A traditional Chinese medicine composition for improving production performance and health status of livestock, and a preparation method and application thereof

Abstract

The present application relates to the application technology field of Chinese medicinal materials in animal husbandry, and discloses a Chinese medicinal composition capable of improving the production performance and health state of livestock, and a preparation method and application thereof, wherein the Chinese medicinal composition is composed of a main body replacement component and a functional Chinese medicinal component; the main body replacement component comprises 20-40 parts of liquorice, 50-70 parts of shrub willow and 50-70 parts of sand rush grass, and the mass ratio of the main body replacement component in the composition is greater than or equal to 95%; and the functional Chinese medicinal component comprises 1-2 parts of female privet fruit, 0.5-1 part of prepared rehmannia root, 0.5-1 part of Chinese milk vetch, 0.5-1 part of white atractylodes, 0.5-1 part of angelica and 0.2-1 part of dried tangerine or orange peel. The Chinese medicinal composition can replace coarse forage such as corn husks, corn cobs and corn stalks in the daily diet of mutton sheep, thereby significantly reducing the feed cost; on the other hand, the Chinese medicinal composition can effectively improve the average daily weight gain of mutton sheep, improve the slaughtering performance and rumen microenvironment, and enhance the serum antioxidant enzyme activity (GSH-Px, SOD) and immunoglobulin (IgA, IgG and IgM) levels, thereby having a significant double promotion effect on production and health.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of application technology of traditional Chinese medicine in animal husbandry, specifically to a traditional Chinese medicine composition that can improve the production performance and health of livestock, its preparation method and application. Background Technology

[0002] In the process of large-scale sheep farming, improving production performance and maintaining good health are key to ensuring the efficient development of the sheep industry. my country's annual mutton production has exceeded 5 million tons, ranking first in the world, and the number of sheep in stock and slaughtered remains high. With the continuous improvement of the intensification and scale of my country's animal husbandry, sheep farming is gradually developing towards high density and high efficiency. However, under high-intensity production conditions, sheep are susceptible to various factors such as nutritional imbalances, environmental stress, pathogenic microorganism invasion, and fluctuations in feed quality. This often results in problems such as decreased growth rate, reduced feed conversion efficiency, weakened immune function, and increased sub-health conditions, severely restricting the full realization of sheep production performance and causing significant economic losses to the livestock industry.

[0003] In actual production, the growth, development, and production performance of meat sheep are closely related to their health level. When the body is under stress or in a sub-healthy state, it often leads to decreased feed intake, reduced digestive and absorptive capacity, and metabolic disorders, thereby affecting the average daily weight gain, feed utilization rate, and carcass quality. Simultaneously, decreased immune function increases the susceptibility of meat sheep to pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, and parasites, leading to a higher disease incidence and increased prevention and control costs during the breeding process. Furthermore, meat sheep in a chronic sub-healthy state may also experience stunted growth, decreased reproductive performance, and reduced meat quality, adversely affecting the sustainable development of the meat sheep industry.

[0004] Currently, to improve the production performance and health of mutton sheep, production methods often employ antibiotics, growth promoters, and chemically synthesized additives. While these methods can improve animal growth to some extent, long-term use can easily lead to problems such as drug residues, increased drug resistance, and environmental pollution, and may pose potential risks to human health through the food chain. With consumers' increasing demand for green, safe, and healthy livestock products, developing safe, natural, and residue-free alternatives has become an important direction for the development of animal husbandry.

[0005] Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has a wide range of sources and few toxic side effects, possessing various biological functions such as regulating immunity, promoting digestion and absorption, improving metabolic function, and enhancing stress resistance. In recent years, it has received widespread attention in the field of healthy livestock and poultry farming. Some active ingredients in TCM can play a positive role in improving animal production performance and health by regulating intestinal microecology, promoting nutrient absorption, and enhancing immune function. However, most existing studies have not included characteristic forage plant resources. First, licorice, *Caragana korshinskii*, and *Gnaphalium affine* are important characteristic plant resources in semi-arid regions, possessing both roughage value and TCM activity; existing TCM additive programs do not include them in their formulations. Second, existing programs only function as "additives" (added in small amounts), lacking the ability to replace part of the roughage and failing to significantly reduce feed costs. Furthermore, the proportion of functional TCM in existing programs is too high, lacking the material basis for a staple diet and unsuitable for large-scale, low-cost production. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a traditional Chinese medicine composition that can make full use of local characteristic plant resources, has the function of replacing roughage and has multi-dimensional health promotion effects, which is of great significance for promoting green and efficient sheep farming, reducing production costs and improving the quality of livestock products. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present invention aims to provide a traditional Chinese medicine composition that can improve the production performance and health of livestock, as well as its preparation method and application, with the goal of improving the production performance and health of ruminants.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: a traditional Chinese medicine composition that can improve the production performance and health status of livestock, comprising a main substitute component and a functional traditional Chinese medicine component; the main substitute component includes 20-40 parts of licorice, 50-70 parts of Caragana korshinskii and 50-70 parts of Salix babylonica, and the mass ratio of the main substitute component in the composition is ≥95%; the functional traditional Chinese medicine component includes 1-2 parts of Ligustrum lucidum, 0.5-1 part of Rehmannia glutinosa, 0.5-1 part of Astragalus membranaceus, 0.5-1 part of Atractylodes macrocephala, 0.5-1 part of Angelica sinensis and 0.2-1 part of Citrus reticulata.

