Feed additive and compound feed for improving intramuscular fat of pork

Abstract

The invention provides a feed additive and compound feed for improving intramuscular fat of pork, and belongs to the technical field of animal feed. The additive consists of the following components in parts by mass: 30-40 parts of codonopsis pilosula, 20-25 parts of rhizoma atractylodis, 12-16 parts of folium eriobotryae, 10-15 parts of bighead atractylodes rhizome, 10-15 parts of poria cocos, 8-12 parts of hawthorn, 18-22 parts of pomegranate rind and 5-10 parts of liquorice. The feed additive disclosed by the invention can effectively solve the problem that the meat quality and flavor of modern commercial pigs are reduced due to high lean meat percentage breeding through the synergistic effects of tonifying spleen, promoting appetite, promoting nutrient absorption and regulating metabolism. When the feed additive is applied to live pig feeding, the average daily gain and the meat-feed ratio of pigs can be remarkably increased on the premise that the thickness of back fat is not increased, meanwhile, the carcass lean meat percentage, the marbling score and the intramuscular fat content are increased, and the yield and the edible flavor of pork are comprehensively improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of animal feed technology, and more particularly to a feed additive and compound feed for improving intramuscular fat in pork. Background Technology

[0002] Pork is the most consumed meat product in my country, and its quality directly affects consumer acceptance and the economic benefits of the pork farming industry. Among the many indicators for measuring pork quality, intramuscular fat (IMF) content is a crucial core factor. Intramuscular fat refers to the fat deposited between muscle bundles and muscle fibers, and its content and distribution directly determine the marbling, juiciness, tenderness, and flavor of pork. Generally speaking, when the IMF content is between 2.5% and 3.0%, the pork's texture and flavor are at their best. Too low a content will result in dry, tough, and bland meat; while too high a content may raise consumer concerns about health issues.

[0003] However, in modern intensive pig farming, in pursuit of growth rate and lean meat percentage, commercial pig breeds (such as Duroc, Landrace, and Large White) have undergone long-term selective breeding, resulting in generally low intramuscular fat deposition capacity, typically only 1.0% to 1.5%, far from the ideal level. This is a major technical bottleneck currently facing the production of high-quality pork.

[0004] Currently, the main production measures to increase intramuscular fat content are breeding new breeds, changing diet formulations, and altering feeding methods. Breeding new pig breeds requires long-term effort and significant financial investment. Changing diet formulations involves adjusting the supply of energy, protein, and other nutrients in the pig diet. In actual production, to promote pig growth, reduce fat deposition, and increase breeding profits, people often produce diets based on pig nutritional standards, rather than producing diets that promote fat deposition in pigs. Feed additives developed by researchers, such as betaine, vitamin E (VE), and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), primarily aim to increase lean meat percentage and reduce fat deposition, rather than intramuscular fat content. Invention patent publication number "CN 102578412A" discloses a feed additive for increasing intramuscular fat content in three-way crossbred pigs, but it suffers from a high price.

[0005] Therefore, there is an urgent need in this field to develop a targeted, effective, safe, and cost-controllable technical solution that can effectively promote intramuscular fat deposition without significantly affecting pig growth performance and lean meat percentage, thereby fundamentally improving pork quality. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In view of this, the present invention provides a feed additive and compound feed for improving intramuscular fat in pork, thereby solving the above-mentioned problems.

[0007] To achieve the above-mentioned objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution:

[0008] This invention provides a feed additive for improving intramuscular fat in pork, comprising the following components in parts by weight: 30-40 parts of Codonopsis pilosula, 20-25 parts of Atractylodes lancea, 12-16 parts of Eriobotrya japonica leaf, 10-15 parts of Atractylodes macrocephala, 10-15 parts of Poria cocos, 8-12 parts of Crataegus pinnatifida, 18-22 parts of Punica granatum peel, and 5-10 parts of Glycyrrhiza uralensis.

