Freeze-drying agent for promoting alimentary canal hair discharge of pet cat and preparation method of freeze-drying agent

Abstract

The invention discloses freeze-dried powder for promoting alimentary canal hair discharge of pet cats and a preparation method thereof.The freeze-dried powder is prepared from, by mass, 80%-85% of chicken breast, 8%-10% of cellulose, 4%-6% of whole goat milk powder, 2.5%-3.5% of barley seedlings, 0.25%-0.35% of keratinase, 0.08%-0.12% of vitamin E and 0.08%-0.12% of rosemary extract.The freeze-dried powder not only has good palatability but also is good in hair discharge effect; in addition, diarrhea or constipation cannot be caused.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of pet food, and in particular, to a freeze-dried product that promotes the discharge of hair from the digestive tract of pet cats and a preparation method thereof. Background Art

[0002] The main hair removal products currently on the market are cat grass tablets, hair removal creams, and freeze-dried cat grass. When hairball problems occur or when the treating doctor informs the consumer that their cat has hairball problems, cat grass tablets and hair removal cream products will be used by consumers as "treatment". The main active ingredients of hair removal creams are mineral oil and vegetable oil. The main function of these oils is to lubricate the cat's digestive tract and promote intestinal peristalsis. These oil components cannot be absorbed by cats, so they form a lubricating layer in the intestine to reduce the friction of hair in the intestine and prevent hairballs from blocking the intestine. For example, patent CN2023109049544 discloses a hair removal product with medium-chain triglycerides as the main active ingredient. However, excessive oil also affects the normal digestion and absorption process of cats, and excessive oil can easily lead to diarrhea. However, the amount of hair removal cream used is difficult to control because it has a high water content and is easy to breed bacteria, so a whole tube needs to be fed at a time. In addition, studies have clearly shown that medium-chain triglycerides reduce cats' appetite (MacDonald 1985). But it also affects the normal digestion and absorption process of cats, and excessive intake can easily lead to diarrhea. And the hair-removing tablets have the problem of poor palatability. For example, CN202211559131 discloses a formula and production process of hair-removing tablets, which is mainly fiber-based and supplemented with various trace elements. However, fiber is not palatable to cats, and cats often refuse to eat it.

[0003] There are also solutions proposed to achieve hairball excretion through snacks. For example, patent CN202311764214 discloses a freeze-dried preparation method for promoting hairball excretion for cats. The formula is mainly chicken, supplemented with various fiber ingredients, such as barley grass powder, konjac powder, psyllium and chicory root powder. However, this snack only improves cat hair excretion in theory, and it has not been tested whether this combination of fiber components can increase the excretion of hair in cat feces. The research results of WEber et al. (2015) found that only increasing soluble fiber does not increase the excretion of hair in short-haired cats, but it helps the excretion of hair in long-haired cats. The combination of psyllium husk fiber and cellulose has a better hair excretion effect, which shows the superiority of insoluble fiber in hair excretion.

[0004] There are also public patents that have developed high-insoluble fiber hair removal freeze-dried snack products. For example, patent CN202210189256 discloses a method for preparing cat grass sticks, in which the fiber raw material accounts for as much as 33%. Although in theory, the higher the cellulose content, the better the cat hair removal effect, excessive fiber intake can easily cause digestive problems. In an academic discussion, some scholars recorded their concerns about high fiber intake (Parrish 2013), especially excessive insoluble fiber intake may cause constipation and megacolon problems.

[0005] In general, hair-removing cat products generally have one or more of the following problems: poor palatability, inconvenience in feeding, uncertain hair-removing effect, and excessive fiber that may cause constipation.

[0006] In view of this, those skilled in the art need to improve the current freeze-drying and preparation methods thereof to overcome the above-mentioned defects. Summary of the invention

[0007] The main purpose of the present application is to provide a freeze-dried product and a preparation method thereof for promoting the discharge of hair from the digestive tract of pet cats, which not only has good palatability but also has a good hair discharge effect and will not cause diarrhea or constipation.