[0008] Preferably, as an improvement, the mass parts of each raw material in the traditional Chinese medicine composition are: 30 parts of licorice, 65 parts of caragana, 55 parts of sand celery, 1.75 parts of privet fruit, 0.5 parts of prepared rehmannia root, 1 part of astragalus, 0.75 parts of atractylodes macrocephala, 0.75 parts of angelica sinensis, and 0.25 parts of tangerine peel.

[0009] Preferably, as an improvement, a method for preparing a traditional Chinese medicine composition that can improve the production performance and health of livestock includes the following steps: Step 1: Weigh out licorice, caragana and sand celery according to the formula ratio, dry them, pulverize and sieve them to obtain Chinese herbal raw material powder I, for later use; Step 2: Weigh out the following ingredients according to the formula ratio: Ligustrum lucidum, Rehmannia glutinosa, Astragalus membranaceus, Atractylodes macrocephala, Angelica sinensis and Citrus reticulata peel. After drying, pulverize and sieve to obtain Chinese herbal raw material powder II, for later use. Step 3: Mix Chinese herbal raw material powder I and Chinese herbal raw material powder II, stir evenly and sieve to obtain the Chinese herbal composition.

[0010] Preferably, as an improvement, in step one, the drying method is natural drying, and the material is sieved through a 40-60 mesh screen.

[0011] Preferably, as an improvement, in step two, the drying method is vacuum freeze drying, and the product is sieved through a 60-80 mesh screen.

[0012] In this technical solution, the preparation process is optimized by creatively pulverizing the main substitute component and the functional Chinese herbal medicine component separately before mixing them. This approach comprehensively considers both the cost of industrialization and application and the preservation of functional components. Chinese herbal medicine raw material powder I, as a substitute raw material, is used in larger quantities; therefore, natural drying followed by pulverization is more economical and convenient. Chinese herbal medicine raw material powder II, as a functional raw material, is used in smaller quantities; freeze-drying followed by pulverization better preserves the functional active ingredients. However, some Chinese herbal medicine II components have high viscosity, making natural drying and pulverization less effective. Therefore, pulverizing them separately and then mixing them according to the appropriate addition ratio ensures the accuracy of the additive dosage while preserving the functional active substances—a win-win situation.

[0013] Preferably, as an improvement, the application of a traditional Chinese medicine composition that can improve the production performance and health of livestock in livestock feed.

[0014] Preferably, as an improvement, the livestock are ruminants.

[0015] Preferably, as an improvement, the traditional Chinese medicine composition replaces part of the roughage, which includes one or more of corn husks, corn cobs, or corn stalks.

[0016] Preferably, as an improvement, the proportion of the Chinese herbal medicine composition replacing roughage is 15-18%, and the amount of the main substitute component added is 15-16%, while the amount of the functional substitute component added is 0.5-2%.

[0017] Preferably, as an improvement, the application of a traditional Chinese medicine composition that can improve the production performance and health of livestock in the preparation of ruminant feed additives.

[0018] The principle and advantages of this solution are as follows: This technical solution comprehensively optimizes and upgrades livestock feed to address the limitations of existing technologies. Licorice: The dried root and rhizome of *Glycyrrhiza uralensis* Fisch., *Glycyrrhiza inflata* Bat., or *Glycyrrhiza glabra* L. (all belonging to the Fabaceae family). Sweet and neutral in nature. It enters the heart, lung, spleen, and stomach meridians. Its functions include tonifying the spleen and replenishing qi, clearing heat and detoxifying, resolving phlegm and relieving cough, alleviating spasms and pain, and harmonizing other herbs.

[0019] Caragana intermedia Kuang et HC Fu (Leguminosae family): The whole herb of this legume. Sweet, slightly warm in nature. It enters the liver and kidney meridians. It nourishes yin and replenishes blood, and invigorates blood circulation.

[0020] Sandgrass: The root or whole herb of *Agropyron mongolicum* Keng, a grass belonging to the Poaceae family. Sweet, slightly bitter, and cold in nature. It clears heat and promotes diuresis, relieves asthma, and stops bleeding.

[0021] Privet fruit: The dried, ripe fruit of *Ligustrum lucidum* Ait., a plant in the Oleaceae family. It is sweet, bitter, and cool in nature. It enters the liver and kidney meridians. It nourishes the liver and kidneys, improves eyesight, and darkens hair.

[0022] Prepared Rehmannia Root: A processed product of raw Rehmannia root. Sweet and slightly warm in nature. It enters the liver and kidney meridians. It nourishes blood and yin, and replenishes essence and marrow.

[0023] Astragalus: The dried root of *Astragalus membranaceus* (Fisch) Bge. var. *mongholicus* (Bge) Hsiao or *Astragalus membranaceus* (Fisch) Bge. (Fabaceae family). Sweet and slightly warm in nature. It enters the lung and spleen meridians. Its functions include tonifying qi and raising yang, consolidating the exterior and stopping sweating, promoting diuresis and reducing swelling, generating fluids and nourishing blood, promoting circulation and relieving pain, promoting pus drainage and detoxification, and astringing sores and promoting tissue regeneration.