[0009] Preferably, the feed additive for improving intramuscular fat in pork comprises the following components in parts by weight: 32-37 parts of Codonopsis pilosula, 22-24 parts of Atractylodes lancea, 13-15 parts of Eriobotrya japonica leaf, 19-21 parts of pomegranate peel, 11-13 parts of Atractylodes macrocephala, 11-13 parts of Poria cocos, 9-11 parts of Crataegus pinnatifida, and 6-8 parts of Glycyrrhiza uralensis.

[0010] In this invention, Codonopsis pilosula is the principal herb, which invigorates the spleen and lungs, nourishes blood and generates body fluids; by strengthening the spleen and stomach function, it promotes the absorption and utilization of nutrients by pigs from the root.

[0011] Atractylodes lancea and loquat leaf are used as assistant herbs: Atractylodes lancea dries dampness and strengthens the spleen. Pigs are aquatic animals and are prone to dampness. When dampness obstructs the spleen and stomach, digestion and absorption become abnormal. Atractylodes lancea has a pungent and strong flavor and can dry dampness and strengthen the spleen. It complements Codonopsis pilosula, one tonifying and the other promoting digestion, to restore the spleen and stomach's function of ascending clear qi and descending turbid qi, ensuring smooth nutrient delivery.

[0012] Loquat leaves clear the lungs, resolve phlegm, lower qi, and stop coughing. Dampness and turbidity produced by poor spleen and stomach function can ascend to the lungs. Loquat leaves can regulate lung qi and promote water metabolism, indirectly helping the spleen to transform and transport water and dampness, thus eliminating phlegm and dampness, a pathological factor affecting meat quality and metabolism.

[0013] Atractylodes macrocephala, Poria cocos, hawthorn and pomegranate peel are used as adjuvant herbs: Atractylodes macrocephala strengthens the spleen and dries dampness, Poria cocos promotes diuresis and eliminates dampness, calms the mind and soothes the nerves. Together with Codonopsis pilosula and Atractylodes lancea, they improve spleen deficiency and dampness.

[0014] Hawthorn can aid digestion, promote qi circulation, and relieve blood stasis. It can also improve feed digestion and increase the feed conversion ratio. In addition, its dispersing properties may help improve blood circulation and facilitate nutrient distribution.

[0015] Pomegranate peel has astringent properties that stop diarrhea and can effectively prevent the rapid loss of nutrients, ensuring that absorbed nutrients can be retained and utilized in the body, thereby increasing weight gain and fat deposition.

[0016] Licorice is used as an adjuvant to harmonize the other herbs, moderate the harshness of the formula, and make the overall formula mild. It can also tonify the spleen and replenish qi, assisting the principal herb in strengthening the spleen and playing a synergistic role.

[0017] The synergistic effect of the above components increased the daily weight gain and intramuscular fat content of pigs, achieving a balance between increased production and improved quality.

[0018] The present invention also provides a method for preparing the feed additive, which involves mixing, pulverizing, and sieving Codonopsis pilosula, Atractylodes lancea, loquat leaf, Atractylodes macrocephala, Poria cocos, hawthorn and licorice.

[0019] Preferably, the mesh size of the sieve is 80-100 mesh.

[0020] The present invention also provides the application of the aforementioned feed additive in the preparation of feed that improves intramuscular fat in pork.

[0021] The present invention also provides a feed for improving intramuscular fat in pork, comprising a main ingredient and the feed additives mentioned above; the amount of the feed additives added is 1~1.5%.

[0022] Preferably, the main ingredient comprises the following components in weight percentage: corn 45-55%, soybean meal 15-20%, soybean oil 3-5%, wheat bran 20-30%, compound minerals 1-2%, and compound vitamins 1-2%.

