Prebiotic compounds for their use in monogastric animals

Abstract

The invention relates to encapsulated amino acid(s) for their use in promoting health, in particular digestive health, in monogastric farm animals.

Description

[0001] PREBIOTIC COMPOUNDS FOR THEIR USE IN MONOGASTRIC ANIMALS

[0002] FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0003] The present invention concerns the domain of diet of farm animals, in particular of monogastric animals such as poultry and pigs. More specifically, the present invention concerns prebiotic compounds for their use in promoting health of monogastric farm animals.

[0004] BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0005] Farm animals constitute valuable source of quality nutrition and economic development across the world.

[0006] Animal nutrition is a domain in constant evolution. The diet of farm animals has to be adapted to their needs, in order to favorize growth, and more generally to sustain their performances: production of flesh, milk or wood, according to the cases.

[0007] Adequate provision of free amino acids in animal diets has been shown to enhance the performances of farm animals. Furthermore, a dietary supplementation with essential amino acids allows the use of low-protein diets, and therefore has been used for many years.

[0008] Traditionally, amino acids are classified as nutritionally “essential” or “non-essential”. Nutritionally essential amino acids are so termed because the carbon skeleton of these amino acids cannot be synthesized in the biological system, and thus must be supplied through the diet. Each animal species has its own specificities; for example, pigs require only ten essential amino acids, although poultry require twelve essential amino acids to be supplied in its diet.

[0009] It was noted that, in ruminants, biologically active constituents such as free amino acids tend to be degraded in the rumen after oral administration. This prevents effective utilization of the administered amino acids in the feedstock. Therefore, it is preferable to protect these active constituents so that they would pass through the rumen to the omasum, and subsequently to the abomasum, for an optimized absorption by the small intestine.

[0010] Encapsulated amino acids have been successfully administered to beef cattle. These “rumen-protected” amino acids have been shown to present significant effects on milk yield and metabolism in general (Leal Yepes et al., 2019) and on duodenal starch digestion and gastrointestinal hormones secretions (Lee et al., 2020). The patent US 7,939,117 describes a process for producing a rumen-bypass dietary supplement in compacted particulate form, which supplement has the capability of passing between about 65 to 96% of its active content (such as amino acids) to the postrumen digestive system of ruminants.

[0011] Diets of monogastric animals are also supplemented with free amino acids. Administration of encapsulated amino acids allow their transit in the stomach without their acidity causing damage to the walls of the gastric tract. Furthermore, encapsulation allows to slow down the release of the amino acids, and to prevent their degradation, which ultimately allows to reduce the quantities administered and thus to save costs associated with the supplementation of diets.

[0012] The article (Dahiya et al., 2005) demonstrates that lipid encapsulation of glycine increases the final glycine concentration in jejunum and ileum of birds, for the same administered quantity: non-encapsulated glycine is rapidly absorbed in the upper gastrointestinal tract, whereas fat-encapsulated glycine is released slowly along the length of intestine.

[0013] Another study conducted in pigs showed that the administration of small amounts of microencapsulated lysine allows to obtain the same growth performances than higher amounts of non-encapsulated lysine; it is therefore proposed to decrease the amounts of free amino acid for supplementing the diet, by using microencapsulated lysine instead of lysine HCL, and therefore saving costs (Prandini et al., 2013).

[0014] The patent application US 2022 / 0264910 discloses a composition comprising at least one amino acid and at least one derivative of phytocompound (thymol, tannins) encapsulated in a lipid matrix, for administration to monogastric animals. A method for treatment of decrease in muscle mass or strength, comprising the administration of this composition, is also described. The same composition is described in US 2022 / 0386649, for its use in a method for the treatment of deficiency of at least one amino acid in a monogastric animal. The lipid matrix provides gastroprotection of this composition.

[0015] The patent application US 2021 / 307365 also discloses encapsulated compositions intended for administration to broilers. Encapsulated components are amino acids, minerals and / or vitamins. Encapsulation in a lipid matrix of these components allow to reduce the administered amounts, while obtaining the same biological effects. Further, it is demonstrated that encapsulated minerals and vitamins have a positive effect on intestinal health of poultry.

[0016] Finally, administration of encapsulated crystalline lysine and methionine was tested in broilers. The main goal of these studies was to synchronize the arrival of free amino acids into the intestine in the same time than protein -issued amino acids. Results suggest that encapsulated lysine and methionine may ameliorate the postabsorptive amino acids balance, and contribute to the reduced dietary amino acids supplemental levels. As in pigs, it was observed that the levels of administered free amino acids can be decreased by about 20% via the use of encapsulated forms, without any change of growth performance. (Sun et al., 2020, a & b).

[0017] Beside their nutritional needs, farm animals also need to be maintained in good health. As a matter of fact, sustainable farm animal production is greatly challenged by pests and disease infestation, resulting in a poor productivity, death of animals and economic losses to the farmers. Further, intensive farming methods have led to an increase in production- associated diseases in farm animals.

[0018] In the meantime, there is a growing awareness of and interest in the welfare benefits of promoting health in farm animals.

[0019] Farmers can improve the health, welfare and productivity of their animals through different means, including vaccination, sanitary measures for prevention of disease entering, and improvement of the living conditions. Farmers may also use nutritional supplements such as prebiotic compounds.

[0020] The present invention concerns prebiotic compounds for their use in promoting health, in particular digestive health, in monogastric farm animals.

[0021] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0022] The present invention relates to encapsulated amino acid(s) for their use in promoting health, in particular digestive health, in monogastric farm animals.

[0023] In particular, the health promotion correlates with a prebiotic effect of said encapsulated amino acids.

[0024] More specifically, the health promotion correlates with at least one of the following biological effects: increased survival rate; increased resistance to parasites, in particular to the protozoan Eimeria inducing coccidiosis; increased proportion of dry matter content over the total matter content into the gut; increased body weight and / or increased average daily gain and / or feed conversion ratio. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0025] Figure 1. Percentage of survival of broilers along time (DayO to Day39)

[0026] Four groups of broilers are considered: T1 : control group - basal diet; T2: basal diet + 0.2% encapsulated BCAA; T3: basal diet + 0.2% encapsulated tryptophan; T4: basal diet + 0.2% encapsulated lysine.