[0024] Atractylodes macrocephala (Bai Zhu): The dried rhizome of Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz., a plant in the Asteraceae family. It is bitter, sweet, and warm in nature. It enters the spleen and stomach meridians. Its functions include strengthening the spleen and replenishing qi, drying dampness and promoting diuresis, stopping sweating, and calming the fetus.

[0025] Angelica sinensis: The dried root of Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels, a plant in the Apiaceae family. It is sweet, pungent, and warm in nature. It enters the liver, heart, and spleen meridians. It nourishes and invigorates blood, regulates menstruation and relieves pain, and moistens the intestines to promote bowel movements.

[0026] Dried tangerine peel: The dried, mature peel of Citrus reticulata Blanco and its cultivated varieties, belonging to the Rutaceae family. It is bitter, pungent, and warm in nature. It enters the lung and spleen meridians. Its functions include regulating qi, strengthening the spleen, drying dampness, and resolving phlegm.

[0027] In the process of optimizing feed components, this technical solution creatively constructs a two-layer functional system consisting of a main substitute component (traditional Chinese medicine raw material powder I) and a functional traditional Chinese medicine component (traditional Chinese medicine raw material powder II): The first layer of main alternative components selected three types of forage plants characteristic of Northwest China: licorice, caragana, and sand celery. The combination of these three is not a simple random combination, but is based on the principle of triple complementarity in nutrition, minerals, and functional activity: Caragana has a crude protein content of 18%~22%, which can make up for the deficiency of licorice's low protein content. Licorice's crude fiber content of 10%~20% can balance the high crude fiber characteristics of caragana (20%~35%), precisely regulating the intensity of rumen peristalsis in Tan sheep and avoiding digestive disorders caused by fiber imbalance. In terms of minerals, caragana contains 1.2%~1.8% calcium and licorice contains 0.2%~0.4% phosphorus. The combination of the two can adjust the calcium-to-phosphorus ratio in the diet to about 2:1, which is suitable for the growth of Tan sheep, promoting bone development and muscle calcium deposition, and improving meat tenderness. In terms of functional activity, the glycyrrhizic acid contained in licorice has anti-inflammatory effects, and the flavonoids in caragana have antioxidant activity. The combination of the two can reduce intestinal inflammation in Tan sheep and improve feed conversion rate. At the same time, the natural sweetness of licorice can improve the palatability of caragana and increase the feed intake of Tan sheep.

[0028] The binary combination of licorice and caragana alone suffers from poor nutritional balance, insufficient mineral supply, and high production costs. Therefore, this invention innovatively introduces *Salix matsudana*, a large-scale, high-yield forage grass from Inner Mongolia and Ningxia. This forage grass has a large biomass and a crude protein content of 13.0%–15.5%, which can compensate for the nutritional shortcomings of the binary forage system. Its unique amino acid composition further optimizes meat quality, forming a synergistic ternary forage combination with licorice and caragana, comprehensively improving the nutritional supply and production performance of Tan sheep. Verification through a multi-gradient ratio experiment in Example 1 showed that the ternary forage ratio in experimental group 7 had the best overall effect, demonstrating significant technical challenges and innovations in the selection and ratio range of the three forage grasses.

[0029] The second layer of functional traditional Chinese medicine component (TCM raw material powder II) was a key focus of the technical development during the research and development phase. Based on multiple rounds of preliminary experiments, an optimal dosage of 0.5% was determined. This dosage allows for synergistic effects with the main components of the three-way cross-linked forage, unlike the limited effectiveness of using a single TCM component alone. Experiments have shown that adding only TCM raw material powder II can only slightly improve the health of Tan sheep and cannot significantly enhance growth performance. However, the combined use of the three-way cross-linked forage and TCM raw material powder II can simultaneously achieve multiple effects, including growth promotion, immune regulation, and antioxidant properties, resulting in unexpected technical benefits.

[0030] This invention, through systematic experiments, clarifies four key regulatory factors that determine the application effect of the composition: First, the ratio of licorice, caragana, and sand celery directly alters the overall nutritional and active substance content, making it a core variable in regulating breeding effects; Second, the combination of the three-component forage and the traditional Chinese medicine raw material powder II exhibits a significant synergistic effect, with substantial differences in efficacy between single-component use and combined formulation; Third, there are upper limits to the dosage of various raw materials, with excessively high proportions of caragana and other forages inhibiting the digestion and absorption of sheep, and excessive addition of traditional Chinese medicine raw material powder II offering no additional benefit; Fourth, the raw material drying process directly affects the retention rate of active substances. Initially, natural drying of the traditional Chinese medicine raw materials resulted in high viscosity and difficulty in pulverization; after process optimization and conversion to vacuum freeze-drying, the material achieved the required fineness of pulverization while retaining the active ingredients intact.

[0031] Based on the aforementioned compatibility rules, dosage experiments, and process optimization, this invention abandons the traditional high-cost binary formula of licorice and caragana, relying on the high-yield *Alternanthera philoxeroides* to achieve cost reduction and efficiency improvement. Ultimately, the optimal application ratio of 15% *Chinese herbal medicine powder I* combined with 0.5% *Chinese herbal medicine powder II* in the diet was determined. Through the synergistic effect between the functional components, it exerts a synergistic effect of enhancing immunity and promoting health, effectively improving the growth performance, slaughter performance, rumen microenvironment, blood purification indicators, antioxidant capacity, and immunity of ruminants, thereby improving the production performance and health level of meat sheep.