[0023] Preferably, each gram of the multivitamin contains: Vitamin A 8000~12000 IU, Vitamin D3 1500~2500 IU, Vitamin E 15~30 IU, Vitamin K3 2.5~4.5 mg, Vitamin B1 1~2 mg, Vitamin B2 3.5~5.5 mg, Vitamin B6 1.5~3 mg, Vitamin B... 12 0.08~0.12mg, Vitamin C 3.5~4.5mg, Inositol 1.8~2.2mg, Niacin 15~25mg, Pantothenic Acid 8~15mg, Folic Acid 0.5~1.5mg, Biotin 0.1~0.2mg, Choline Chloride 25~35mg and the balance carrier.

[0024] Preferably, each gram of the composite multi-mineral contains 18.5-19.5 mg of calcium dihydrogen phosphate, 8.6-9.0 mg of sodium dihydrogen phosphate, 0.02-0.04 mg of copper sulfate, 0.6-0.8 mg of ferrous fumarate, 0.048-0.052 mg of manganese sulfate, 0.0032-0.0040 mg of chromium pyridinecarboxylate, 0.001-0.005 mg of potassium iodide, 1.5-2.5 mg of magnesium sulfate, 1.2-1.6 mg of zinc sulfate, and the balance being a carrier.

[0025] Preferably, the carrier is one or more of corn flour, defatted rice bran, and calcium carbonate.

[0026] By adopting the above technical solution, the present invention has the following beneficial effects: The feed additive for improving intramuscular fat in pork is composed of the following components in parts by weight: 30-40 parts of Codonopsis pilosula, 20-25 parts of Atractylodes lancea, 12-16 parts of Eriobotrya japonica leaf, 10-15 parts of Atractylodes macrocephala, 10-15 parts of Poria cocos, 8-12 parts of Crataegus pinnatifida, 18-22 parts of Punica granatum peel, and 5-10 parts of Glycyrrhiza uralensis. This feed additive, through its synergistic effects of strengthening the spleen and stomach, promoting nutrient absorption, and regulating metabolism, can effectively solve the problem of declining meat quality and flavor in modern commercial pigs due to high lean meat percentage breeding. When applied to pig farming, it can significantly increase the average daily weight gain and feed conversion ratio of pigs without increasing backfat thickness, while simultaneously improving carcass lean meat percentage, marbling score, and intramuscular fat content, comprehensively improving pork yield and flavor. Detailed Implementation

[0027] The technical solutions provided by the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the embodiments, but they should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0028] Example 1

[0029] A feed additive for improving intramuscular fat in pork is composed of the following components in parts by weight: 30 kg of Codonopsis pilosula, 20 kg of Atractylodes lancea, 12 kg of Eriobotrya japonica leaf, 10 kg of Atractylodes macrocephala, 10 kg of Poria cocos, 8 kg of Crataegus pinnatifida, 18 kg of Punica granatum peel, and 5 kg of Glycyrrhiza uralensis.

[0030] A feed for improving intramuscular fat in pork consists of a main ingredient and the aforementioned feed additives, with the amount of feed additives added being 1%.

[0031] The main ingredients consist of the following components by weight percentage: corn 45%, soybean meal 20%, soybean oil 3%, wheat bran 30%, compound minerals 1%, and compound vitamins 1%.

[0032] Each gram of multivitamin contains: Vitamin A 12000 IU, Vitamin D3 2500 IU, Vitamin E 30 IU, Vitamin K3 4.5 mg, Vitamin B1 2 mg, Vitamin B2 5.5 mg, Vitamin B6 3 mg, Vitamin B... 12 0.12mg, Vitamin C 4.5mg, Inositol 2.2mg, Niacin 25mg, Pantothenic Acid 15mg, Folic Acid 1.5mg, Biotin 0.2mg, Choline Chloride 35mg, and the remainder corn flour.

[0033] Each gram of the compound multi-mineral contains 19.5 mg of calcium dihydrogen phosphate, 9.0 mg of sodium dihydrogen phosphate, 0.04 mg of copper sulfate, 0.8 mg of ferrous fumarate, 0.052 mg of manganese sulfate, 0.0040 mg of chromium pyridinecarboxylate, 0.005 mg of potassium iodide, 2.5 mg of magnesium sulfate, 1.6 mg of zinc sulfate, and the balance of corn flour.