[0008] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the first aspect of the present application proposes a freeze-dried product for promoting the discharge of hair from the digestive tract of pet cats, which includes, by mass percentage: 80-85% chicken breast, 8-10% cellulose, 4-6% whole goat milk powder, 2.5-3.5% barley grass, 0.25-0.35% keratinase, 0.08-0.12% vitamin E, and 0.08-0.12% rosemary extract.

[0009] Optionally, the composition comprises, by mass percentage: 83% chicken breast, 8% cellulose, 3% whole goat milk powder, 3% barley grass, 0.3% keratinase, 0.1% vitamin E, and 0.1% rosemary extract.

[0010] Optionally, the chicken breast is fresh chicken breast.

[0011] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the second aspect of the present application provides a freeze-dried preparation method for promoting the discharge of hair from the digestive tract of pet cats, comprising the following steps:

[0012] S1. Raw material preparation, wherein the raw materials include, by mass percentage, 80-85% chicken breast, 8-10% cellulose, 4-6% whole goat milk powder, 2.5-3.5% barley grass, 0.25-0.35% keratinase, 0.08-0.12% vitamin E, and 0.08-0.12% rosemary extract, and the whole goat milk powder, keratinase, vitamin E, and rosemary extract are uniformly mixed to form ingredients;

[0013] S2, processing the chicken breast meat, firstly, the whole chicken breast meat is ground by a blender, and then chopped and mixed by a chopping and mixing device;

[0014] S3, adding the mixed ingredients into the chopping and mixing equipment and mixing with the chicken breast;

[0015] S4, adding cellulose and barley seedlings into a chopping and mixing device and adding an equal volume of ice water to mix and chop the fiber components;

[0016] S5, freezing, placing the mixed and chopped materials in a -20°C environment for freezing;

[0017] S6, secondary chopping and mixing, slowing down the frozen material to a central temperature close to -5°C to -3°C for chipping, and then chopping and mixing;

[0018] S7, extrusion molding, extruding the material after the second chopping and mixing through an extrusion die, freezing the extruded product at -20°C for 30 minutes, and then chopping it using a chopping device;

[0019] S8, quick-freezing the chopped material and then freeze-drying it;

[0020] S9. Packaging.

[0021] Optionally, in step S2, when chopping the minced chicken breast, the chopping platform speed is set to 4 rpm, and the chopping knife speed is set to 2000 rpm, which is continued for 2 to 5 minutes. In step S3, when mixing and chopping, the chopping platform speed is set to 4 rpm, and the chopping knife speed is set to 2000 rpm, which is continued for 2 to 5 minutes.

[0022] Optionally, in step S4, when the fiber components are mixed and chopped, the rotation speed of the chopping platform is set to 4 rpm, and the rotation speed of the chopping knife is set to 2000 rpm, which lasts for 5 to 10 minutes.

[0023] Optionally, in step S6, during the second chopping, the rotation speed of the chopping platform is set to 4 rpm, and the rotation speed of the chopping knife is set to 2000 rpm, which lasts for 2 to 5 minutes.

[0024] Optionally, in step S7, during extrusion, an extrusion die head with a diameter of 10 mm is used to extrude a strip product with a thickness of 10 mm, and during chopping, the extruded product is cut into cylinders with a diameter of 10 mm and a length of 50 to 55 mm.

[0025] Optionally, in step S8, during quick freezing, the chopped material is placed in a quick freezing room for quick freezing treatment at a temperature of -40°C to -35°C, so that the material temperature is lower than the eutectic point and maintained for 2 hours. During freeze drying, the quick-frozen material is subjected to vacuum freeze drying treatment. In a vacuum low-temperature environment, the moisture in the material sublimates from solid to gas, and the drying process is from outside to inside. The final moisture content of the material is <5%, and the drying time is 18 to 22 hours.

[0026] Optionally, an irradiation step is further included after packaging, and the packaged freeze-dried product is irradiated by a irradiation sterilization device with an irradiation dose of 4 kGy.

