Composition for inhibiting bile salt hydrolase comprising epicatechin as active ingredient and use thereof

Abstract

The present application relates to: a composition for inhibiting bile salt hydrolase (BSH) comprising epicatechin as an active ingredient; a method for inhibiting bile salt hydrolase of an animal using same; and a use of catechin for inhibiting bile salt hydrolase.

Description

Composition for inhibiting bile salt hydrolase containing epicatechin as an active ingredient and use thereof

[0001] The present application relates to a composition for inhibiting bile salt hydrolase (BSH) comprising epicatechin as an active ingredient; a method for inhibiting bile salt hydrolase in an animal using the composition; and a use of epicatechin for inhibiting bile salt hydrolase.

[0002]

[0003] Bile salt hydrolase is an enzyme produced by intestinal microorganisms to protect themselves from bile acids, and it is known that inhibiting it can improve the growth performance of livestock (Begley, M.; Hill, C.; Gahan, CGM (2006) Bile Salt Hydrolase Activity in Probiotics. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 72(3), 1729-1738).

[0004] Although some compounds have been studied as bile salt hydrolase inhibitors, it is widely known that these artificial compounds can cause adverse effects in livestock, and therefore, there is a need to develop safe substances that can inhibit bile salt hydrolase.

[0005]

[0006] One object of the present application is to provide a composition for inhibiting bile salt hydrolase, which comprises epicatechin as an active ingredient.

[0007] Another object of the present application is to provide a method for inhibiting bile salt hydrolase in an animal, comprising the step of administering epicatechin to the animal.

[0008] Another object of the present application is to provide a method for increasing body weight of an animal, comprising the step of feeding epicatechin to the animal.

[0009] Another object of the present application is to provide a use of epicatechin for inhibiting bile salt hydrolase.

[0010] Another object of the present application is to provide a use of epicatechin for animal weight gain.

[0011]

[0012] One aspect of the present application provides a composition for inhibiting bile salt hydrolase, comprising epicatechin as an active ingredient.

[0013] Another aspect of the present application provides a method for inhibiting bile salt hydrolase in an animal, comprising the step of administering epicatechin to the animal.

[0014] Another object of the present application is to provide a method for increasing body weight of an animal, comprising the step of feeding epicatechin to the animal.

[0015] Another aspect of the present application provides a use of epicatechin for inhibiting bile salt hydrolase.

[0016] Another object of the present application is to provide a use of epicatechin for animal weight gain.

[0017]

[0018] The present invention can contribute to inhibiting bile salt hydrolase in animals, promoting the growth of livestock, and increasing feed efficiency and quality.

[0019]

[0020] This is explained in detail as follows. Meanwhile, each description and embodiment disclosed in this application can also be applied to each other description and embodiment. In other words, all combinations of the various elements disclosed in this application fall within the scope of this application. Furthermore, the scope of this application is not limited by the specific descriptions described below.

[0021] Furthermore, those skilled in the art will recognize or be able to ascertain, using only routine experimentation, numerous equivalents to the specific embodiments of the present application described herein. Furthermore, such equivalents are intended to be encompassed by this application.

[0022] As used in the specification and appended claims of this application, the singular articles "a," "an," and "the" include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Unless the context clearly dictates otherwise, the singular terms include the plural and the plural terms include the singular. In the specification and appended claims of this application, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise, the use of "or" is intended to include "and / or."

[0023]

[0024] In this application, the term "about" may be used before a specific numerical value. As used herein, the term "about" encompasses not only the exact number described after the term, but also a range that is or is nearly that number. Whether a number is or is nearly the specific number described can be determined based on the context in which it is presented. For example, the term "about" may refer to a range of -10% to +10% of a numerical value. In another example, the term "about" may refer to a range of -5% to +5% of a given numerical value. However, this is not a limitation.