[0032] In summary, the beneficial effects of this technical solution are as follows: 1. This technical solution realizes the high-value utilization of native pasture resources in Northwest China. The three-element pasture complements each other in terms of nutrition, minerals and active ingredients, balances the nutritional structure of Tan sheep's daily diet, stabilizes the physiological environment of the rumen, reduces intestinal inflammation and damage, and improves the feed intake and feed conversion efficiency of Tan sheep. It also significantly reduces the cost of formula raw materials by relying on the high biomass advantage of sand grass, and improves the tenderness and quality of meat by relying on the unique amino acid composition, thus comprehensively improving the growth and slaughter performance of Tan sheep.

[0033] 2. This technical solution can achieve dual benefits in nutritional supply and body health regulation, solving the industry pain point that simply adding functional Chinese medicine can only improve health but cannot improve growth performance. Under the synergistic effect of the three-element forage and the Chinese medicine raw material powder II, it can simultaneously increase the average daily weight gain of Tan sheep, reduce the feed conversion ratio, and significantly increase the activity of serum GSH-Px and SOD antioxidant enzymes, upregulate the levels of IgA, IgG and IgM immunoglobulins, balance the secretion of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines in the body, and have multiple effects such as anti-oxidation, immune regulation, relieving oxidative stress and improving the rumen microenvironment.

[0034] 3. The formulation dosage and processing technology of this technical solution have been systematically optimized to avoid digestion obstruction and efficacy reduction caused by excessive addition of raw materials; the vacuum freeze-drying process solves the processing problems of Chinese medicinal materials with high viscosity and difficulty in pulverization, ensuring the complete preservation of active substances in raw materials, uniform mixing of materials, and strong processing stability of the composition.

[0035] 4. The composition of this invention can replace traditional roughage such as corn husks, corn cobs, and corn stalks in equal amounts, significantly reducing the amount of commercial roughage used. It is suitable for large-scale breeding scenarios of Tan sheep in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and Ningxia, taking into account both the economic benefits of breeding and the green and safe attributes of livestock products, and has outstanding value for industrialization and promotion. Attached Figure Description

[0036] Figure 1 The figure shows the effect of different formulations on feed intake and daily weight gain of sheep in the embodiments of the present invention.

[0037] Figure 2 The figure shows the effect of different formulations on the growth performance of meat sheep in the embodiments of the present invention.

[0038] Figure 3 The figure shows the effect of different formulations on the slaughter performance of mutton sheep in the embodiments of the present invention.

[0039] Figure 4 The figure shows the effect of different formulations on the physicochemical indicators of sheep blood in the embodiments of the present invention.

[0040] Figure 5 The figure shows the effect of different formulations on the redox state of mutton sheep in the embodiments of the present invention.

[0041] Figure 6 The figure shows the effect of different formulations on the immunoglobulins of sheep in the embodiments of the present invention.

[0042] Figure 7 The figure shows the effect of different formulations on cytokines in sheep in the embodiments of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0043] The following detailed description provides further details on specific embodiments, but the embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto. Unless otherwise specified, the technical means used in the following embodiments are conventional means well known to those skilled in the art; the experimental methods used are all conventional methods; and the materials and reagents used are all commercially available.

[0044] Overview of the plan: A traditional Chinese medicine composition that can improve the production performance and health of livestock, comprising, by weight, 20-40 parts of licorice, 50-70 parts of *Caragana korshinskii*, 50-70 parts of *Gnaphalium affine*, 1-2 parts of *Ligustrum lucidum*, 0.5-1 part of *Rehmannia glutinosa*, 0.5-1 part of *Astragalus membranaceus*, 0.5-1 part of *Atractylodes macrocephala*, 0.5-1 part of *Angelica sinensis*, and 0.2-1 part of tangerine peel.

[0045] The preferred ingredients include 30 parts of licorice, 65 parts of caragana, 55 parts of sand celery, 1.75 parts of privet fruit, 0.5 parts of prepared rehmannia root, 1 part of astragalus root, 0.75 parts of atractylodes macrocephala, 0.75 parts of angelica sinensis, and 0.25 parts of dried tangerine peel.

[0046] A method for preparing a traditional Chinese medicine composition that can improve the production performance and health of livestock includes the following steps: Step 1: Weigh out licorice, caragana and sand celery according to the formula ratio, dry them naturally, pulverize them and pass them through a 40-60 mesh sieve to obtain Chinese herbal raw material powder I, for later use; Step 2: Weigh out the following ingredients according to the formula ratio: Ligustrum lucidum, Rehmannia glutinosa, Astragalus membranaceus, Atractylodes macrocephala, Angelica sinensis and Citrus reticulata peel. After vacuum drying, pulverize and pass through a 60-80 mesh sieve to obtain Chinese herbal raw material powder II, for later use. Step 3: Mix Chinese herbal raw material powder I and Chinese herbal raw material powder II, stir evenly and sieve to obtain the Chinese herbal composition.