[0027] The technical solution provided by the embodiments of the present application may include the following beneficial effects: improving palatability through fresh chicken breast and whole goat milk powder, and goat milk powder contains lactose. Adult cats have limited digestion capacity for lactose, and lactose will be fermented in the hind intestine to increase the water content of feces, thereby reducing the risk of constipation caused by insoluble fiber intake; providing insoluble dietary fiber through cellulose and barley seedlings to help cats excrete hair in the digestive tract; insoluble fiber will not be digested, but can stimulate peristalsis of the digestive tract and can also mechanically bring out the hair in the digestive tract; in addition, barley seedlings are also called "cat grass", a type of plant that cats like to chew very much; keratinase can soften the hair, promote the excretion of hair balls, prevent constipation, and there is no excessive oil, so it will not cause diarrhea. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present application, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application are clearly and completely described. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in the field without creative work should fall within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0029] The cat selection criteria and feeding methods in the following specific embodiments are as follows:

[0030] This experiment was conducted in the pet house of the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Research Institute of Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, with a pre-feeding period of 7 days and a test period of 20 days. During the test period, 20 healthy adult pet cats weighing 3.50±0.78kg were selected, and the genders were randomized and divided into 2 groups, one of which (the test group) was fed with 100g of basic food + 10g of freeze-dried food according to the embodiment, and the other group (the control group) was fed with only 100g of basic food. Each cat was raised in a single pen in a pet cat cage (1.6m×0.8m×0.8m).

[0031] Before the test, necessary immunization and deworming treatment were performed. Cat litter was changed every day, and the enclosure was cleaned and maintained clean. During the test period, feeding began at 8:30 a.m. every day, and each cat was fed 300 mL of cat food and water every day. During the test period, the feeding status and mental state of all pets were observed every day to check for adverse reactions such as disgust, diarrhea, and vomiting.

[0032] In the following specific examples, the evaluation of feeding effect refers to the following standards: cat feces score, cat feces pH, cat feces ammonia nitrogen level, cat feces hair weight ratio. The determination method is as follows:

[0033] Fecal Scoring:

[0034] Before feeding each day, refer to Table 1 to score the appearance and morphology of each pet cat's feces.

[0035] Table 1 Fecal scoring criteria

[0036]

[0037]

[0038] Fecal ammonia nitrogen and pH determination:

[0039] Take 2g of feces and add 10mL of distilled water to completely dissolve it, then filter it with gauze and take the filtrate for determination. The concentration of ammonia nitrogen in feces is detected by indophenol blue-spectrophotometry. Take 5g of fresh feces sample and dilute and mix it with 10mL of distilled water, and then measure its pH with E301CF pH acidity meter.

[0040] Feces to hair weight ratio:

[0041] On days 0, 10, and 20 of the experiment, the feces of each cat were weighed and photographed. After collecting the fresh weight of the day, the number of hair balls in the feces was observed, and the hair balls were picked out and weighed after washing with clean water, and the feces-hair ball weight ratio was calculated.

[0042] Example:

[0043] A freeze-dried product for promoting the discharge of hair from the digestive tract of a pet cat, the formula of which comprises the following components by mass: 83% fresh chicken breast, 8% cellulose, 5% whole goat milk powder, 3% barley grass, 0.3% keratinase (produced from Bacillus licheniformis), 0.1% vitamin E and 0.1% rosemary extract.

[0044] Key components and their functions in the present invention:

[0045] Fresh chicken breast: 1. Improve palatability. For cats, chicken is more palatable than beef and mutton, and freeze-dried chicken breast has a stronger smell; 2. Wrap fiber raw materials to avoid the low palatability of fiber raw materials.

[0046] Cellulose: 1. Provides insoluble dietary fiber; 2. Helps cats expel hair from the digestive tract. Insoluble fiber will not be digested, but it can stimulate digestive tract peristalsis and can also mechanically remove hair from the digestive tract.