[0025] In this application, the terms "first, second, third," "i), ii), iii),," or "(a), (b), (c), (d),," are used to distinguish similar configurations, and these terms do not imply that the steps are performed consecutively or in order. For example, when the terms are used in connection with steps of a method, use, or analysis, these steps may be performed simultaneously, or may be performed at intervals of seconds, minutes, hours, days, or months.

[0026] In this application, the term "comprising" means the presence of a feature, step, or component described below, and does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more features, steps, or components. The components or features described below "comprising" in this application may be essential or mandatory, but in some embodiments, other optional or non-essential components or features may be further included.

[0027]

[0028] One aspect of the present application provides a composition for inhibiting bile salt hydrolase (BSH) comprising epicatechin as an active ingredient.

[0029] In the present application, the term "catechin" is a type of polyphenol and may include at least one selected from the group consisting of epigallocatechin (EGC), epicatechin (EC), epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), epicatechin gallate (ECG), gallocatechin (GC), catechin gallate (CG), gallocatechin gallate (GCG), and catechin (C). At this time, catechin is divided into epicatechin and non-epicatechin, and the catechin of the present application may be epicatechin.

[0030] The epicatechin of the present application may be EGCG, EGC, or a combination thereof.

[0031] In one embodiment, the epicatechin (specifically, EGCG, EGC, or a combination thereof) of the present application is present in a composition for inhibiting bile salt hydrolase at an amount of 1 ppm or more, specifically, 1 to 1,000 ppm, 1 to 500 ppm, 1 to 125 ppm, 1 to 62 ppm, 1 to 31 ppm, 2 to 1,000 ppm, 2 to 500 ppm, 2 to 125 ppm, 2 to 62 ppm, 2 to 31 ppm, 31 to 1,000 ppm, 31 to 500 ppm, 31 to 125 ppm, 31 to 62 ppm, 62 to 1,000 ppm, 62 to 500 ppm, 62 to 125 ppm 125 to 1,000 ppm, May include, but is not limited to, 125 to 500 ppm.

[0032] As an example of implementation, the epicatechin may have a bile salt hydrolase inhibitory ability.

[0033] In this application, the term "bile salt hydrolase (BSH)" refers to an enzyme that primarily functions to convert conjugated bile salts into unconjugated bile salts. The bile salt hydrolase may be produced by intestinal commensal bacteria, but is not limited thereto. In addition, antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs) are generally used to promote the growth of livestock, but the careful use and regulation of antibiotics are required due to problems resulting from the misuse of antibiotics for livestock farming. Some antibiotics used in feed have bile salt hydrolase inhibitory activity, and promote animal growth by reducing the activity of bile salt hydrolase. Bile salt hydrolase inhibitors are known as an alternative to antibiotics (Begley, M.; Hill, C.; Gahan, CGM (2006). Bile Salt Hydrolase Activity in Probiotics. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 72(3), 1729-1738). In relation to this, the epicatechin of the present application has an excellent effect of inhibiting bile salt hydrolase and increasing feed efficiency through animal weight gain.

[0034] As an example of implementation, epicatechin EGCG and EGC of the present application may have superior bile salt hydrolase inhibitory activity compared to epicatechin gallate (ECG).

[0035] In one embodiment, the bile salt hydrolase of the present application may be derived from at least one microorganism selected from the group consisting of the genus Bacteroides, the genus Escherichia, and the genus Salmonella, specifically, but not limited to, at least one microorganism selected from the group consisting of Bacteroides fragilis, Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium, and Salmonella infantis. The Escherichia coli may be, but is not limited to, Escherichia coli STEC stx2e and / or Escherichia coli APEC O.

[0036]

[0037] The composition of the present application for inhibiting bile salt hydrolase may be used for weight gain in animals. Bile salt hydrolase is known to promote animal growth (Begley, M.; Hill, C.; Gahan, CGM . (2006). Bile Salt Hydrolase Activity in Probiotics. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 72(3), 1729-1738), and the epicatechin of the present application has been found for the first time in the present application to have an excellent bile salt hydrolase inhibitory effect, so the composition of the present application may be used for weight gain in animals.