[0034] Example 2

[0035] A feed additive for improving intramuscular fat in pork is composed of the following components in parts by weight: 35 kg of Codonopsis pilosula, 22 kg of Atractylodes lancea, 14 kg of Eriobotrya japonica leaf, 13 kg of Atractylodes macrocephala, 13 kg of Poria cocos, 10 kg of Crataegus pinnatifida, 20 kg of Punica granatum peel, and 8 kg of Glycyrrhiza uralensis.

[0036] A feed for improving intramuscular fat in pork consists of a main ingredient and the aforementioned feed additives, with the feed additives added at a rate of 1.2%.

[0037] The main ingredients consist of the following components by weight percentage: corn 50%, soybean meal 15%, soybean oil 5%, wheat bran 27%, compound minerals 1.5%, and compound vitamins 1.5%.

[0038] Each gram of multivitamin contains: Vitamin A 10000 IU, Vitamin D3 2000 IU, Vitamin E 20 IU, Vitamin K3 3 mg, Vitamin B1 1.5 mg, Vitamin B2 4 mg, Vitamin B6 2 mg, Vitamin B... 12 0.1 mg, Vitamin C 4 mg, Inositol 2 mg, Niacin 20 mg, Pantothenic Acid 12 mg, Folic Acid 1 mg, Biotin 0.15 mg, Choline Chloride 30 mg, and the remainder defatted rice bran.

[0039] Each gram of the compound multi-mineral contains 19 mg of calcium dihydrogen phosphate, 8.8 mg of sodium dihydrogen phosphate, 0.03 mg of copper sulfate, 0.7 mg of ferrous fumarate, 0.05 mg of manganese sulfate, 0.0036 mg of chromium pyridinecarboxylate, 0.003 mg of potassium iodide, 2 mg of magnesium sulfate, 1.4 mg of zinc sulfate, and the balance of defatted rice bran.

[0040] Example 3

[0041] A feed additive for improving intramuscular fat in pork is composed of the following components in parts by weight: 40 kg of Codonopsis pilosula, 25 kg of Atractylodes lancea, 16 kg of Eriobotrya japonica leaf, 15 kg of Atractylodes macrocephala, 15 kg of Poria cocos, 12 kg of Crataegus pinnatifida, 22 kg of Punica granatum peel, and 10 kg of Glycyrrhiza uralensis.

[0042] A feed for improving intramuscular fat in pork consists of a main ingredient and the aforementioned feed additives, with the feed additives added at a rate of 1.5%.

[0043] The main ingredients consist of the following components by weight percentage: corn 55%, soybean meal 17%, soybean oil 4%, wheat bran 20%, compound minerals 2%, and compound vitamins 2%.

[0044] Each gram of multivitamin contains: Vitamin A 8000 IU, Vitamin D3 1500 IU, Vitamin E 15 IU, Vitamin K3 2.5 mg, Vitamin B1 1 mg, Vitamin B2 3.5 mg, Vitamin B6 1.5 mg, Vitamin B... 12 0.08mg, Vitamin C 3.5mg, Inositol 1.8mg, Niacin 15mg, Pantothenic Acid 8mg, Folic Acid 0.5mg, Biotin 0.1mg, Choline Chloride 25mg and the remainder calcium carbonate.

[0045] Each gram of the compound multi-mineral contains 18.5 mg of calcium dihydrogen phosphate, 8.6 mg of sodium dihydrogen phosphate, 0.02 mg of copper sulfate, 0.6 mg of ferrous fumarate, 0.048 mg of manganese sulfate, 0.0032 mg of chromium pyridinecarboxylate, 0.001 mg of potassium iodide, 1.5 mg of magnesium sulfate, 1.2 mg of zinc sulfate, and the balance of calcium carbonate.