[0027] Figure 2. Percentage of survival of post-weaning piglets along time (DayO to Day42)

[0028] Four groups of piglets (age 26 to 28 days) are considered: T1 : control group - basal diet; T2: basal diet + 0.2% encapsulated BCAA; T3: basal diet + 0.2% encapsulated tryptophan; T4: basal diet + 0.2% encapsulated lysine.

[0029] Figure 3. Effect of diet on relative abundance of bacterial taxa in caecum in broilers fed the experimental diets T1 , T2, T3 and T4, and sampled on D35 (n=9).

[0030] 3A) phylum, 3B) family, and 3C) genus level. All taxa are given at phylum level, 10 most abundant for other taxa. If not classified at respective taxa level, lowest reliable depth of taxonomy is given.

[0031] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

[0032] Unless stated otherwise, the following terms and phrases as used herein are intended to have the following meanings.

[0033] Definition of “health”, as described by the World Health Organization (2007), encompasses physical, mental and social well-being of living animals, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.

[0034] Health is a dynamic and ongoing process in all living organisms, which is coping with and responding to all the things animals meet in the surrounding, which potentially could influence them. Disease causing germs, parasites and numerous stress factors are present in the lives of animals. All living organisms have an immune system which should be supported to cope with these germs. All forms of stress and pressure can disturb this.

[0035] Animal health promotion can be understood as all forms and types of support which farmers can give to the animals in their care, in order to keep them healthy on all levels. Animal health promotion is not targeting a specific disease, but the whole animal, its health and wellbeing. In addition, it is also things as simple as access to fresh air, access to exercise, high hygiene and clean water: everything which supports the general health of the animal. The terms “digestive health”, “gut health” or “intestinal health” designate, in the sense of the invention, an effective digestive function, a good nutrient absorption and an effective use of those nutrients to promote growth of animals. A healthy gut corresponds to a healthy, balanced microbiome (microorganisms inhabiting the digestive tract).

[0036] The phrase “promoting digestive health” refers to an improvement or a maintenance of the balance of the microbiome. Administration of probiotic microorganisms and / or of prebiotic compounds, allowing the multiplication of beneficial microorganisms of the microbiome, is recommended.

[0037] Therefore, animal health promotion, in particular digestive health promotion, can be reached with the administration of active compounds having a prebiotic effect.

[0038] As demonstrated in the present application, encapsulated amino acids can be used as prebiotic compounds for promoting health of farm animals.

[0039] The present invention concerns encapsulated amino acid(s) for their use in promoting health, in particular digestive health, in monogastric farm animals.

[0040] As well known by the person skilled in the art, amino acids designate organic compounds that contain both an amino (-NH2) and carboxylic acid (-COOH) functional group, and are the basic building blocks of proteins. Today 20 amino acids have been listed: Alanine, Arginine, Asparagine, Aspartic Acid, Cysteine, Glutamic acid, Glutamine, Glycine, Histidine, Isoleucine, Leucine, Lysine, Methionine, Phenylalanine, Proline, Serine, Threonine, Tryptophan, Tyrosine and Valine.

[0041] Among them, nine amino acids are essential for humans; ten are essential for pigs (in young age) and for poultry: Arginine, Methionine, Histidine, Phenylalanine, Isoleucine, Threonine, Leucine, Tryptophan, Lysine and Valine.

[0042] In a specific embodiment of the invention, the encapsulated amino acids are chosen among the 20 amino acids as listed above.

[0043] In a specific embodiment of the invention, the encapsulated amino acids are chosen among the essential amino acids for the considered animal species.

[0044] In a specific embodiment of the invention, the encapsulated amino acid(s) are chosen among the group consisting of: valine, leucine, isoleucine, a mix of valine, leucine and isoleucine (designated as BCAA), tryptophan, lysine, and mixes thereof.

[0045] The encapsulated amino acid(s) are preferentially chosen among encapsulated BCAA, encapsulated tryptophan, encapsulated lysine, and any combination thereof.

[0046] The present invention also concerns the non-therapeutic use of encapsulated amino acid(s) for promoting health, in particular digestive health, in monogastric farm animals. According to this non-therapeutic use, the monogastric farm animals are preferentially healthy monogastric farm animals.

[0047] Encapsulation of amino acid(s)

[0048] The term “encapsulated amino acid(s)” designate at least one amino acid chosen among the 20 amino acids listed above, or any combination of at least two distinct amino acids, that are coated with a carrier material.

[0049] In a first embodiment, the invention concerns one encapsulated amino acid, consisting of a single amino acid encapsulated with a carrier material.

[0050] In a second embodiment, the invention concerns a mixture of at least two distinct amino acids, said mixture being encapsulated with a carrier material.

[0051] In a third embodiment, the invention concerns a mixture of three distinct amino acids, said mixture being encapsulated with a carrier material.

[0052] The carrier material is usually composed of biomolecules. It may be composed of polysaccharides, proteins, lipids or any combination thereof.

[0053] Among the polysaccharides, the main compounds used for encapsulation are starch, amylose, amylopectin, dextrins, maltodextrins, polydextrose, cellulose, gums (notably issued from plants), galactomannans, pectins, carrageenans, alginate, dextran, chitosan, xanthan and gellan.

[0054] Among the proteins, the main compounds used for encapsulation are milk proteins, whey proteins, caseins, gelatin and gluten.

[0055] Among the lipids, the main compounds used for encapsulation are fatty acids, fatty alcohols, waxes, glycerides and phospholipids. A commonly used phospholipid is lecithin, in particular lecithin from soy or rapeseed; a commonly used fatty acid is palmitic acid.

[0056] Several encapsulation carriers have been previously reported in literature, such as for example:

[0057] • Calcium alginate microencapsulation (https: / / link.springer.com / article / 10.1007 / BF00156366)

[0058] • Chitosan coating (https: / / www.sciencedirect.com / science / article / abs / pii / S1381514819311393)

[0059] • Zein encapsulation (https: / / repository.up.ac.za / bitstream / handle / 2263 / 66957 / Ferreira_Spontaneo us_2018.pdf?sequence=1 )

[0060] • Wax encapsulation (https: / / pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov / 17123917 / ) • Soy protein isolate and gum arabic encapsulation (https: / / www.sciencedirect.com / science / article / abs / pii / S1350417719316979)

[0061] • Soy lecithin-derived liposomes encapsulation (https: / / pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov / 27451165 / )

[0062] In the encapsulated form, the relative proportion amino acid(s) / carrier is advantageously of about 5% - 40% of amino acid(s) and 95% - 60% of carrier, in weight; and is preferentially of about 30% amino acid(s) and 70% of carrier, in weight.

