Livestock feed

Abstract

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a livestock feed having a nutritional value comparable to that of a conventional feed. The livestock feed according to the present invention contains: at least one of roughage and concentrated feed; and parenchyma of waste wood.

Description

Industrial animal feed

[0001] The present invention relates to feed for industrial animals.

[0002] The palm oil industry is thriving in tropical regions, particularly Southeast Asia, where oil palms are cultivated on vast plantations. As the amount of palm oil that can be extracted from an oil palm tree gradually decreases after it reaches 18 years of age, the tree is cut down for replanting around 25 years later. As a result, many of the trunks of cut oil palms, estimated to exceed 20 million tons per year, are discarded in the forest. This causes the discarded trunks to rot, resulting in various environmental problems, including damage caused by pest infestations.

[0003] In order to solve these problems, for example, as in Non-Patent Documents 1 and 2, studies have been conducted to use fiber, which is the main component of discarded oil palm trunks, as feed for industrial animals, but this has not yet been put into practical use.

[0004] Tropical Agriculture Research Center, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Major Research Results of Tropical Agriculture, 1989, pp. 11-12; Motohiko Ishida, Tropical Forestry, No. 31 (1994), pp. 34-43

[0005] Due to recent social conditions and other factors, the price of industrial animal feed has skyrocketed. As a result, providing feed to industrial animals has become a significant burden for livestock farmers. As mentioned above, a certain amount of oil palm is discarded each year, and the fiber, the main component of the oil palm trunk, is known to contain a relatively low amount of lignin and ample amounts of soluble sugars and dietary fiber. Therefore, it is expected that oil palm fiber will soon be put to practical use as a substitute for roughage such as grass and / or concentrated feed such as corn. It is also expected that it will be put to practical use as a feed additive to concentrated feed.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide a feed for industrial animals having nutritional value comparable to that of conventional feed.

[0007] The present inventors have discovered that by utilizing the parenchyma tissue contained in discarded oil palm trunks, it is possible to provide highly nutritious industrial animal feed for ruminants and monogastric animals, and have thus completed the present invention. Specifically, the present invention is configured as follows (1) to (5).

[0008] (1) Feed for industrial animals, comprising at least one of roughage and concentrated feed, and soft tissue of waste wood. (2) Feed for industrial animals according to (1), in which the content of soft tissue of the waste wood is 0.5 to 30% by mass relative to 100% by mass of the total of the roughage and concentrated feed, or 0.5 to 20% by mass relative to 100% by mass of the concentrated feed. (3) Feed for industrial animals according to (1) or (2), in which the waste wood is waste oil palm wood. (4) Feed for industrial animals according to any of (1) to (3), in which the industrial animals produce short-chain fatty acids at a concentration of 50 to 250 mM by microbially decomposing and fermenting the industrial animal feed. (5) Feed for industrial animals according to any of (1) to (4), in which the industrial animals are one or more species selected from the group consisting of ruminants and monogastric animals.

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide feed for industrial animals having nutritional value comparable to that of conventional feed.

[0010] Specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below. Note that the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments, and appropriate modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

[0011] [Feed for Industrial Animals] The feed for industrial animals according to one embodiment of the present invention contains at least one of roughage and concentrated feed, and soft tissue of waste wood. Each component will be described below.

[0012] <Industrial Animals> In one embodiment of the present invention, the industrial animals are preferably one or more species selected from the group consisting of ruminants and monogastric animals.

[0013] Ruminants are herbivorous animals that have multiple stomachs (rumen, reticulum, omasum, and abomasum) morphologically modified from the esophagus at the front of their digestive tract and chew their cud to aid in the digestion of plant fiber. Examples of ruminants include cattle, sheep, goats, yaks, and water buffalo. Monogastric animals are animals that have one stomach. Examples of monogastric animals include pigs, horses, rabbits, dogs, and cats.

[0014] <Roughage> Roughage refers to feed that provides the main source of energy and nutrients necessary to sustain life, which are essential for maintaining the function of the rumen of industrial animals, especially ruminants.