[0047] Barley grass: 1. Provide insoluble dietary fiber; 2. Help cats expel hair from the digestive tract. Insoluble fiber will not be digested, but it can stimulate digestive tract peristalsis and mechanically remove hair from the digestive tract; 3. Improve palatability. Barley grass, also known as "cat grass", is a type of plant that cats like to chew very much.

[0048] Whole goat milk powder: 1. Improve palatability. Cats identify food through their sense of smell and generally do not resist food with familiar smells. The smell of milk is the smell of food that almost all cats have come into contact with. 2. Reduce the risk of constipation: Goat milk powder contains lactose. Adult cats have limited ability to digest lactose. Lactose will be fermented in the hind intestine, increasing the water content of feces, thereby reducing the risk of constipation caused by insoluble fiber intake.

[0049] Keratinase (produced from Bacillus licheniformis): softens hair and promotes the discharge of hair bulbs. The outer layer of cat hair is mainly composed of keratin, and cat digestive juices lack keratinase. The externally added keratinase has good acid resistance, which can dissolve the outer layer of hair, making the hair soft and easier to discharge.

[0050] In addition, a freeze-dried preparation method for promoting the discharge of hair from the digestive tract of pet cats is provided, comprising the following steps:

[0051] Step 1: Prepare the raw materials and accurately weigh each component according to the formula. Among them, full-fat goat milk powder, vitamin E, keratinase (produced by Bacillus licheniformis) and rosemary extract need to be mixed evenly in advance after weighing. This step is conducive to the accuracy, stability and uniformity of the formula.

[0052] Step 2: Use a meat grinder to grind the whole piece of fresh chicken breast. This step will help the chicken to be more fully mixed with other ingredients in the next step of chopping and mixing.

[0053] Step 3: Chop the chicken. First, chop the minced chicken breast with an equal amount of ice water. Set the chopping platform speed to 4 rpm and the chopping knife speed to 2000 rpm for 2 to 5 minutes. Adjust the chopping time according to the actual material state. This step is conducive to the emulsification and homogenization of the chicken.

[0054] Step 4: Mix and chop. Add the mixed whole goat milk powder, keratinase (produced from Bacillus licheniformis), vitamin E and rosemary extract to the chopping equipment. Set the chopping platform speed to 4 rpm and the chopping knife speed to 2000 rpm for 2 to 5 minutes. Adjust the chopping time according to the actual material state. This step is conducive to evenly dispersing these small amounts of added materials in the product.

[0055] Step 5: Mix and chop the fiber components. Add cellulose and barley grass to the chopping equipment and add the same volume of ice water. Set the chopping platform speed to 4 rpm and the chopping knife speed to 2000 rpm for 5 to 10 minutes. Adjust the chopping time according to the actual material state. This step is conducive to fully mixing the fiber components with poor palatability into the chicken breast, avoiding the problem of poor palatability of the fiber components.

[0056] Step 6: Freeze, put the mixed materials into -20℃ environment for freezing. This step is conducive to the next step of molding.

[0057] Step 7: Second chopping and mixing, slow down the material to the central temperature close to -5℃~-3℃, then chip it, and then chop it, set the chopping platform speed to 4 rpm, and the chopping knife speed to 2000 rpm, and continue for 2 to 5 minutes. Adjust the chopping time according to the actual material state. This step helps to further improve the uniformity of the product, so that the smell and texture of cellulose are repeatedly covered, reducing its impact on palatability.

[0058] Step 8: Extrusion molding, use an extrusion die head with a diameter of 10mm to extrude a 10mm thick strip product. After freezing at -20℃ for 30 minutes. Use a chopping device to cut it into a cylindrical shape with a diameter of 10mm and a length of 50-55mm. This product shape is easy for consumers to break and more flexible to control the feeding amount according to their needs.

[0059] Step nine: quick freezing, place the prepared materials in the quick freezing room for quick freezing at a temperature of -40°C to -35°C, so that the material temperature is lower than the eutectic point and maintained for 2 hours.