[0047] The application of a traditional Chinese medicine composition that can improve the production performance and health of livestock in livestock feed, and in replacing part of the roughage to reduce feed costs, wherein the roughage includes one or more of corn husks, corn cobs or corn stalks.

[0048] The livestock are ruminants, specifically cattle or sheep. The feed formula of traditional Chinese medicine composition can improve the growth performance and slaughter performance of ruminants, improve blood purification indicators and rumen microenvironment, and enhance the body's antioxidant capacity and immunity.

[0049] Example 1: Optimization and Preliminary Experiment of Traditional Chinese Medicine Composition Formulation 1. Preliminary experimental samples The raw materials used for verification were prepared using the following methods: (1) Weigh out licorice, caragana and sand celery, dry them naturally, then pulverize them and pass them through a 40-60 mesh sieve for later use; (2) Weigh out Ligustrum lucidum, Rehmannia glutinosa, Astragalus membranaceus, Atractylodes macrocephala, Angelica sinensis and Citrus reticulata peel, vacuum dry them, pulverize them and pass them through a 60-80 mesh sieve for later use; (3) Licorice, Caragana korshinskii and Salix matsudana are used to replace corn husks, corn cobs and corn stalks in the daily feed formula in equal amounts; Ligustrum lucidum, Rehmannia glutinosa, Astragalus membranaceus, Atractylodes macrocephala, Angelica sinensis and Citrus reticulata are used for fine formulation. Weigh the required mass of each raw material according to the formula in Table 1 and mix them evenly.

[0050] Table 1 Preliminary Experimental Diet Formulation licorice / 30 / 30 / / 20 30 40 Lemon Strips / 65 / / 65 / 50 65 80 sand reed / 55 / / / 55 40 55 70 Privet / / 1.75 1.75 1.75 1.75 1.75 1.75 2.5 Rehmannia glutinosa / / 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.75 Astragalus / / 1 1 1 1 1 1 1.5 Atractylodes macrocephala / / 0.75 0.75 0.75 0.75 0.75 0.75 1.2 Angelica sinensis / / 0.75 0.75 0.75 0.75 0.75 0.75 1.2 Dried tangerine peel / / 0.25 0.25 0.25 0.25 0.25 0.25 0.5 2. Preliminary Experimental Design Animal experiments were conducted using 3-month-old female Tan sheep from Ningxia State-owned Farms Tan Sheep Industry Co., Ltd., with an average weight of 22.83 kg. Ten sheep were placed in each group, and each group was fed the formulas listed in Table 1. The experimental period consisted of a 7-day pre-feeding period and a 30-day formal feeding period. During the experiment, the animals had free access to food and water.

[0051] 3. Preliminary Experimental Methods Before the formal trial began, all sheep were weighed using an automated weighing system to obtain their initial weight. Then, on day 30, their weight was measured to calculate daily weight gain; remaining feed intake was collected daily to calculate the feed intake of the meat sheep. These data were used to evaluate the actual application effect of each group's formula.

[0052] 4. Preliminary Experiment Results Experimental results are as follows Figure 1 As shown in the figure. The results indicated that experimental group 1 increased the feed intake and average daily weight gain of sheep compared to the control group, suggesting that licorice, *Caragana korshinskii*, and *Saussurea laniceps* have growth-promoting effects as feed substitutes. Experimental group 2 also increased the feed intake and average daily weight gain of sheep compared to the control group, indicating that the six traditional Chinese medicines also have independent growth-promoting and health-promoting effects. Experimental group 7 showed a greater promoting effect than experimental groups 1 and 2, indicating a synergistic effect in the two-layer formulation structure. The combination of several special ingredients produced an unexpected synergistic effect, with technical effects far exceeding the simple superposition of their individual uses. Experimental groups 3 (licorice + traditional Chinese medicine), 4 (*Caragana korshinskii* + traditional Chinese medicine), and 5 (*Saussurea laniceps* + traditional Chinese medicine) showed some improvement, and there were trend differences among the three, indicating that licorice, *Caragana korshinskii*, and *Saussurea laniceps* have unique biological activities, but their application effects were not as good as those of experimental group 7. Further changes in the raw material ratio revealed that the reduced ratio in experimental group 6 resulted in a lower growth-promoting effect compared to experimental group 7, while the increased ratio in experimental group 8 also led to lower feed intake and average daily weight gain compared to experimental group 7. This indicates that experimental group 7 represents the optimal ratio overall. Therefore, the technical effect of this invention does not solely rely on increasing the dosage of traditional Chinese medicine, but rather stems from the synergistic effect of a dual-layer approach: "main substitute feed + refined traditional Chinese medicine." The selected medicinal ingredients and their dosage ratios exhibit unexpected technical benefits.