[0015] Examples of roughage include grasses such as timothy, orchard grass, Italian ryegrass, and Kentucky bluegrass; legumes such as red clover, white clover, and alfalfa; dry roughage such as rice straw and hay; and silage (shredded silage, roll bale silage, etc.) obtained by storing and fermenting grasses or forage crops under anaerobic conditions.

[0016] <Concentrate feed> Concentrate feed is feed that provides the main energy and nutrients necessary to maintain the life of industrial animals in order to improve their health and productivity. Examples of concentrate feed include feeds that are low in fiber and high in non-fiber carbohydrates, protein, or lipids, such as corn, barley, wheat, soybeans, bran, soybean meal, corn gluten, and cottonseed.

[0017] <Parenchyma of discarded trees> Parenchyma of discarded trees refers to the soft tissue contained in discarded oil palm trees.

[0018] Oil palm is a tree cultivated in tropical regions, mainly in Southeast Asia. The trunk of an oil palm is composed of vascular tissue, which is made up of rigid cellulose fibers, and parenchyma, which is rich in NFC (non-fibrous carbohydrates) such as sugars and starch, and NDF (neutral detergent fiber) such as plant fiber. The mass ratio of vascular tissue to parenchyma that can be harvested from an oil palm trunk is 40:60 to 50:50.

[0019] The soft tissue described above contains about 19% by mass of non-fibrous carbohydrates and about 80% by mass of neutral detergent fiber in dry matter. In contrast, the dry matter content of conventional feed (e.g., timothy hay) is about 17% by mass of non-fibrous carbohydrates and about 65% by mass of neutral detergent fiber. Therefore, even if 0.5 to 30% by mass of the total 100% by mass of industrial animal feed (roughage and concentrated feed) is replaced with the soft tissue described above, it is still possible to provide industrial animals with the energy and nutrient supplement source they require.

[0020] Furthermore, by adding 0.5 to 20% by mass of the soft tissue to 100% by mass of industrial animal feed (concentrated feed), it is also possible to provide a source of energy and nutrients necessary for industrial animals.

[0021] Unlike vascular tissue, which contains a lot of fiber such as lignin and cellulose, parenchyma tissue contains a moderate amount of non-fibrous carbohydrates, neutral detergent fiber, etc., and therefore can be used not only for ruminants but also as feed for monogastric animals, which have difficulty decomposing high-fiber feed.

[0022] Furthermore, the soft tissue is extracted from the trunks of oil palm trees that are felled every year for replanting, so it can be obtained in stable quantities at a lower cost than imported pasture grass, etc.

[0023] <Feed for Industrial Animals> The ratio of roughage to concentrated feed in the feed for industrial animals is not particularly limited and can be appropriately set to a desired ratio. For example, the mass ratio of roughage to concentrated feed can be 100:0 to 0:100.

[0024] The content of soft tissue in waste wood (oil palm) is preferably 0.5 to 30% by mass, more preferably 1 to 25% by mass, and particularly preferably 2.5 to 10% by mass, relative to 100% by mass of the total of industrial animal feed (roughage and concentrated feed). The content of soft tissue in oil palm is preferably 0.5 to 20% by mass, more preferably 1 to 15% by mass, and particularly preferably 2.5 to 10% by mass, relative to 100% by mass of industrial animal feed (concentrated feed).

[0025] The form of the soft tissue contained in the feed for industrial animals is not particularly limited, but examples include powder, pellets, flakes, and mash.

[0026] By setting the oil palm parenchyma content within the above range, industrial animals can ingest and ferment the industrial animal feed containing the parenchyma in the rumen or intestine through microbial decomposition and fermentation, producing short-chain fatty acids such as acetic acid, propionic acid, and butyric acid at concentrations of 50 to 300 mM, and 50 to 250 mM (average 100 to 150 mM). Specifically, ruminants can produce acetic acid at concentrations of 30 to 180 mM, propionic acid at concentrations of 15 to 90 mM, and butyric acid at concentrations of 5 to 30 mM. Monogastric animals can produce acetic acid at concentrations of 110 to 170 mM, propionic acid at concentrations of 30 to 60 mM, and butyric acid at concentrations of 10 to 25 mM. Therefore, oil palm parenchyma can be used as a feed source for industrial animals as a substitute for roughage and concentrate, or as an addition to concentrate.