[0063] Encapsulation processes are well known by the man skilled in the art, and have been disclosed notably in the following documents:

[0064] The Handbook of Encapsulation and Controlled Release, Chapter 5;

[0065] (Poshadri & Kuna, 2010) entitled “Microencapsulation technology: a review”; and

[0066] (Nedovic et al., 2011 ) entitled “An overview of encapsulation technologies for food applications”.

[0067] Among the encapsulation techniques, one can cite spray drying, spray-bed-drying, fluidbed coating, spray chilling, spray cooling, freeze-drying, melt extrusion and melt injection.

[0068] In a specific embodiment of the invention, the carrier material for encapsulating amino acids is made of lipids. Preferentially, the carrier material is composed of a mixture of palmitic acid and lecithin. According to this embodiment, the preferred techniques for encapsulating amino acids are spray chilling or spray cooling, which are particularly adapted for encapsulation with lipids.

[0069] In a more specific embodiment of the invention, encapsulated amino acid(s) are obtained by spray cooling with a coating consisting of a mixture of palmitic acid and lecithin.

[0070] Monogastric farm animals

[0071] The terms “monogastric animals” designate mammals with a single-compartmented stomach. Examples of monogastric animals include poultry, pigs, horses, rabbits, dogs and cats. Among them, poultry, pigs, horses and rabbits are monogastric farm animals.

[0072] Poultry designates any type of bird that humans raise for food, feathers or work. Poultry includes notably chickens, turkeys, geese and ducks.

[0073] In a specific embodiment of the invention, monogastric farm animals are chosen among pigs and poultry, and are in particular chosen among pigs, chickens and turkeys.

[0074] In a specific embodiment of the invention, the monogastric farm animals are pigs. In a specific embodiment of the invention, the monogastric farm animals are poultry.

[0075] In a specific embodiment of the invention, the monogastric farm animals are chickens.

[0076] In a specific embodiment of the invention, the monogastric farm animals are turkeys.

[0077] In a specific embodiment of the invention, the monogastric farm animals are healthy.

[0078] In another specific embodiment of the invention, the monogastric farm animals are non- healthy, in particular they may present a deficiency in their digestive health, for example an imbalance in their microbiome.

[0079] Mode of administration of the encapsulated amino acids

[0080] In the implementation of the invention, encapsulated amino acids can be administered by any route to the monogastric farm animals, in particular via oral route. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, encapsulated amino acid(s) are administered orally, and in particular are incorporated into the diet of monogastric farm animals.

[0081] An efficient amount of said encapsulated amino acid(s) is incorporated into the diet of animals, i.e., an amount allowing to obtain the desired effects as detailed below.

[0082] In particular, encapsulated amino acid(s) are incorporated into the diet in an amount comprised between 0.01% and 0.5% in weight of the diet.

[0083] Health benefits of administration of encapsulated amino acid(s)

[0084] The present invention concerns encapsulated amino acid(s) for their use in promoting health, in particular digestive health, in monogastric farm animals, wherein the health promotion correlates with a prebiotic effect of said encapsulated amino acids.

[0085] A healthy gut corresponds to a healthy, balanced microbiome (microorganisms inhabiting the digestive tract).

[0086] The phrase “promoting digestive health” refers to an improvement or a maintenance of the balance of the microbiome. Administration of probiotic microorganisms and / or of prebiotic compounds, allowing the multiplication of beneficial microorganisms of the microbiome, is recommended.

[0087] In the sense of the invention, a “compound with prebiotic effect” also designated as “a prebiotic compound” is a compound promoting growth and / or activity of the microbiome, i.e., the beneficial microorganisms present in the digestive tract of monogastric animals.

[0088] The prebiotics concept was introduced for the first time in 1995. Prebiotic was described as “a non-digestible food ingredient that beneficially affects the host by selectively stimulating the growth and / or activity of one or a limited number of bacteria in the colon, and thus improves host health”. The current scientific definition of a prebiotic was developed by a panel of experts in microbiology, nutrition, and clinical research in 2016. This current consensus definition is: “a substrate that is selectively utilized by host microorganisms conferring a health benefit”. Thus, the concept includes three essential parts: a substance, a physiologically beneficial effect, and a microbiota-mediated mechanism.

[0089] The following criteria are used to classify a compound as a prebiotic:

[0090] (i) it should be resistant to acidic pH of stomach, cannot be hydrolyzed by enzymes, and also should not be absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract,

[0091] (ii) it can be fermented by intestinal microbiota, and

[0092] (iii) the growth and / or activity of the intestinal bacteria can be selectively stimulated by this compound and this process improves host’s health.

[0093] According to this definition, compounds having a prebiotic effect are beneficial for the growth and / or activity of gut microbiome, and therefore are beneficial for digestive health of the animal.

[0094] In particular, the “prebiotic effect” of encapsulated amino acid(s) is at least one of the following:

[0095] - an increased population of Firmicutes, in particular of Lactobacillaceae, in mid-colon of animals;

[0096] - a reduced population of Bacteroidota, in particular of Bacteroidaceae, in mid-colon of animals;

[0097] - an increased concentration of butyrate in small and large intestine of animals;

[0098] - an increased concentration of acetate and propionate in large intestine of animals.

[0099] In a specific embodiment, the encapsulated amino acid is encapsulated lysine.

[0100] In a specific embodiment, the animals are poultry, and in particular chickens / broilers.

[0101] As shown in the example section and in figure 3, encapsulated lysine administered to broilers for 35 days: improves population of Firmicutes, in particular of Lactobacillaceae, in midcolon of animals; reduces population of Bacteroidota, in particular of Bacteroidaceae, in midcolon of animals; increases concentration of butyrate in small and large intestine of animals; and increases concentration of acetate and propionate in large intestine of animals.

[0102] Consequently, the present invention also relates to prebiotic compounds that consist of encapsulated amino acid(s), in particular of encapsulated lysine.

[0103] Other visible effects can be measured to determine the health promotion linked to the administration of the prebiotic compounds according to the invention.

[0104] These effects can be assessed by several means. In the examples of the present application, numerous biological effects have been followed to determine the “health effect” of the administration of encapsulated amino acid(s)..