[0060] Step 10: Freeze drying. The material is subjected to vacuum freeze drying. Under vacuum and low temperature environment, the moisture in the material sublimates from solid to gas. The drying process is from outside to inside. Finally, the moisture content of the material is less than 5%. The material still maintains its original shape without collapse or discoloration. The drying time is 18 to 22 hours, depending on factors such as the moisture content and loading capacity of the material.

[0061] Step 11: Packaging: Packaging and processing of freeze-dried products. Waterproof, oxygen-proof and light-shielding packaging materials can maximize the shelf life of food.

[0062] Step 12: Irradiation: The packaged freeze-dried product is irradiated by an irradiation sterilization device. The radiation destroys the microorganisms through direct energy transfer with the biomacromolecules in the microbial cells. The irradiation dose is 4 kGy.

[0063] Comparative example: the basic food for pet cats, the weight percentage composition is: corn 27.6%, chicken meal 12.3%, beef bone meal 11.2%, fish meal 10.4%, shrimp meal 8.3%, peas 10.4%, potato flour 3.5%, chicken fat 5.5%, fish oil 4.8%, brewer's yeast powder 3.5%, premix feed 1.0%, yucca extract 1.0%, salt 0.5%. The nutritional level is: metabolizable energy 18.52MJ / kg, crude protein 33.86%, crude fat 16.25%, crude ash 7.12%, lysine 2.53%, taurine 0.25%, calcium 1.87%, phosphorus 1.16%.

[0064] During the test, the pet cat did not reduce the amount of the freeze-dried product provided in this embodiment as the main food, and the feeding rate of 10g of the embodiment product was still 100%, indicating that the freeze-dried product of the embodiment has good palatability.

[0065] The cat feces scores and feces hair content changes in the examples and control examples are shown in Table 2:

[0066] Table 2 Changes in cat feces scores and feces hair content in Examples and Control Examples

[0067]

[0068]

[0069] Note: P<0.05 indicates significant difference.

[0070] As shown in Table 2, after the cats of the Example were fed with the freeze-dried product of the Example for 20 days, the stool score of the cats was 3.22, which was significantly lower (P < 0.05) than the average stool score of 3.41 of the 10 cats of the Control Example, indicating that the Example can help to form stool and avoid diarrhea, but will not cause constipation problems.

[0071] As shown in Table 2, after the cats of the embodiment were fed with the freeze-dried product of the embodiment for 20 days, the fecal ammonia nitrogen content was 25.35 mg / g, which was significantly lower (P<0.05) than the average fecal ammonia nitrogen content of 49.71 mg / g of 10 cats of the control example, indicating that the embodiment can reduce the fecal odor of pet cats.

[0072] As can be seen from Table 2, the total weight of fecal hair of cats fed with the freeze-dried product of the embodiment for 20 days was 0.04 g, which was significantly higher (P < 0.05) than the average total weight of fecal hair of 0.01 g of 10 cats in the control example; the fecal hair weight ratio of the cats in the embodiment was 0.08, which was significantly higher (P < 0.05) than the average fecal hair weight ratio of 0.01 of 10 cats in the control example, indicating that the embodiment can increase the fecal discharge of cat digestive tract hair and achieve the effect of removing hairballs.

[0073] In summary, the pet freeze-dried food provided by the present invention can reduce the feces score, significantly reduce the ammonia nitrogen content, and significantly increase the weight and proportion of hair in the feces on the 20th day, which has the effects of helping feces to form, expel hair balls and reduce odor.

[0074] The above description is only the preferred embodiment of the present application and is not intended to limit the present application. For those skilled in the art, the present application may have various modifications and variations. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present application shall be included in the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A freeze-dried product for promoting the discharge of hair from the digestive tract of pet cats, characterized in that: The invention comprises, by mass percentage, 80-85% chicken breast, 8-10% cellulose, 4-6% whole goat milk powder, 2.5-3.5% barley grass, 0.25-0.35% keratinase, 0.08-0.12% vitamin E and 0.08-0.12% rosemary extract.

2. The freeze-dried product for promoting the discharge of hair from the digestive tract of pet cats according to claim 1, characterized in that: The composition comprises, by mass percentage, 83% chicken breast, 8% cellulose, 3% whole goat milk powder, 3% barley grass, 0.3% keratinase, 0.1% vitamin E and 0.1% rosemary extract.

