comprising orally administering to said animal a composition according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         22 - 26 . (canceled) 
     
     
         27 : The method of  claim 21 , wherein the composition comprises at least one enzyme selected from the group consisting of β-glucosidase, xyloglucanase, DNAases, non-specific nucleases, RNAse L, dsRNA specific adenosine deaminase, CG specific restriction endonuclease, N-glycanases, endo enzymes, PNGases, carbohydrases, α-1,2-fucosidase, α-1,3-1,4-fucosidase, α-1,6-mannosidase, α-1,2-mannosidase, α-1,3-mannosidase, β-1,4-galactosidase, endo-β-N acetylglucosaminidase F (endo F), peptide-N—(N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminyl)asparagine amidase F (PNGase F), PNGase A, endo-β-N-acetylglucosarninidase H (endoH), endo D, endo C, α-N-acetylgalacosamidase, β-1,3-galactosidase, endo-N-acyl-neuraminidase (endo N), α-2,3-neuraminidase, α-2,6-neuraminidase, α-2,8-neuraminidase, β-N -acetylhexosarninidase, endo-β-N-galactosidase, endo-α-N-acetylglactosaminidase, endo-α-1,6-D-mannanase, arabinogalactanase, α-mannanase, α-mannosidase, sphingomyelinase, chitinase, chitin deacetylase, carbohydrate deacetylase, N-acetylglucosaminidase, phosphatidylserine decarboxylase, sulfatase, β-galactosidase, arabinanase, hyaluronidase, α-arabinofuranosidase, chondroitinase, glucocerebrosidase, methyl esterase, ferulic acid esterase, furuloyl esterase, acetyl esterase, and carbohydrate deacetylase. 
     
     
         28 . (canceled) 
     
     
         29 : A method of preventing or treating infection associated with a pathogenic microorganism that displays an antigen, comprising orally administering to an animal in need thereof a composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises at least one immune stress-reducing enzyme that degrades said antigen. 
     
     
         30 . (canceled)