[0105] In a specific embodiment, the invention concerns encapsulated amino acid(s) for their use for promoting health in monogastric farm animals, in particular digestive health, wherein said health promotion correlates with at least one of the following biological effects:

[0106] • increased survival rate;

[0107] • increased resilience to parasite infection, in particular to the infection by protozoan Eimeria, inducing coccidiosis;

[0108] • increased proportion of dry matter content over the total matter content into the gut;

[0109] • increased body weight and / or average daily gain and / or feed conversion ratio.

[0110] The persons of the art, in particular farmers and veterinarians, know well these biological effects and how to assess them, in order to identify any significant variation between treated and untreated groups of animals.

[0111] In the sense of the invention, the “survival rate” is defined as the percentage of animals in a treatment group still alive after a given period of time. An “increased survival rate” is defined as a significantly higher survival rate in a group, compared to another group of animals, after the same period of time. For example, example 3A (and figure 1 ) shows an increased survival rate of chickens treated with encapsulated BCAA, tryptophan or lysine in comparison with a group of untreated chickens.

[0112] In the sense of the invention, the “resilience to parasite infection” is defined as the ability of an animal to maintain performance (growth for example) despite being infected with a parasite. A parasite is an organism that lives in or on another organism (referred to as the host) and gains an advantage at the expense of that organism. In the sense of the invention, parasites mean internal parasites, residing in the stomach and intestinal tracts of monogastric animals.

[0113] The most common parasites of pigs are: the large roundworm Ascaris suum; its presence decreases feed intake and daily gain and cause a depression in gai feed ratio; the whipworm Trichuris suis is found in the cecum and upper large intestine. The slender head end of this small worm penetrates the gut lining, causing irritation and some blood loss; the “nodular worm" stems from the nodules produced by a larval stage of Oesophagostomum; the tiny intestinal worm Strongyloides occurs commonly in baby pigs. Heavy infections may cause intensive scouring in neonatal pigs, resulting in acute dehydration.

[0114] The most common parasites of poultry are worms such as roundworms (nematodes) and tapeworms (cestodes), and protozoa such as coccidia (species of the Eimeria genus), cryptosporidia (Cryptosporidium baileyi), and histomonads (H. melegridis).

[0115] By far, the most common protozoan parasites of chickens and turkeys are coccidia. Coccidia live and reproduce in the digestive tract, where they cause tissue damage. This damage reduces nutrient and fluid absorption and causes diarrhea and blood loss. Infection with or disease caused by coccidia is designated as Coccidiosis. Most coccidia in poultry belong to the genus Eimeria, which are highly host-specific. There are seven pathogenic species of Eimeria affecting chickens, five affecting turkeys and one affecting ducks.

[0116] An “increased resilience to parasite infection” is defined as an increased ability of an infected animal to maintain performance. For example, example 2 shows that a treatment with encapsulated BCAA improves significantly the performances (Body Weight (BW), Average Daily Gain (ADG) and Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR)) of a group of broilers challenged with coccidia parasites, compared to a coccidia -infected, untreated group.

[0117] In the sense of the invention, a “proportion of dry matter content over the total matter content into the gut” is defined as the proportion of all nutrients contained in the gut, except water; this includes protein, fiber, fat, minerals, etc. This relates to a reduced amount of liquid digesta, and a better consistency. Measure of this biological effect is well known by the person of the art, as being useful for determining the efficiency of the digestive function. An “increased proportion of dry matter content over the total matter content into the gut” is representative of a healthy digestive function of the tested animals.

[0118] In the sense of the invention, the following terms are defined as below:

[0119] • Body weight (BW) is self-explanatory; it is usually measured at the end of a test phase;

[0120] • Average daily gain (ADG) of an animal corresponds to the gain in weight per day. It is largely a result of feed intake, but may also depends on genetics, with some lines growing faster than others;

[0121] • Feed conversion ratio (FCR), corresponds to the ratio of conversion of feed intake into body weight, i.e., the ratio between ADFI and ADG. It is a measure of the efficiency with which the bodies of livestock convert feed into the desired output. FCR corresponds to the ratio of inputs to outputs; it is the inverse of "feed efficiency" also designated as “Feed:Gain”, which is the ratio of outputs to inputs.

[0122] The “Feed:Gain” ratio is generally superior to 1 ; the closest to 1 it is, the better for the farmer (because less food is needed for “producing” 1 gram of flesh). Regarding the FCR, it shall be as smaller as possible for the interest of the farmer.

[0123] All these biological effects are representative of the “performance” of the farm animals, which is an indication of how well a certain animal performed in his / her genetic economic valuable traits over its life time.

[0124] An “increased body weight and / or average daily gain and / or feed conversion ratio” is representative of an increased performance of a group of animals, compared to a control group.

[0125] Specific encapsulated amino acids for specific uses a) Encapsulated tryptophan

[0126] In a specific embodiment of the invention, the encapsulated amino acid is encapsulated tryptophan, and the correlating biological effect is an increased survival rate.

[0127] According to this embodiment, the present invention relates to encapsulated tryptophan, for its use for increasing the survival rate of monogastric farm animals, in particular of pigs and poultry.

[0128] As presented in examples 3 A and 4A, such increased survival rate compared to a control group of untreated animals has been demonstrated in both poultry and pigs. b) Encapsulated lysine In another specific embodiment of the invention, the encapsulated amino acid is encapsulated lysine, and the correlating biological effect is an increased dry matter content into the gut.

[0129] According to this embodiment, the present invention relates to encapsulated lysine, for its use for increasing the proportion of dry matter content in the gut of monogastric farm animals, in particular of pigs and poultry.

[0130] As presented in examples 3B and 4C, animals treated with encapsulated lysine present an increased percentage of dry matter content in different parts of the gut, such as the midjejunum, which is representative of a healthy digestive function.

[0131] In another specific embodiment of the invention, the present invention relates to encapsulated lysine for its use in promoting health, in particular digestive health, in monogastric farm animals, wherein the health promotion correlates with a prebiotic effect of said encapsulated lysine, in particular wherein the prebiotic effect is at least one of the following:

[0132] - an increased population of Firmicutes, in particular of Lactobacillaceae, in mid-colon of animals;

[0133] - a reduced population of Bacteroidota, in particular of Bacteroidaceae, in mid-colon of animals;

[0134] - an increased concentration of butyrate in small and large intestine of animals;

[0135] - an increased concentration of acetate and propionate in large intestine of animals.

[0136] In a specific embodiment of the invention, these prebiotic effects are obtained on poultry and / or on pigs.