[0038] In this application, “bile salt hydrolase inhibition” means inhibition of bile salt hydrolase activity.

[0039] In one embodiment, inhibition of bile salt hydrolase may include both decrease in intrinsic activity or inactivation of bile salt hydrolase activity in an animal to which the feed, feed composition, feed additive, and / or feed additive composition of the present application is administered. That is, the inhibition may include both decrease in activity compared to the intrinsic activity of the enzyme prior to administration of the feed, feed composition, feed additive, and / or feed additive composition of the present application in the animal; or complete inactivation.

[0040] The above “intrinsic activity” refers to the activity of bile salt hydrolase that the animal originally had before feeding the feed, feed composition, feed additive, and / or feed additive composition of the present application.

[0041] Additionally, the enzyme activity of the present application can be evaluated, but is not limited to, by the conversion rate of the enzyme substrate (e.g., bile salt) into a product, the extent to which the substrate is reduced by adding the enzyme to the substrate, and / or the extent to which the substrate is reduced compared to the amount of the enzyme substrate initially administered or fed to the animal.

[0042] In one implementation example, inhibition of the activity may mean a decrease in the ability to convert conjugated bile salts to unconjugated bile salts, and BSH inhibition rate (%) (% inhibition) = (OD 소재처리 - OD 균주 ) / (OD 균주 / 기질 - OD 균주 ) X 100(%) and can have a positive (+) value (at this time, OD material treatment = absorbance after reaction of material, strain, and substrate; OD strain = absorbance according to strain treatment alone; and OD 균주 / 기질 = After the reaction of the strain and substrate, the absorbance is measured.

[0043]

[0044] Another aspect of the present application provides a feed and feed additive comprising epicatechin as an active ingredient. The epicatechin may be EGCG, EGC, or a combination thereof, and may inhibit bile salt hydrolase.

[0045] The bile salt hydrolase inhibitory composition of the present application may be for feed use. Accordingly, the bile salt hydrolase inhibitory composition of the present application may be a bile salt hydrolase inhibitory feed composition and / or a feed additive composition.

[0046] In this application, the term "feed (also including "feed" in "feed composition" and "feed additive") refers to food fed to an animal. The feed may include substances that provide organic or inorganic nutrients necessary for sustaining the life of the animal or producing meat, milk, etc. It may additionally include nutrients necessary for sustaining the life of the animal or producing meat, milk, etc. The feed of the present application may include a bile salt hydrolase inhibitory composition of the present application, a feed composition of the present application, and a feed additive of the present application.

[0047] The term "feed additive" in this application refers to a substance added to a feed composition, and may correspond to supplementary feed under the Feed Management Act. The feed additive may be intended to improve the productivity or health of animals or livestock, but is not limited thereto. The feed additive of this application may include the bile salt hydrolase inhibitor composition of this application or the feed additive composition of this application.

[0048]

[0049] The feed, feed composition, feed additive, and / or feed additive composition of the present application may be for animals, but is not limited to any species capable of feeding the feed.

[0050] The feed, feed composition, feed additive, and / or feed additive composition of the present application can be applied to animal diets. The animal may be, but is not particularly limited to, humans, and may include a number of animals, including mammals and poultry. Examples of mammals include pigs, cows, sheep, goats, laboratory rodents, and companion animals (e.g., dogs and cats), and examples of poultry include chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese, pheasants, and quail. The feeding method is not limited.

[0051]

[0052] The type of feed or feed additive of the present application is not particularly limited, and feed commonly used in the relevant technical field can be used. Non-limiting examples of the feed or feed additive include plant-based feed or feed additives such as grains, roots, food processing by-products, algae, fibers, pharmaceutical by-products, oils, starches, meal, or grain by-products; and animal-based feed or feed additives such as proteins, inorganic substances, oils, minerals, single-cell proteins, zooplankton, or food. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0053] The feed, feed composition, feed additive, and / or feed additive composition of the present application may be manufactured in a powder or granular form, and may further include, if necessary, one or more of organic acids such as citric acid, fumaric acid, adipic acid, lactic acid, and malic acid; phosphates such as sodium phosphate, potassium phosphate, acid pyrophosphate, and polyphosphate; and natural antioxidants such as polyphenol, alpha-tocopherol, rosemary extract, vitamin C, green tea extract, licorice extract, chitosan, tannic acid, and phytic acid. The feed or feed additive of the present application may be formulated in the form of a conventional feed, and may include conventional feed ingredients together.