[0027] <Supplements> The feed for industrial animals according to one embodiment of the present invention may contain supplements for industrial animals. Examples of supplements include amino acids, lactic acid bacteria, minerals, essential fatty acids, etc.

[0028] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to the following examples.

[0029] [Analysis of components contained in roughage, concentrated feed, and soft tissue] The Tokachi Agricultural Cooperative Association was commissioned to carry out a component analysis of the soft tissue (oil palm trunks) that constitutes industrial animal feed. The component analysis was carried out in accordance with the third edition of the Roughage Quality Evaluation Guidebook (2009, compiled by the Self-Sufficiency Feed Utilization Research Association). Specifically, the Kjeldahl method was used to measure crude protein. The detergent analysis method was used to measure neutral and acid detergent fiber. The diethyl ether extraction method was used to measure crude fat. Although not shown in Table 1, the neutral detergent-insoluble crude protein in the calculation formula was also measured in accordance with the above guidebook. The heat loss method (600°C, 2 hours) was used to determine crude ash. The following calculation formula was used to measure non-fibrous carbohydrates. Calculation formula: Non-fibrous carbohydrates = 100 - crude protein - crude fat - neutral detergent fiber - crude ash + neutral detergent-insoluble crude protein

[0030] As shown in Table 1, compared to timothy hay (roughage) and corn (concentrated feed), the parenchyma components were found to be rich in non-fiber carbohydrates such as sugar and starch, and neutral detergent fiber such as vegetable fiber. The percentages of various components of timothy hay and corn in Table 1 were calculated from the Japanese Feed Standards 2001 edition (edited by the National Agriculture and Food Research Organization).

[0031]

[0032] [Evaluation of the usability of soft tissue as an alternative to conventional feed 1] The usability of soft tissue was evaluated by culturing in a manner that mimicked the microbial decomposition and fermentation of industrial animal feed (roughage and concentrated feed) in the rumen of a ruminant cow.

[0033] <Evaluation of pH> (Preparation of Feeds for Evaluation) Feed 1 was prepared by mixing roughage and concentrate, and Feeds 2 to 7 were prepared by mixing roughage, concentrate, and soft tissue in the proportions shown in Table 2. Next, equal amounts of rumen fluid collected from three cows and artificial saliva (McDougall, Biochem. J., 1948) were mixed in a 1-L glass container to prepare a mixed solution. Next, a total of 200 mg of Feeds 1 to 7 was added to 10 mL of the mixed solution placed in a 15-mL glass container, stirred, and cultured at 37°C for 24 hours in an incubator (EI-600V, AS ONE Corporation), to obtain Feeds 1 to 7 for evaluation.

[0034]

[0035] The roughage, concentrated feed, and soft tissue in the containers were filtered to remove the pH of the evaluation feeds 1 to 7, which were then measured using the following measuring device and method. The pH measurement results are shown in Table 3.

[0036] (Measuring device) Compact pH meter LAQUAtwin (pH-11B, manufactured by Horiba Advanced Techno Co., Ltd.) (Measuring method) Evaluation feeds 1 to 7 were centrifuged (15,000×g, 10 minutes, 4° C.), and 100 μL of the supernatant was used to measure the pH using the above measuring device.

[0037]

[0038] Table 3 confirms that even when a portion (1-20%) of roughage and concentrate is replaced with soft tissue, the pH in the rumen (pH 6-7) can be maintained to maintain the activity of fiber (cellulose)-decomposing bacteria, starch-decomposing bacteria, sugar-decomposing bacteria, and protozoa. This confirms that using soft tissue as part of the feed is useful for maintaining the health of ruminants.

[0039] <Evaluation of short-chain fatty acid concentration> The short-chain fatty acid concentration was measured using the evaluation feeds 1 to 7 used in the pH evaluation. The measurement results are shown in Table 4.