[0137] More specifically, the prebiotic effect is at least one of the following:

[0138] - an increased population of Firmicutes, in particular of Lactobacillaceae, in mid-colon of chicken;

[0139] - a reduced population of Bacteroidota, in particular of Bacteroidaceae, in mid-colon of chicken;

[0140] - an increased concentration of butyrate in small and large intestine of chicken;

[0141] - an increased concentration of acetate and propionate in large intestine of Pigs. c) Encapsulated BCAA

[0142] In another specific embodiment of the invention, the encapsulated amino acids are encapsulated BCAA, and the correlating biological effect is an increased resilience to parasite infection.

[0143] According to this embodiment, the present invention relates to encapsulated BCAA, for its use for increasing the resilience to parasite infection of monogastric farm animals, in particular of pigs and poultry, and more particularly of poultry.

[0144] When the monogastric farm animals are pigs, the considered parasites are in particular the following: the large roundworm Ascaris suum, or the whipworm Trichuris suis, or the “nodular worm", or the intestinal worm Strongyloides.

[0145] When the monogastric farm animals are poultry, the considered parasites are in particular the following: roundworms (nematodes), or tapeworms (cestodes), or coccidia (species of the Eimeria genus), or cryptosporidia (Cryptosporidium baileyi), or histomonads (H. melegridis).

[0146] In a specific embodiment of the invention, the monogastric farm animals are poultry, in particular chicken, and the parasite is coccidia. In a more specific embodiment, the parasite is E. acervulina, E. tenella, E. maxima, or any mixture thereof; and in particular is Eimeria maxima.

[0147] As presented in example 2, a group of chicken treated with encapsulated BCAA present a significant resilience to this parasitic infection with coccidia, compared to an untreated group of animals.

[0148] In another specific embodiment of the invention, the encapsulated amino acid is encapsulated BCAA and / or encapsulated lysine, the monogastric farm animals are pigs, and the correlating biological effect is an increased body weight and / or average daily gain and / or feed conversion ratio.

[0149] According to this embodiment, the present invention relates to: encapsulated BCAA, for its use for increasing the performance of monogastric farm animals, in particular of pigs, or encapsulated lysine, for its use for increasing the performance of monogastric farm animals, in particular of pigs.

[0150] As presented in example 4B, administration of encapsulated BCAA and / or encapsulated lysine increases the performances of piglets. d) Monogastric animals are poultry

[0151] In another specific embodiment of the invention, the encapsulated amino acid is encapsulated BCAA and / or encapsulated lysine and / or encapsulated tryptophan, the monogastric farm animals are poultry, and the correlating biological effect is an increased survival rate.

[0152] According to this embodiment, the present invention relates to: encapsulated lysine, for its use for increasing the survival rate of monogastric farm animals, in particular of poultry. encapsulated BCAA, for its use for increasing the survival rate of monogastric farm animals, in particular of poultry. encapsulated tryptophan, for its use for increasing the survival rate of monogastric farm animals, in particular of pigs and poultry.

[0153] As presented in example 3A, administration of at least one encapsulated amino acid chosen encapsulated BCAA, encapsulated lysine and encapsulated tryptophan induces a significant higher rate of survival in the group of treated chicken, compared to the untreated group.

[0154] Furthermore, as presented in example 4A, administration of encapsulated tryptophan induces a significant higher rate of survival in the group of treated pigs, compared to the untreated group.

[0155] The present invention also relates to a process for promoting health, in particular digestive health, of monogastric farm animals, comprising the administration of encapsulated amino acid(s) to said animals, in particular wherein said encapsulated amino acid(s) are incorporated into the diet of said animals.

[0156] The present invention also relates to the use of encapsulated amino acid(s) for the preparation of a medicament or of a nutritional supplement, intented for promoting health, in particular digestive health, in monogastric farm animals. The present invention also relates to the non-therapeutic use of encapsulated amino acid(s) as nutritional supplement for monogastric farm animals, wherein said encapsulated amino acid(s) promotes health, in particular digestive health, of said animals.

[0157] In other words, the present invention also relates to the use of encapsulated amino acid(s) for promoting health, in particular digestive health, in monogastric farm animals.

[0158] EXAMPLES

[0159] Although the present invention herein has been described with reference to particular embodiments, it is to be understood that these embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and applications of the present invention. It is therefore to be understood that numerous modifications may be made to the illustrative embodiments and that other arrangements may be devised without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

[0160] Example 1. Process of encapsulation of amino acids

[0161] Amino acids such as tryptophan, lysine and a mixture of leucine, isoleucine and valine (BCAA) are encapsulated into a carrier materiel made of lipids.

[0162] A particular composition is the following (in weight):

[0163] Palmitic acid 58 69%

[0164] Rapeseed lecithin 1%

[0165] L-leucine 10%

[0166] L-isoleucine 10%

[0167] - L-valine 10%

[0168] Amino acids are encapsulated by spray chilling.

[0169] Liquid and / or solid ingredients are mixed into a melt of fully hydrogenated fat, typically at 70-85 °C. If needed, adjuvants are added to stabilize the dispersion.

[0170] Dripping point of the fat or fat mixture is typically between 55°C and 75°C.

[0171] The melt is continuously sprayed with a top spray system in a counter current manner, into a stream of cold air. For atomization of the melt, different kind of (i) one fluid pressure nozzles or (ii) two fluid nozzles are used. In the cold air stream, the melt droplets are solidified and the resulting particles are continuously discharged from the spray tower. Depending on the nozzles and the spray pressure, droplets / particles have a particle size in the range of 150pm to 1mm.

[0172] If needed, adjuvants (for example, silica as flow agent) can additionally be continuously added in the spray tower.

[0173] Powders are then sieved (size inferior to 100 pm) and packed.

[0174] Example 2. Effects of administration of encapsulated BCAA to broiler chickens in the prevention of coccidiosis

[0175] The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of encapsulated BCAA administered from day 1 until day 22, as an aid in the prevention of coccidiosis caused by Eimeria spp. in broiler chickens kept under battery cage conditions.

[0176] The efficacy of this treatment was assessed by survey of mortality rate, oocyst shedding and differentiation, intestinal lesion scoring, body weight and weight gain.

[0177] Four treatment groups of broilers (Ross 308) were included: an infected untreated control (IUC), an uninfected untreated control (UUC), an infected treated control (ITC, treatment with classical ionophore / chemical compound) and one infected tested group, treated with encapsulated BCAA (BCAA).