3. The freeze-dried product for promoting the discharge of hair from the digestive tract of pet cats according to claim 1, characterized in that: The chicken breast is fresh chicken breast.

4. A freeze-dried preparation method for promoting the discharge of hair from the digestive tract of pet cats, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: S1. Raw material preparation, wherein the raw materials include, by mass percentage, 80-85% chicken breast, 8-10% cellulose, 4-6% whole goat milk powder, 2.5-3.5% barley grass, 0.25-0.35% keratinase, 0.08-0.12% vitamin E, and 0.08-0.12% rosemary extract, and the whole goat milk powder, keratinase, vitamin E, and rosemary extract are uniformly mixed to form ingredients; S2, chicken breast processing, firstly the whole chicken breast is ground by a blender, and then chopped and mixed by a chopping and mixing device; S3, adding the mixed ingredients into the chopping and mixing equipment and mixing with the chicken breast; S4, adding cellulose and barley seedlings into a chopping and mixing device and adding an equal volume of ice water to mix and chop the fiber components; S5, freezing, placing the mixed and chopped materials in a -20°C environment for freezing; S6, secondary chopping and mixing, slowing down the frozen material to a central temperature close to -5°C to -3°C for chipping, and then chopping and mixing; S7, extrusion molding, extruding the material after the second chopping and mixing through an extrusion die, freezing the extruded product at -20°C for 30 minutes and then chopping it using a chopping device; S8, quick-freezing the chopped material and then freeze-drying it; S9. Packaging.

5. The freeze-dried preparation method for promoting the discharge of hair from the digestive tract of pet cats according to claim 4, characterized in that: In step S2, when the minced chicken breast is chopped, the chopping platform speed is set to 4 rpm, and the chopping knife speed is set to 2000 rpm, which is continued for 2 to 5 minutes. In step S3, when mixing and chopping, the chopping platform speed is set to 4 rpm, and the chopping knife speed is set to 2000 rpm, which is continued for 2 to 5 minutes.

6. The freeze-dried preparation method for promoting the discharge of hair from the digestive tract of pet cats according to claim 4, characterized in that: In step S4, when the fiber components are mixed and chopped, the rotation speed of the chopping platform is set to 4 rpm, and the rotation speed of the chopping knife is set to 2000 rpm, which lasts for 5 to 10 minutes.

7. The freeze-dried preparation method for promoting the discharge of hair from the digestive tract of pet cats according to claim 4, characterized in that: In step S6, during the secondary chopping, the chopping platform speed is set to 4 rpm, and the chopping knife speed is set to 2000 rpm, which lasts for 2 to 5 minutes.

8. The freeze-dried preparation method for promoting the discharge of hair from the digestive tract of pet cats according to claim 4, characterized in that: In step S7, during extrusion, an extrusion die head with a diameter of 10 mm is used to extrude a strip product with a thickness of 10 mm, and during chopping, the extruded product is cut into cylinders with a diameter of 10 mm and a length of 50 to 55 mm.

9. The freeze-dried preparation method for promoting the discharge of hair from the digestive tract of pet cats according to claim 4, characterized in that: In step S8, during quick freezing, the chopped material is placed in a quick freezing room for quick freezing treatment at a temperature of -40°C to -35°C, so that the material temperature is lower than the eutectic point and maintained for 2 hours. During freeze drying, the quick-frozen material is subjected to vacuum freeze drying treatment. Under a vacuum low-temperature environment, the moisture in the material sublimates from solid to gas, and the drying process is from outside to inside. The final moisture content of the material is <5%, and the drying time is 18 to 22 hours.

10. The freeze-dried preparation method for promoting the discharge of hair from the digestive tract of pet cats according to claim 4, characterized in that: After packaging, an irradiation step is also included, in which the packaged freeze-dried product is irradiated by an irradiation sterilization device, with an irradiation dose of 4 kGy.

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