[0054] The feed, feed composition, feed additive, and / or feed additive composition of the present application may further include grains, such as ground or shredded wheat, oats, barley, corn, and rice; preparations or substances based on vegetable proteins, such as rapeseed, soybeans, and sunflower; animal proteins, such as blood meal, meat meal, bone meal, and fish meal; dry ingredients composed of sugars and dairy products, such as various types of milk powder and whey powder, and may further include nutritional supplements, digestion and absorption enhancers, growth promoters, and the like.

[0055] The feed, feed composition, feed additive, and / or feed additive composition of the present application may be administered to an animal alone or in combination with other feed additives in an edible carrier. Furthermore, the feed, feed composition, feed additive, and / or feed additive composition of the present application may be readily administered to an animal as a top dressing, by mixing them directly into the feed, or in an oral formulation separate from the feed. When administered, they may be prepared as immediate-release or sustained-release formulations by combining them with pharmaceutically acceptable edible carriers, as is well known in the art. Such edible carriers may be solid or liquid, such as corn starch, lactose, sucrose, soybean flakes, peanut oil, olive oil, sesame oil, and propylene glycol. When a solid carrier is used, the feed additive may be in the form of a tablet, capsule, powder, troche, or sugar tablet, or as a top dressing in a microdispersible form. When a liquid carrier is used, the feed additive may be formulated as a gelatin soft capsule, or as a syrup, suspension, emulsion, or solution.

[0056] The feed, feed composition, feed additive, and / or feed additive composition of the present application may contain, for example, a preservative, a stabilizer, a wetting agent or emulsifier, a solution accelerator, etc. The feed additive or feed additive composition may be used by adding, spraying, or mixing it into animal feed.

[0057] The feed, feed composition, feed additive, and / or feed additive composition of the present application may additionally be used by mixing one or more of organic acids such as citric acid, fumaric acid, adipic acid, and lactic acid; phosphates such as potassium phosphate, sodium phosphate, and polymeric phosphate; and natural antioxidants such as polyphenol, catechin, tocopherol, vitamin C, green tea extract, chitosan, and tannic acid for administration, and other conventional additives such as anti-influenza agents, buffers, and bacteriostatic agents may be added as needed. In addition, the feed, feed composition, feed additive, and / or feed additive composition of the present application may be formulated into an injectable formulation such as an aqueous solution, suspension, or emulsion, capsule, granule, or tablet by additionally adding a diluent, a dispersant, a surfactant, a binder, or a lubricant. In addition, the feed, feed composition, feed additive, and / or feed additive composition of the present application may be used together with various auxiliary ingredients such as amino acids, inorganic salts, vitamins, antioxidants, antifungals, antibacterial agents, etc., and plant-based protein feed such as ground or crushed wheat, barley, corn, etc., animal-based protein feed such as blood meal, meat meal, fish meal, etc., animal fat, and plant-based fat, in addition to the main ingredients such as nutritional supplements, growth promoters, digestion and absorption promoters, and disease preventive agents.

[0058] The feed, feed composition, feed additive, and / or feed additive composition of the present application may be mixed into livestock feed in an amount of about 10 to 500 g per kg on a dry weight basis, for example, 10 to 100 g, and after being thoroughly mixed, may be supplied as a mash or may be subjected to a pelletizing, expanding, or extruding process through an additional processing process.

[0059] The content of epicatechin included in the feed, feed composition, feed additive, and / or feed additive composition of the present application can be appropriately adjusted depending on the type and age of the livestock to which it is applied, the form of application, the desired effect, etc., and can be used in an amount of, for example, 0.01 to 90 wt%.