[0053] Example 2: Verification of the effect of traditional Chinese medicine composition on improving the production performance and health status of ruminants The traditional Chinese medicine composition used for validation was prepared using the following method: (1) Weigh 30 parts of licorice, 65 parts of caragana and 55 parts of sand celery, dry them naturally, pulverize them and pass them through a 40-60 mesh sieve to obtain Chinese herbal raw material powder I, for later use; (2) Weigh 1.75 parts of Ligustrum lucidum, 0.5 parts of Rehmannia glutinosa, 1 part of Astragalus membranaceus, 0.75 parts of Atractylodes macrocephala, 0.75 parts of Angelica sinensis and 0.25 parts of Citrus reticulata peel, vacuum dry and then pulverize and pass through a 60-80 mesh sieve to obtain Chinese herbal raw material powder II for later use. (3) Mix the Chinese herbal raw material powders I and II, stir evenly and sieve to obtain the Chinese herbal composition.

[0054] 1. Experimental Design Prepare each group of feeds according to the formula in Table 2.

[0055] Table 2 Feed Formulation corn 325 320 Corn husks 110 60 corn cob 80 40 corn stalks 120 60 germ meal 180 180 Molasses 33 33 Soybean meal 46% 40 40 cottonseed meal 50 50 stone powder 8 8 Sodium chloride 7 7 baking soda 10 10 Expanded urea 7 7 Bentonite 15 15 gypsum powder 10 10 Premix (562) 5 5 Traditional Chinese medicine composition / 155 total 1000 1000 2. Experimental Grouping The experiment was divided into a blank control group and a traditional Chinese medicine composition group.

[0056] Blank control group: fed the blank control group formula in Table 2.

[0057] Traditional Chinese medicine composition group: Feed the traditional Chinese medicine composition group formula in Table 2, and add the prepared traditional Chinese medicine composition to the formula.

[0058] 3. Experimental Design Animal experiments continued to use 3-month-old female Tan sheep from Ningxia State-owned Farms Tan Sheep Industry Co., Ltd., with an average weight of 23.00 kg. The experimental animals were randomly divided into a blank control group (n=15) and a traditional Chinese medicine composition group (n=15), fed with the formulas in Table 2 for the blank control group and the traditional Chinese medicine composition group, respectively. The experimental period consisted of a 10-day pre-feeding period and a 60-day formal feeding period. During the experiment, the animals had free access to food and water. This further verified the application effect of the traditional Chinese medicine composition in this invention.

[0059] 4. Weighing and Sample Collection Before the formal experiment began, all sheep were weighed using an automated weighing system to obtain their initial weight. Weight was then measured on day 60 to calculate daily weight gain. Remaining feed intake was collected daily to calculate the feed consumption of the sheep. Fasting jugular vein blood was collected, placed in a 10 mL vacuum tube, centrifuged at 3000 rpm for 10 min, and the supernatant was immediately stored at -80℃ and sent to the laboratory for further analysis. At the end of the experiment, six sheep from each group were slaughtered and their slaughter performance was measured. Tissue samples were also collected. Within 30 minutes of slaughter, the longest tissue from the left side of the carcass was placed in a 2 mL cryovial and immediately flash-frozen in liquid nitrogen for subsequent analysis.

[0060] 5. Detection Indicators 5.1 Growth performance Before and at the end of the formal experiment, all sheep were fasted for 12 hours and then weighed to record the initial and final weights, which were used to calculate the average daily weight gain. During the experiment, the amount of feed and uneaten feed for each replicate was accurately recorded daily to calculate the daily feed intake. The feed conversion ratio was calculated from the average daily feed intake and average daily weight gain.

[0061] Average daily weight gain = (average weight at the end of the trial - average weight at the beginning of the trial) / number of days in the trial × number of heads per group Average daily feed intake = Total feed consumption per group / (Number of days in the trial × Number of animals per group) Feed conversion ratio = Average daily feed intake / Average daily weight gain 5.2 Slaughter performance After the feeding trial, 12 sheep (6 in the blank control group and 6 in the traditional Chinese medicine composition group) were randomly selected for a slaughter trial in accordance with the Technical Specification for Performance Testing of Meat Sheep DB43 / T 794-2013. The pre-slaughter live weight, carcass weight, backfat thickness, GR value, eye muscle area, and rumen fluid pH of the sheep were measured.

[0062] Slaughter rate = Carcass weight / Live weight before slaughter × 100% The area of ​​the extraocular muscles = the height of the extraocular muscles × the width of the extraocular muscles × 0.7 5.3 Blood Physicochemical Indicators On the morning before the end of the formal experiment, 10 mL of blood was collected from the jugular vein of the sheep while they were restrained using a vacuum blood collection tube. The blood was centrifuged at 3000 rpm for 10 min, the supernatant serum was aspirated, and the blood was aliquoted into 2 mL centrifuge tubes, labeled, and stored at -20℃. The contents of glucose (GLU), total protein (TP), albumin (ALB), total cholesterol (CHO), triglycerides (TG), and alkaline phosphatase (ALKP) were detected using a fully automated biochemical analyzer.

[0063] 5.4 Blood antioxidant indicators On the morning before the end of the formal experiment, 10 mL of blood was collected from the jugular vein of the sheep using vacuum blood collection tubes while they were restrained. The blood was centrifuged at 3000 rpm for 10 min, the supernatant serum was aspirated, and the blood was aliquoted into 2 mL centrifuge tubes, labeled, and stored at -20℃. The total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and malondialdehyde (MDA) content were measured using an antioxidant index kit from Nanjing Jiancheng Reagent Co., Ltd.