[0178] Protocol:

[0179] At DO, treatments of the two treated groups start - 20 ppm decoquinate for the treated control group, and 2 kg / ton of encapsulated BCAA. Administration is continued every day, up to D22.

[0180] Results are presented in the tables 1 and 2 below.

[0181] At D14, coccidiosis challenge is performed for three groups, by oral inoculation of 1 mL of coccidiosis inoculum 602208 / 2 Eimeria spp. including: 90.4% E. acervulina, 7% E. tenella, 2.5% E. maxima.

[0182] Table 1. Effects of treatment with encapsulated BCAA on body weight, average daily gain and feed conversion ratio

[0183] *: Reference data of the control group for the calculation of P value

[0184] The treatment with encapsulated BCAA improves significantly performance (ADG and BW) of challenged broilers, compared to control groups. Furthermore, treatment with encapsulated BCAA tends to reduce the FCR value, which is closest to those of control groups UUC and ITC.

[0185] Table 2. Effects of treatment with encapsulated BCAA on lesion scores (LS) and oocysts per gram faeces (OPG) The usual treatment (ITC) does not give significative results, one hypothesis may be that a phenomenon of resistance has developed. The treatment with encapsulated BCAA does not affect the lesion scoring. Treatment with encapsulated BCAA tends to reduce E. maxima oocyst count. In conclusion, it was observed that: a) Treatment with encapsulated BCAA strongly improves performance of coccidiosis-challenged broilers; b) Treatment with encapsulated BCAA restores performance of coccidiosis- challenged broilers. c) Treatment with encapsulated BCAA tends to reduce E. maxima oocyst count.

[0186] Example 3. Effects of administration of encapsulated BCAA, tryptophane and lysine to broiler chickens in survival and gut health

[0187] This in vivo study aimed to confirm the growth- and gut health- promoting effect of encapsulated amino acids in broiler chickens.

[0188] Hitherto, one-day old chickens were divided into 4 groups, receiving different feeds throughout the rearing period, and broilers were sampled on d25 and d39 to evaluate gut health.

[0189] The experimental design consists of one control group (T1 , negative control) and 3 other groups (T2, T3, and T4) receiving the control diet supplemented with encapsulated amino acids. Treatments were replicated in 9 pens each in a completely randomized block design. Block refers to physical allocation in the experimental facility.

[0190] Administered treatments are presented in table 3 below.

[0191] Table 3. Treatments administered to chicken from Day 0 to Day 39

[0192] A) Effects on survival

[0193] Results are presented in figure 1 . Although untreated chickens (T1 ) present a survival rate of less than 90% after 39 days, all groups of encapsulated amino acid-treated-chickens (T2, T3 and T4) present a higher rate of survival. In particular, encapsulated lysine- treated group (T4) has a survival rate of about 96% at D39.

[0194] Therefore, it appears that encapsulated BCAA, tryptophan and lysine, each have individually a positive effect on health of chicken, since the mortality rate is significantly decreased.

[0195] B) Effects on gut health

[0196] As it is well known by the person skilled in the art, it is advantageous to observe a relative high proportion of dry matter in the jejunum, a part of the small intestine. This means that liquid have been well absorbed in the first steps of digestion, and is synonymous of gut health. Furthermore, it indicates that water has not been transferred from the inside of the body to the lumen. Results are presented in table 4.

[0197] Table 4. Effects of encapsulated amino acids on gut health

[0198] * SEM: Standard Error of the Mean

[0199] Chicken treated with encapsulated Lysine (T4) tends to present an increased percentage of dry matter content in the mid-jejunum at D25.

[0200] Furthermore, chicken treated with encapsulated lysine (T4) present an increased percentage of butyrate in the caecum (small and large intestine) at D35. This is advantageous because butyrate is considered as the main source of energy for colonocytes, and is associated with decreased inflammation and higher expression of tight junctions.

[0201] Example 4. Effects on health of piglets of the administration of encapsulated BCAA, tryptophan or lysine

[0202] Protocol is the following: 192 TopigsNorsvin70 x German Pietrain newly weaned piglets (age 26-28 days) were allocated to 32 pens according to body weight and sex, such that the average body weight in each pen was similar, and that each pen had an equal number of castrated males and females. Four groups are constituted: one control group (T1 , negative control) and 3 other groups (T2, T3, and T4) receiving the control diet supplemented with encapsulated amino acids, as presented in table 5 below. Table 5. Treatments administered to piglets

[0203] A) Results in survival of animals are presented in figure 2

[0204] Treatment with encapsulated tryptophan (T3) dramatically increases the survival of piglets: at D42, about 98% of piglets have survived. On the contrary, untreated piglets (T1 ) and piglets treated with encapsulated BCAA (T2) or encapsulated lysine (T4) present less than 90% of survival.

[0205] B) Effects of encapsulated amino acids on performance (BW, ADG, ADFI, feed efficiency)

[0206] Results are presented in tables 6A and 6B below, considering two different time periods. Significant results are in bold characters.

[0207] Table 6A. Performance of piglets over the period Day 0 - Day 42: average daily gain (ADG), average daily feed intake (ADFI), feed: ain ratio (F:G)

[0208] Table 6B. Performance of piglets over period Day 28 - Day 42: final body weight (BW), average daily gain (ADG), average daily feed intake (ADFI), feed: ain ratio (F:G)

[0209] * SEM: Standard Error of the Mean

[0210] Treatments with encapsulated BCAA and encapsulated lysine improve performances, in particular the average daily gain over the period D0-D42 of piglets, and the final body weight over the period D28-D42.

[0211] For encapsulated BCAA, this effect is mainly driven by feed intake (ADFI is increased on both time periods).

[0212] For encapsulated lysine, the effect is driven by feed efficiency (F:G is inferior to those of control group, on both periods of time).

[0213] Results obtained with encapsulated tryptophan are not statistically significative.

[0214] To confirm the positive results obtained with encapsulated lysine, other tests have been performed, comparing the control group (T1 ) and the group treated with encapsulated lysine (T4) over different time periods. Results are presented in tables 7A, 7B and 7C below.