[0060] Furthermore, the feed, feed composition, feed additive, and / or feed additive composition according to the present application may be used individually, in combination with conventionally known feeds or feed additives, or sequentially or simultaneously with conventional feeds or feed additives. They may be administered singly or in multiple doses. Taking all of the above factors into consideration, it is important to administer an amount that achieves maximum effect with the minimum amount possible without adverse effects, and this can be readily determined by those skilled in the art.

[0061]

[0062] Another aspect of the present application provides a method for inhibiting bile salt hydrolase in an animal, comprising the step of administering epicatechin to the animal.

[0063] As an example implementation, the method may increase the weight of an animal.

[0064] Another aspect of the present application provides a method for increasing body weight in an animal, comprising the step of administering epicatechin to the animal.

[0065] The method of feeding the above is not limited as long as it is in a form that can be consumed by animals.

[0066] Another aspect of the present application provides a method for inhibiting bile salt hydrolase, comprising the step of treating epicatechin to a bile salt hydrolase producing microorganism.

[0067] The epicatechin, animal, and bile salt hydrolase are as described in other aspects, and the epicatechin may be EGCG, EGC, or a combination thereof.

[0068] The method for inhibiting the bile salt hydrolase of the animal or the method for increasing the body weight of the animal may specifically include the steps of (a) mixing a feed, feed composition, feed additive, and / or feed additive composition containing epicatechin as an active ingredient into an animal feed; and (b) feeding the animal feed to the animal.

[0069] The step (a) according to the present application is a step of mixing the feed, feed composition, feed additive, and / or feed additive composition containing the epicatechin of the present application as an active ingredient into general feed for livestock, and can be fed by mixing it in the mixed feed at 0.01 to 90 wt%, preferably 0.1 to 10 wt%.

[0070] The step (b) according to the present application is a step of feeding the feed containing the epicatechin prepared in the step (a) to an animal, and the method thereof is not limited. The animals to which the feed can be fed are not particularly limited as described above, and the feed can be applied to a number of animal diets, including mammals and poultry. As the mammals, the feed can be used for pigs, cows, sheep, goats, laboratory rodents, and laboratory rodents, as well as pets (e.g., dogs, cats), and as the poultry, the feed can also be used for chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese, pheasants, and quail.

[0071] When the feed, feed composition, feed additive, and / or feed additive composition according to the present application is fed to animals, it is expected to have an excellent effect of promoting the growth of livestock and increasing feed efficiency while replacing antibiotics by inhibiting bile salt hydrolase (BSH) activity.

[0072]

[0073] Another aspect of the present application provides a use of epicatechin, a feed of the present application, a feed composition of the present application, a feed additive of the present application, and / or a feed additive composition of the present application for inhibiting bile salt hydrolase and for increasing animal body weight.

[0074] The epicatechin, feed composition, feed additive, bile salt hydrolase, etc. are as described above, and the epicatechin may be EGCG, EGC, or a combination thereof.

[0075]

[0076] Hereinafter, this application will be described in more detail through examples. However, the following examples are merely preferred embodiments intended to illustrate the present application and are therefore not intended to limit the scope of the present application. Furthermore, technical details not described in this specification can be readily understood and implemented by those skilled in the technical field of this application or similar technical fields.

[0077]

[0078] Example 1. BSH inhibitory efficacy by detailed component of epicatechin

[0079] Example 1-1. Sample preparation for evaluating BSH inhibitory efficacy

[0080] Escherichia coliSTEC stx2e, Salmonella typhimurium, Escherichia coliAPEC O, and Salmonella infantis were inoculated into a liquid medium prepared with LB broth (BD DIFCO 10855021), and then cultured at 37°C for 1 day. In addition, Bacteroides fragilis was inoculated into Reinforced clostridial medium (BD DIFCO 218081), and then cultured anaerobically and statically at 37°C for 2 days. At this time, the information on the microbial strains and culture conditions mentioned above are shown in Table 1 below.