[0064] 5.5 Blood Immune Indicators On the morning before the end of the formal experiment, 10 mL of blood was collected from the jugular vein of the sheep using vacuum blood collection tubes while they were restrained. The blood was centrifuged at 3000 rpm for 10 min, the supernatant serum was aspirated, and the blood was aliquoted into 2 mL centrifuge tubes, labeled, and stored at -20℃. The serum levels of immunoglobulin A (IgA), immunoglobulin G (IgG), immunoglobulin M (IgM), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-2 (IL-2), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and interleukin-10 (IL-10) were measured using the immunoassay kit from Nanjing Jiancheng Reagent Co., Ltd.

[0065] 6. Experimental Results 6.1 Growth performance like Figure 2 As shown in Figure A, the initial weights of the two groups of Tan sheep were similar, with an average initial weight of 22.99 ± 2.00 kg. After 70 days of feeding treatment, the average weight of the Tan sheep in the group receiving the traditional Chinese medicine composition increased by 1.56 kg, representing an increase of 4.41% (see results). Figure 2 B). Compared with the blank control group, the average daily feed intake of the traditional Chinese medicine composition group increased by 78.04 g, an increase of 5.37% (see results). Figure 2 C); meanwhile, the average daily weight gain of the traditional Chinese medicine combination group was significantly increased (see results). Figure 2 D) The material weight ratio decreased significantly (see results). Figure 2 E).

[0066] The experimental results above show that, compared with the blank control group, the traditional Chinese medicine composition involved in this invention significantly increased the average daily feed intake and average daily weight gain of Tan sheep, and effectively reduced the feed conversion ratio. This suggests that the traditional Chinese medicine composition in this invention can effectively replace roughage such as corn husks, corn cobs or corn stalks, thereby reducing feeding costs and improving the growth performance of Tan sheep.

[0067] 6.2 Slaughter performance like Figure 3 As shown, compared with the blank control group, although the Chinese medicine composition did not have a significant effect on the carcass weight, slaughter rate, backfat thickness, GR value and eye muscle area of ​​Tan sheep, it could increase the pre-slaughter live weight of Tan sheep to a certain extent and significantly increase the pH of rumen fluid.

[0068] The above experimental results show that, compared with the blank control group, the traditional Chinese medicine composition involved in this invention can increase the pre-slaughter live weight of Tan sheep to a certain extent and significantly increase the pH of rumen fluid, suggesting that the traditional Chinese medicine composition in this invention can effectively improve the slaughter performance and rumen microenvironment of Tan sheep and prevent chronic rumen acidosis.

[0069] 6.3 Blood Physicochemical Indicators Serum biochemical indicators are important indicators reflecting the nutritional metabolic function and health level of animals. Serum glucose, total cholesterol, and triglycerides are important indicators reflecting energy metabolism and lipid metabolism. Total protein and albumin levels are closely related to protein metabolism in animals and can reflect the body's immune status. Alkaline phosphatase can reflect the health status of liver and myocardial function.

[0070] like Figure 4 As shown, compared with the blank control group, the serum albumin content in the traditional Chinese medicine composition group increased to a certain extent, while the serum glucose, total cholesterol and alkaline phosphatase content in the traditional Chinese medicine composition group increased significantly.

[0071] The above results indicate that, compared with the blank control group, the traditional Chinese medicine composition involved in this invention significantly increased the levels of albumin, glucose, total cholesterol, and alkaline phosphatase in the serum of Tan sheep, suggesting that the traditional Chinese medicine composition in this invention can effectively improve the nutritional metabolism and overall health of Tan sheep.

[0072] 6.4 Blood antioxidant indicators Redox status is a key indicator reflecting the overall health level of the body. MDA, as one of the main products of lipid peroxidation, is an important marker of cellular oxidative damage. GSH-Px, SOD, and CAT are all antioxidant enzymes in the body that can protect the body from oxidative damage. T-AOC can serve as a comprehensive indicator for measuring the body's total antioxidant capacity.

[0073] like Figure 5 As shown, compared with the blank control group, the serum GSH-Px and SOD levels in the traditional Chinese medicine composition group were significantly increased, indicating that feeding the feed of the traditional Chinese medicine composition group made the antioxidant capacity of Tan sheep significantly higher than that of the blank control group, and could enhance the antioxidant capacity of Tan sheep.

[0074] The above results indicate that, compared with the blank control group, the traditional Chinese medicine composition involved in this invention significantly increased the levels of GSH-Px and SOD in the serum of Tan sheep, suggesting that the traditional Chinese medicine composition in this invention can activate the antioxidant enzyme system of Tan sheep, improve antioxidant capacity, and thus reduce oxidative stress damage.

[0075] 6.5 Blood Immune Indicators Immunoglobulins are closely related indicators of an animal's immunity. The main functions of IgA, IgG, and IgM are to recognize and neutralize pathogens (such as viruses and bacteria), regulate immune responses, and help maintain the body's defense capabilities.

[0076] like Figure 6 As shown, the levels of IgA, IgG, and IgM in the sheep fed the herbal medicine combination group were significantly increased, indicating that feeding the sheep with the herbal medicine combination group would significantly enhance their immunity.