[0040] (Measurement device) High performance liquid chromatograph LC-10 series (LC-10, manufactured by Shimadzu Corporation) (Measurement method) Measurement was carried out according to the method previously reported (Tsukahara et al., Anim. Sci. J., 2014).

[0041]

[0042] Table 4 confirms that even when a portion (1-20%) of the roughage and concentrate was replaced with soft tissue, the concentration of short-chain fatty acids (acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, etc.) produced by ruminal fermentation in ruminants was comparable to that of the conventional feed (Feed 1). This confirms that even when soft tissue is used as part of the feed, it is possible to supply ruminants with the energy they need to survive.

[0043] [Evaluation of the utility of soft tissue as an alternative to conventional feed 2] The utility of soft tissue was evaluated by culturing in the intestines of pigs, which are monogastric animals, to simulate the microbial decomposition and fermentation of industrial animal feed (concentrated feed).

[0044] <Evaluation of fermentation index> (Preparation of evaluation diets) Equal amounts of feces from 4 to 5 sows were mixed and suspended in a 19-fold volume of 50 mM anaerobic phosphate buffer (pH 6.8) to obtain a suspension. Next, the obtained suspension alone was placed in a container and cultured in an incubator at 38°C for 24 hours to obtain evaluation diets 1 to 6 (suspension only). In addition, the suspension was added to a container containing soft tissue (500 mg) and cultured under the same conditions to obtain evaluation diets 1 to 6 (suspension + soft tissue).

[0045] The gas pressure of the evaluation feeds 1 to 6 (suspension only) and evaluation feeds 1 to 6 (suspension + soft tissue) was measured using the following measuring device and method. The measurement results are shown in Table 5. The unit in Table 5 is MPa.

[0046] (Measuring equipment) A general-purpose pressure gauge (AT3 / 8-75X3MPA, manufactured by Daiichi Keiki Seisakusho Co., Ltd.) and an adapter with a needle for measuring internal pressure (3001-35911, manufactured by GL Sciences Inc.) (Measuring method) After cultivation, the adapter with the needle was inserted into the butyl rubber cap of the glass vial to measure the internal pressure.

[0047]

[0048] From Table 5, it was confirmed that parenchyma is decomposed and fermented in the intestines of pigs. This confirmed that feeding parenchyma to monogastric animals can provide them with the energy and nutrient supplements they require.

[0049] <Evaluation of short-chain fatty acid concentration> Evaluation of short-chain fatty acid concentration was carried out using evaluation feeds 1 to 6 (suspension only) and evaluation feeds 1 to 6 (suspension + soft tissue), which were the same as the evaluation feeds prepared in the evaluation of fermentation index.

[0050] For evaluation diets 1 to 6 (suspension + soft tissue), the soft tissue in the container was removed by filtration, and the short-chain fatty acid concentration was measured using the same measuring device and method as in [Utility Evaluation 1]. The measurement results are shown in Table 6.

[0051]

[0052] It was confirmed that pigs, which are monogastric animals, can also produce short-chain fatty acids (acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, etc.). Furthermore, it was found that among the short-chain fatty acids, butyric acid, which has a particularly large health benefit for pigs, can be produced in large amounts.

[0053] According to the present invention, industrial animal feed containing oil palm soft tissue can provide industrial animal feed with nutritional value comparable to conventional feed, and the feed can be supplied steadily and obtained at low cost, making it useful in the livestock industry.

Claims

1. At least one of roughage and concentrated feed, The soft tissue of discarded wood, Includes, A feed for industrial animals in which the content of the soft tissue of the waste wood is 0.5 to 30% by mass based on 100% by mass of the total of the roughage and the concentrate feed, or 0.5 to 20% by mass based on 100% by mass of the concentrate feed.

2. The livestock feed according to claim 1, wherein the waste wood is waste wood from oil palms.

3. The livestock feed according to claim 1 or 2, wherein livestock produce short-chain fatty acids at a concentration of 50 to 250 mM by microbial decomposition and fermentation of the livestock feed.

4. The livestock feed according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the livestock is one or more species selected from the group consisting of ruminants and monogastric animals.