[0046] Comparative Example 1

[0047] Unlike Example 1, Codonopsis pilosula in the feed additive was replaced with Astragalus membranaceus, while the main feed ingredients were the same as in Example 1.

[0048] Comparative Example 2

[0049] Unlike Example 1, the loquat leaf component in the feed additive was removed, while the main feed ingredients were the same as in Example 1.

[0050] Comparative Example 3

[0051] Unlike Example 1, Atractylodes lancea in the feed additive was replaced with Magnolia officinalis, while the main feed ingredients were the same as in Example 1.

[0052] Comparative Example 4

[0053] Unlike Example 1, the Atractylodes macrocephala in the feed additive weighed 22 kg, while the main feed ingredients were the same as in Example 1.

[0054] Comparative Example 5

[0055] The comparative example is the traditional Chinese medicine composition published under the publication number "CN 116870085 A" entitled "A Traditional Chinese Medicine Composition for Increasing Intramuscular Fat Content and Improving Pork Flavor", which specifically consists of: 8.5% ginseng leaf, 10% Panax notoginseng flower, 17.5% yam, 8% dried tangerine peel, 14.5% cinnamon, 13% wolfberry, 16% medicated leaven, and 12.5% ​​licorice; the amount of traditional Chinese medicine feed additives and the main feed ingredients are the same as in Example 1.

[0056] Experimental Example

[0057] The experiment was conducted in May 2024 at the Animal Experiment Base of the Institute of Animal Science, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences. The test breed was healthy castrated Duroc x Landrace x Large White pigs. 450 healthy pigs weighing 53-56 kg were selected from the farm and randomly divided into 9 groups of 50 pigs each. Each treatment group was fed the feeds described in Examples 1-3 and Comparative Examples 1-5, respectively. The control group received the same feed as the one in Example 1, without the addition of any herbal feed additives. Pigs in each group had free access to feed and water during the experiment and underwent routine immunization and deworming. The weight and daily feed intake of each pig in each group were recorded daily for 42 days. At the end of the experiment, the average daily weight gain and feed conversion ratio of each group were calculated. At the end of the experiment, 5 pigs of similar weight from each group were slaughtered, and the lean meat percentage, backfat thickness, and semitendinosus muscle were collected for marble scoring and intramuscular fat content determination. The average values ​​were taken, and the results are shown in Table 1.

[0058] Daily weight gain = (final weight - initial weight) / number of days of trial;

[0059] Feed conversion ratio = average daily weight gain / average feed intake.

[0060] Table 1. Growth indicators of pigs in each treatment group

[0061] Group Average daily weight gain (g) Meat-to-fat ratio Back fat thickness (mm) Lean meat percentage (%) Marble rating Intramuscular fat content (%) Example 1 926.3 2.29 2.09 69.32 4.03 3.52 Example 2 932.5 2.36 2.06 68.83 3.95 3.47 Example 3 938.0 2.33 2.08 68.55 3.92 3.50 Comparative Example 1 910.6 2.51 2.05 64.15 3.62 3.17 Comparative Example 2 895.8 2.66 2.03 63.29 3.65 3.02 Comparative Example 3 883.2 2.73 2.03 65.86 3.59 3.19 Comparative Example 4 903.5 2.58 2.04 66.15 3.71 3.23 Comparative Example 5 899.4 2.68 2.04 65.23 3.48 2.99 Comparison 688.2 3.18 1.95 58.37 2.36 2.40

[0062] Backfat thickness reflects the degree of fat deposition, lean meat percentage reflects the level of muscle development, and marbling (i.e., intramuscular fat distribution) is one of the key indicators for evaluating pork quality; a higher score indicates more uniform fat distribution, resulting in more tender, juicy, and flavorful meat. Intramuscular fat is the most critical factor determining the flavor, juiciness, and tenderness of meat. Table 1 shows that the feed additive of this invention can increase the average daily weight gain of pigs and reduce the feed conversion ratio; and it increases lean meat percentage, marbling score, and intramuscular fat content without increasing backfat thickness. Comparative Examples 1-5 show that any substitution, deletion, or alteration of the drug ratio in the herbal feed additive of this invention will reduce the growth rate, marbling score, and intramuscular fat content of pigs.