[0081] The strain culture was diluted with 0.1 M sodium phosphate buffer (pH 6.0) containing DL-dithiothreitol (DTT) so that the absorbance (600 nm) of the culture was 0.3. The substrate was prepared as 100 mM glycodeoxycholic acid (GDCA, Sigma G9910) in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO, Sigma 276855) and stored in the refrigerator.

[0082] Livestock strain name Strain number Badge Human Bacteroides fragilisKCTC5013Reinforced clostridial mediumPig farmingEscherichia coli(STEC / edema disease)KVCC-BA0001423LBPig farmingSalmonella typhimuriumATCC14028LBPoultry Avian Pathogenic Escherichia coli(APEC)(O)CR02-A0054LBPoultry Salmonella infantisSARB26(SGSC2483)LB

[0083]

[0084] Example 1-2. BSH inhibition efficacy evaluation method

[0085] Using 0.1 M sodium phosphate buffer containing 5 mM DTT, the evaluation target materials, epicatechin gallate (ECG), epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), epigallocatechin (EGC), and oxytetracycline, were diluted and prepared according to each evaluation concentration. The prepared materials and the culture medium of the BSH-producing strain were reacted at 37°C for 30 minutes, and then the substrate glycodeoxycholic acid was added. The reaction was terminated when the absorbance (OD 600 nm) of the reaction solution containing the substrate and strain was 0.5 or higher. Thereafter, the inhibition rate was calculated as follows to compare the BSH inhibitory efficacy of each material.

[0086]

[0087] - BSH inhibition rate (%) (% inhibition) = (OD 소재처리 - OD 균주 ) / (OD 균주 / 기질 - OD 균주 ) X 100(%) At this time, OD material treatment = absorbance after reaction of material, strain, and substrate; OD strain = absorbance according to strain treatment alone; and OD 균주 / 기질 = After the reaction of the strain and substrate, the absorbance is measured.

[0088] Classification Evaluation Material InformationEpicatechinEpicatechin gallate (ECG)Sigma, E3893Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG)Sigma, PHR1333Epigallocatechin (EGC)Sigma, E3768AntibioticOxytetracyclineSigma, O4636

[0089]

[0090] Example 1-3. Results of BSH inhibition efficacy evaluation

[0091] The positive control, oxytetracycline, was confirmed to have a 100% inhibition rate of BSH produced by Bacteroides fragilis at 125 ppm. Based on 125 ppm of epicatechin, ECG had a 46% inhibition rate, while EGCG and EGC had 65% and 73%, respectively, which were confirmed to be higher inhibition rates than ECG. In addition, based on 62 ppm of epicatechin, ECG had a 31% inhibition rate, while EGCG had 48% and EGC had 45%, and based on 31 ppm of epicatechin, ECG had a 9% inhibition rate, while EGCG had 15% and EGC had 13%, which were confirmed to be higher inhibition rates than ECG (Table 3).

[0092] Classification material 125 ppm standard BSH inhibition ability (%) 62 ppm standard BSH inhibition ability (%) 31 ppm standard BSH inhibition ability (%) Epicatechin ECG 46 3 19 EGCG 65 4 8 15 EGC 73 4 5 13 Antibiotic Oxytetracycline 100 ND ND

[0093]

[0094] The inhibition rate of BSH produced by the swine Escherichia coli edema strain was confirmed at 31 ppm for each material, and ECG was confirmed to be 23.52%, EGCG was confirmed to be 37.14%, and EGC was confirmed to be 52.38% (Table 4).

[0095] BSH inhibition ability (%) based on 31 ppm of the classified material, epicatechin, ECG, 23.52, EGCG, 37.14, EGC, 52.38

[0096]

[0097] The inhibition rate of BSH produced from Salmonella typhimurium in pigs was confirmed at 31 ppm for each material, and ECG was confirmed to be 10.00%, EGCG was confirmed to be 30.23%, and EGC was confirmed to be 15.00% (Table 5).