[0215] Table 7A. Performance of piglets over the period Day 0 - Day 42: average daily gain (ADG), average daily feed intake (ADFI), feed:gain ratio (F:G), Table 7C. Performance of piglets over the “starter phase” period (D14-D42): average daily gain (ADG), average daily feed intake (ADFI), Feed:Gain ratio (F:G)

[0216] Treatment with encapsulated lysine clearly increases the average daily gain, by improving the Feed:Gain ratio (i.e., its value getting closer to 1 ). C) Effects of encapsulated lysine on gut health

[0217] As for broilers, the gut health of piglets is evaluated by measuring the proportion of dry matter in four portions of the intestine: proximal small intestine, distal small intestine, caecum and mid-colon. Results are presented in tables 8 and 9 below.

[0218] Table 8. Effects of administration of encapsulated amino acids on gut health in piglets

[0219] ND*: Not Determined

[0220] Encapsulated Lys tends to increase the proportion of dry matter in all gut compartments, in particular in the caecum where the improvement is statistically significative. Furthermore, encapsulated lysine supplementation is associated withg increased concentration of acetate and propionate in large intestine.

[0221] Table 9. Effects of administration of encapsulated lysine on gut health in piglets

[0222] Administration of encapsulated lysine tends to increase the proportion of dry matter both in proximal small intestine and caecum, this increase being statistically significative (p<0.1 ).

[0223] In conclusion:

[0224] Administration of encapsulated tryptophan improves the survival rate of piglets, i.e., reduces mortality of post-weaning piglets;

[0225] Administration of encapsulated BCAA or encapsuled lysine improves the body weight and the average daily gain of post-weaning piglets;

[0226] Administration of encapsulated lysine improves average daily gain in the starter phase, and increases the proportion of dry matter in caecum and small intestine, i.e., improves consistency of the digesta;

[0227] Encapsulated lysine administration increases concentration of propionate and acetate in large intestine.

[0228] Example 5. Effects on microbiota of broilers of the administration of encapsulated BCAA, tryptophan or lysine

[0229] Protocol is the following:

[0230] As in example 3, one-day old chickens were divided into 4 groups, receiving different feeds throughout the rearing period, and broilers were sampled on d25 to analysis microbiota composition.

[0231] The experimental design consists of one control group (T1 , negative control) and 3 other groups (T2, T3, and T4) receiving the control diet supplemented with encapsulated amino acids. Treatments were replicated in 9 pens each in a completely randomized block design. Block refers to physical allocation in the experimental facility.

[0232] Administered treatments have been already presented in table 3.

[0233] Microbiome analysis Aliquots of caecum samples were submitted for 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. The V3- V4 hypervariable region of the 16S rRNA gene was amplified using universal primers. After purification, amplicons were sequenced on the Illumina Miseq platform (Illumina, San Diego, USA) with the V3 chemistry kit and 2x300 bp paired-end module (Eurofins Genomics, Konstanz, Germany). All reads passing the standard Illumina chastity filter (PF reads) were demultiplexed according to their index sequences. Originally, 3172538 raw reads were obtained from 35 samples in total. Subsequent bioinformatics was run for caecal digesta. The raw reads were submitted to the DADA2 package (version 1.20.0; Callahan et al., 2016) in R (version 3.3.1 , http: / / www.r-project.org). The raw sequences were quality trimmed and filtered, error models were constructed, amplicon sequence variants (ASV’s) were inferred, and forward and reverse reads were merged, and chimeras were removed following default settings or adjusted. It resulted in 1969027 reads (28686 - 91240 per sample) for caecal digesta. The SILVA (release 138.1 ; Quast et al., 2012; https: / / www.arb-silva.de / documentation / release-1381 / ) was used for taxonomy assignment. Taxonomy data and metadata were merged into a Phyloseq object applying the Phyloseq package (version 1.36.0; McMurdie and Holmes, 2013) in R.

[0234] A total of 371 ASV’s, condensed into 6 phyla, 33 families, 77 genera, and 94 species, were used in the downstream analysis for caecum.

[0235] PCoA plots based on Bray-Curtis distance were employed to visualize differences in bacterial community composition between different treatments at ASV and genus level (beta diversity) in Phyloseq.

[0236] The diversity within bacterial communities per treatment (alpha diversity) was assessed with the Chaol index (richness), Shannon index (evenness) and reciprocal Simpson index (diversity) at ASV and genus level in Phyloseq.

[0237] Statistical analysis

[0238] For the microbial composition following 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing, statistical analyses were performed in R using the packages Phyloseq and vegan for community analysis (version 2.5.7; Dixon, 2003). Significant differences in bacterial community composition between different treatments at ASV and genus level (beta diversity) were identified with pairwise permutational MANOVA on Bray-Curtis distance with Bonferroni correction, using the adonis2 function (vegan). Statistical differences in relative bacterial abundances at phylum, family, genus, and species level between treatments were tested by non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis tests, whereby multiplicity was corrected using the Benjamin-Hochberg false discovery rate (FDR, with FDR=0.05 for 16S rRNA gene profiling) (Lee and Lee, 2018). Regularized Canonical Correlation Analysis (rCCA) was done to highlight correlations between the metabolic and bacterial community composition at 1 family and genus level for mid-colon. rCCA was executed using the mixOmics package with the shrinkage method for estimation of penalisation parameters (version 6.16.3, Rohart et al., 2017) in R.

[0239] Results

[0240] An overview of relative abundance of bacterial taxa per treatment is presented in Fig. 3A, 3B and 3C.

[0241] The most dominant phyla are Bacteriodota (overall relative abundance of 58.1%) and Firmicutes (41.1%), while other phyla did not exceed 0.5% relative abundance.

[0242] At family level, the Bacteriodaceae stood out (40.7% of all reads) together with another family within the Bacteriodota, namely Rikenellaceae (14.4%), while the different families in the Firmicutes; Lactobacillaceae (16.0%), Lachnospiraceae (9.5%) and Ruminococcaceae (5.3%), were all higher than 5% relative abundance.

[0243] Accordingly, the most prominent genera were Bacteroides (40.7%), Alistipes (14.4%), Lactobacillus (8.8%), and Limosilactobacillus (6.1%).

[0244] At phylum, most striking is the difference in relative abundance of the two dominant phyla across samples and across treatments.

[0245] It is clear that feeding encapsulated tryptophan (T3) and even more encapsulated lysine (T4) decreases Bacteriodota and increases Firmicutes as compared to other treatments, and accordingly increases the ratio Firmicutes:Bacteridota. The latter is occasionally used as an indicator for a balanced and healthy microbiome.