[0063] As can be seen from the above embodiments, the present invention provides a feed additive and compound feed for improving intramuscular fat in pork, which can effectively promote the deposition of intramuscular fat without significantly affecting the growth performance and lean meat percentage of pigs, thereby fundamentally improving the quality of pork.

[0064] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the principle of the present invention, and these improvements and modifications should also be considered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A feed additive for improving intramuscular fat in pork, characterized in that, The ingredients include the following components in parts by weight: Codonopsis pilosula 30-40 parts, Atractylodes lancea 20-25 parts, Eriobotrya japonica leaf 12-16 parts, Atractylodes macrocephala 10-15 parts, Poria cocos 10-15 parts, Crataegus pinnatifida 8-12 parts, Punica granatum peel 18-22 parts, and Glycyrrhiza uralensis 5-10 parts.

2. The feed additive according to claim 1, characterized in that, The components include the following parts by weight: Codonopsis pilosula 32-37 parts, Atractylodes lancea 22-24 parts, Eriobotrya japonica leaf 13-15 parts, Punica granatum peel 19-21 parts, Atractylodes macrocephala 11-13 parts, Poria cocos 11-13 parts, Crataegus pinnatifida 9-11 parts, and Glycyrrhiza uralensis 6-8 parts.

3. The method for preparing the feed additive according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The ingredients are Codonopsis pilosula, Atractylodes lancea, loquat leaf, Atractylodes macrocephala, Poria cocos, hawthorn and licorice, mixed, crushed and sieved.

4. The preparation method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The sieve mesh size is 80-100 mesh.

5. The use of the feed additive of claim 1 or 2 in the preparation of feed that improves intramuscular fat in pork.

6. A feed for improving intramuscular fat in pork, characterized in that, It includes the main ingredient and the feed additive as described in claim 1 or 2; the amount of the feed additive added is 1 to 1.5%.

7. The feed according to claim 6, characterized in that, The main ingredients include the following components by weight percentage: corn 45-55%, soybean meal 15-20%, soybean oil 3-5%, wheat bran 20-30%, compound minerals 1-2%, and compound vitamins 1-2%.

8. The feed according to claim 6, characterized in that, Each gram of multivitamin contains: Vitamin A 8000~12000 IU, Vitamin D3 1500~2500 IU, Vitamin E 15~30 IU, Vitamin K3 2.5~4.5 mg, Vitamin B1 1~2 mg, Vitamin B2 3.5~5.5 mg, Vitamin B6 1.5~3 mg, Vitamin B... 12 0.08~0.12mg, Vitamin C 3.5~4.5mg, Inositol 1.8~2.2mg, Niacin 15~25mg, Pantothenic Acid 8~15mg, Folic Acid 0.5~1.5mg, Biotin 0.1~0.2mg, Choline Chloride 25~35mg and the balance carrier.

9. The feed according to claim 6, characterized in that, Each gram of the complex multi-mineral contains 18.5-19.5 mg of calcium dihydrogen phosphate, 8.6-9.0 mg of sodium dihydrogen phosphate, 0.02-0.04 mg of copper sulfate, 0.6-0.8 mg of ferrous fumarate, 0.048-0.052 mg of manganese sulfate, 0.0032-0.0040 mg of chromium pyridinecarboxylate, 0.001-0.005 mg of potassium iodide, 1.5-2.5 mg of magnesium sulfate, 1.2-1.6 mg of zinc sulfate, and the balance being a carrier.

10. The feed according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that, The carrier is one or more of corn flour, defatted rice bran, and calcium carbonate.