[0077] Cytokines, as immune regulators in animals, play a crucial role in both innate and adaptive immunity. TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-2, and IL-6 are all pro-inflammatory cytokines, while IL-10 is an anti-inflammatory cytokine; together, they form a key hub in the immune network.

[0078] like Figure 7 As shown, the levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-2, and IL-6 in the sheep fed the traditional Chinese medicine composition group were significantly increased, while IL-10 was significantly decreased. This indicates that feeding the sheep with the traditional Chinese medicine composition group can effectively regulate the expression of cytokines and has an immunomodulatory effect.

[0079] In summary, the optimal formulation obtained from the preliminary screening in Example 1 still exhibited stable and significant growth-promoting and immune-enhancing effects in the further verification in Example 2. Specifically, adding the traditional Chinese medicine composition to the diet of Tan sheep can effectively replace roughage such as corn husks, corn cobs, or corn stalks, thereby reducing feeding costs, significantly increasing the average daily feed intake and average daily weight gain of Tan sheep, reducing the feed conversion ratio, and effectively improving the slaughter performance of Tan sheep while preventing chronic rumen acidosis. In addition, the traditional Chinese medicine composition can also improve the nutritional metabolism and overall health of Tan sheep, enhance the body's antioxidant capacity and immunity, and alleviate inflammatory responses and immune imbalances. Therefore, the traditional Chinese medicine composition provided by this invention can effectively improve the production performance and health status of livestock during the breeding process, greatly reduce feeding costs, and has significant economic and social benefits, with broad application prospects.

[0080] The above descriptions are merely embodiments of the present invention, and common knowledge such as specific technical solutions and / or characteristics are not described in detail here. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the technical solutions of the present invention, and these should also be considered within the scope of protection of the present invention. These modifications and improvements will not affect the effectiveness of the implementation of the present invention or the practicality of the patent. The scope of protection claimed in this application should be determined by the content of its claims, and the specific embodiments described in the specification can be used to interpret the content of the claims.

Claims

1. A traditional Chinese medicine composition that can improve the production performance and health of livestock, characterized in that: It consists of a main substitute component and a functional Chinese herbal medicine component; the main substitute component includes 20-40 parts of licorice, 50-70 parts of Caragana korshinskii and 50-70 parts of Salix babylonica, and the mass ratio of the main substitute component in the composition is ≥95%; the functional Chinese herbal medicine component includes 1-2 parts of Ligustrum lucidum, 0.5-1 part of Rehmannia glutinosa, 0.5-1 part of Astragalus membranaceus, 0.5-1 part of Atractylodes macrocephala, 0.5-1 part of Angelica sinensis and 0.2-1 part of Citrus reticulata.

2. The traditional Chinese medicine composition according to claim 1, which can improve the production performance and health status of livestock, is characterized in that: The mass fractions of each raw material in the traditional Chinese medicine composition are as follows: licorice 30 parts, caragana 65 parts, sand celery 55 parts, privet fruit 1.75 parts, prepared rehmannia root 0.5 parts, astragalus root 1 part, atractylodes macrocephala 0.75 parts, angelica sinensis 0.75 parts, and tangerine peel 0.25 parts.

3. A method for preparing a traditional Chinese medicine composition according to claim 1 or 2 that can improve the production performance and health status of livestock, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Step 1: Weigh out licorice, caragana and sand celery according to the formula ratio, dry them, pulverize and sieve them to obtain Chinese herbal raw material powder I, for later use; Step 2: Weigh out the following ingredients according to the formula ratio: Ligustrum lucidum, Rehmannia glutinosa, Astragalus membranaceus, Atractylodes macrocephala, Angelica sinensis and Citrus reticulata peel. After drying, pulverize and sieve to obtain Chinese herbal raw material powder II, for later use. Step 3: Mix Chinese herbal raw material powder I and Chinese herbal raw material powder II, stir evenly and sieve to obtain the Chinese herbal composition.

4. The method for preparing a traditional Chinese medicine composition that can improve livestock production performance and health status according to claim 3, characterized in that: In step one, the drying method is natural drying, and the material is sieved through a 40-60 mesh screen.

5. The method for preparing a traditional Chinese medicine composition that can improve livestock production performance and health status according to claim 3, characterized in that: In step two, the drying method is vacuum freeze drying, and the product is sieved through a 60-80 mesh screen.

6. The application of a traditional Chinese medicine composition according to claim 1 or 2, which can improve the production performance and health of livestock, in livestock feed.

7. The application of the traditional Chinese medicine composition according to claim 6, which can improve the production performance and health of livestock, in livestock feed, characterized in that: The livestock in question are ruminants.

8. The application of the traditional Chinese medicine composition according to claim 7, which can improve the production performance and health status of livestock, in livestock feed, characterized in that: The Chinese medicine composition replaces part of the roughage, which includes one or more of corn husks, corn cobs, or corn stalks.

9. The traditional Chinese medicine composition for improving livestock production performance and health status according to claim 8, its preparation method and application, characterized in that: The proportion of the traditional Chinese medicine composition that replaces roughage is 15-18%, and the amount of the main substitute component is 15-16%, while the amount of the functional substitute component is 0.5-2%.

10. The application of a traditional Chinese medicine composition according to claim 1 or 2, which can improve the production performance and health of livestock, in the preparation of ruminant feed additives.

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