[0246] For T1 only, in 1 out of 9 samples, this ratio was higher than 1 ; while for T2, T3, and T4 this was 1 out of 8, 2 out of 9, and 4 out of 9, respectively. Statistical testing showed that this ratio was significantly higher in T4 (11.0) as compared to T1 (1.5, P=0.024) and T2 (0.5, P=0.012) but not from T3 (6.3, P>0.05).

[0247] REFERENCES

[0248] US 7,939,117

[0249] US 2022 / 0386649

[0250] US 2021 / 307365

[0251] Yepes, F. L., Mann, S., Overton, T. R., Ryan, C. M., Bristol, L. S., Granados, G. E., ... & Wakshlag, J. J. (2019). Effect of rumen-protected branched-chain amino acid supplementation on production-and energy- related metabolites during the first 35 days in milk in Holstein dairy cows. Journal of dairy science, 102(6), 5657-5672.

[0252] Lee, S. B., Lee, K. W., Wang, T., Lee, J. S., Jung, U. S., Nejad, J. G., ... & Lee, H. G. (2020). Administration of encapsulated L-tryptophan improves duodenal starch digestion and increases gastrointestinal hormones secretions in beef cattle. Asian-Australasian journal of animal sciences, 33(1 ), 91.

[0253] McMurdie PJ, Holmes S. phyloseq: an R package for reproducible interactive analysis and graphics of microbiome census data. PLoS One. 2013 Apr 22;8(4):e61217.

[0254] Mishra, Munmaya , "Handbook of Encapsulation and Controlled Release" - Boca Raton: CRC Press, 11 nov. 2015

[0255] Poshadri, A., & Aparna, K. (2010). Microencapsulation technology: a review. Journal of Research ANGRAU, 38(1 ), 86-102.

[0256] Nedovic, V., Kalusevic, A., Manojlovic, V., Levic, S., & Bugarski, B. (2011 ). An overview of encapsulation technologies for food applications. Procedia Food Science, 1, 1806-1815.

[0257] Dahiya, J. P., Hoehler, D., Wilkie, D. C., Van Kessel, A. G., & Drew, M. D. (2005). Dietary glycine concentration affects intestinal Clostridium perfringens and lactobacilli populations in broiler chickensl . Poultry Science, 84(12), 1875-1885.

[0258] Prandini, A. L. D. 0., Sigolo, S., Morlacchini, M., Grilli, E., & Fiorentini, L. (2013). Microencapsulated lysine and low-protein diets: Effects on performance, carcass characteristics and nitrogen excretion in heavy growing-finishing pigs. Journal of animal science, 91(9), 4226-4234.

[0259] Rohart F, Gautier B, Singh A, Le Cao KA. mixOmics: An R package for omics feature selection and multiple data integration. PLoS Comput Biol. 2017 Nov 3;13(11 ) :e1005752.

[0260] Sun, M., Zhao, J., Wang, X., Jiao, H., & Lin, H. (2020). Use of encapsulated L-lysine-HCl and DL-methionine improves postprandial amino acid balance in laying hens. Journal of Animal Science, 98(10), skaa315. Sun, M., Jiao, H., Wang, X., Uyanga, V. A., Zhao, J., & Lin, H. (2020). Encapsulated crystalline lysine and DL-methionine have higher efficiency than the crystalline form in broilers. Poultry science, 99(12), 6914-6924.

Claims

CLAIMS Encapsulated amino acid(s) for their use in promoting health, in particular digestive health, in monogastric farm animals. Encapsulated amino acid(s) for their use according to claim 1 , wherein monogastric farm animals are chosen among pigs and poultry, and are in particular chosen among pigs, chickens and turkeys. Encapsulated amino acid(s) for their use according to claim 1 or 2, wherein amino acid(s) are chosen among the group consisting of: valine, leucine, isoleucine, a mix of valine, leucine and isoleucine (BCAA), tryptophane, lysine, and mixes thereof. Encapsulated amino acid(s) for their use according to anyone of claims 1 to 3, wherein they are incorporated into the diet of said monogastric farm animals. Encapsulated amino acid(s) for their use according to claim 4, wherein they are incorporated into the diet in an amount comprised between 0.01% and 0.5% in weight of the diet. Encapsulated amino acid(s) for their use according to anyone of claims 1 to 5, wherein the health promotion correlates with a prebiotic effect of said encapsulated amino acids. Encapsulated amino acid(s) for their use according to claim 6, wherein the prebiotic effect is at least one of the following:- an increased population of Firmicutes, in particular of Lactobacillaceae, in mid-colon of animals;- a reduced population of Bacteroidota, in particular of Bacteroidaceae, in mid-colon of animals;- an increased concentration of butyrate in small and large intestine of animals;- an increased concentration of acetate and propionate in large intestine of animals.Encapsulated amino acid(s) for their use according to anyone of claims 1 to 7, wherein the health promotion correlates with at least one of the following biological effects: increased survival rate; increased resilience to parasite infection, in particular to infection by the protozoan Eimeria, inducing coccidiosis; increased proportion of dry matter content over the total matter content into the gut; increased body weight and / or increased average daily gain and / or feed conversion ratio. Encapsulated amino acid(s) for their use according to claim 8, wherein the encapsulated amino acid is encapsulated tryptophan, and the correlating biological effect is an increased survival rate. Encapsulated amino acid(s) for their use according to claim 8, wherein the encapsulated amino acid is encapsulated lysine, and the correlating biological effect is an increased dry matter content into the gut. Encapsulated amino acid(s) for their use according to claim 7, wherein the encapsulated amino acid is encapsulated lysine. Encapsulated amino acid(s) for their use according to claim 8, wherein the encapsulated amino acid is encapsulated BCAA and the correlating biological effect is an increased resilience to parasite infection. Encapsulated amino acid(s) for their use according to claim 12, wherein the monogastric farm animals are poultry. Encapsulated amino acid(s) for their use according to claim 8, wherein the encapsulated amino acid is encapsulated BCAA and / or encapsulated lysine, the monogastric farm animals are pigs, and the correlating biological effect is an increased body weight and / or average daily gain and / or feed conversion ratio. Encapsulated amino acid(s) for their use according to claim 8, wherein the encapsulated amino acid is encapsulated BCAA and / or encapsulated lysine and / or encapsulated tryptophan, the monogastric farm animals are poultry, and the correlating biological effect is an increased survival rate.

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