[0098] BSH inhibition ability (%) based on 31 ppm of the classified materialEpicatechinECG10.00EGCG30.23EGC15.00

[0099]

[0100] The inhibition rate of BSH produced from Escherichia coli APEC (0) was confirmed at 62 ppm for each material, and ECG was confirmed to be 6.23%, EGCG was confirmed to be 28.82%, and EGC was confirmed to be 10.32% (Table 6).

[0101] BSH inhibition ability (%) based on 62 ppm of the material classified as epicatechin ECG 6.23 EGCG 28.82 EGC 10.32

[0102]

[0103] The inhibition rate of BSH produced from Salmonella infantis in poultry was confirmed at 62 ppm for each material, and ECG was 18.43%, EGCG was 32.32%, and EGC was 61.40% (Table 7).

[0104] BSH inhibition activity (%) based on 62 ppm of the classified material, epicatechin ECG 18.43 EGCG 32.32 EGC 61.40

[0105]

[0106] Accordingly, in the above-described examples, regardless of the type of BSH, EGCG and EGC had a superior BSH inhibition rate compared to ECG.

[0107]

[0108] Example 2. BSH inhibitory effect of natural products containing epicatechin

[0109] Escherichia coli (APEC O) was inoculated into a liquid medium prepared with LB broth (BD DIFCO 10855021) and cultured at 37℃ for 2 days. The strain culture was diluted with 0.1 M sodium phosphate buffer (pH 6.0) containing DL-dithiothreitol (DTT) so that the absorbance (600 nm) of the culture was 0.3. The substrate was prepared with 100 mM glycodeoxycholic acid (GDCA, Sigma G9910) in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO, Sigma 276855) and stored in the refrigerator. The green tea (Boseong, South Korea), the evaluation material, was dried to less than 3% moisture, ground, and treated with 50% methanol for 30 minutes before use.

[0110] The positive control, oxytetracycline, was found to have a 35% inhibition rate of BSH produced by Escherichia coli APEC O at 125 ppm. Meanwhile, green tea, a natural substance containing epicatechin, showed a 37% BSH inhibition rate at 125 ppm (Table 8).

[0111] BSH inhibition ability (%) based on 125 ppm of the material classified as natural product, green tea 37, antibiotic, oxytetracycline 35

[0112]

[0113] From the above results, it was confirmed that the epicatechin of the present application can inhibit bile salt hydrolase, and these results suggest that the present application can be utilized as an effective ingredient of excellent feed or feed additive.

[0114]

[0115] From the above description, those skilled in the art will understand that the present application can be implemented in other specific forms without altering its technical concept or essential characteristics. In this regard, it should be understood that the embodiments described above are illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of this application should be interpreted to include all changes or modifications derived from the meaning and scope of the following claims and their equivalents, rather than the detailed description above.

Claims

1. A composition for inhibiting bile salt hydrolase (BSH) containing epicatechin as an active ingredient, wherein the epicatechin is epigallocatechin (EGC), epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), or a combination thereof.

2. A composition according to claim 1, wherein the bile salt hydrolase is derived from at least one microorganism selected from the group consisting of Bacteroides fragilis, Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium, and Salmonella infantis.

3. A composition according to claim 1, wherein the composition is for feed use.

4. A composition according to claim 1, wherein the composition is for increasing animal weight.

5. A method for inhibiting bile salt hydrolase in an animal, comprising the step of feeding epicatechin to the animal, wherein the epicatechin is epigallocatechin (EGC), epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), or a combination thereof.

6. A method for increasing the body weight of an animal, comprising the step of feeding epicatechin to the animal, wherein the epicatechin is epigallocatechin (EGC), epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), or a combination thereof.

7. A use for inhibiting bile salt hydrolase of epicatechin, wherein the epicatechin is epigallocatechin (EGC), epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), or a combination thereof.

8. A use for animal weight gain of epicatechin, wherein the epicatechin is epigallocatechin (EGC), epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), or a combination thereof.