A composition useful for preventing or reducing stress-related symptoms in avian and its use

Abstract

This invention provides a composition for use in preparing a medicine, health food or feed additive for preventing or alleviating stress-related symptoms in birds, particularly for Feather Picking Behavior (FPB) in parrots, wherein the composition contains docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), probiotics and mood-stabilizing herbal ingredients.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This invention relates to a composition that can be used to prepare a medicine, health food, or feed additive for preventing or alleviating stress-related symptoms in birds. Specifically, this invention provides a composition that has the effect of preventing or alleviating stress-related symptoms (anti-stress or mood stabilization) in birds and its use. [Previous Technology]

[0002] Stress is the physiological and psychological response to a perceived external challenge or threat (called a stressor). This response is a natural instinct of organisms; the fight-or-flight response is a natural animal behavior essential for survival and a result of species evolution. However, when stress becomes prolonged or unbearable, it can have significant adverse effects on the health and life phenomena of an individual organism. Stress and emotional responses are important factors affecting the health of humans and animals. Stress responses influence each other through complex interactions of the nervous, endocrine, and immune systems, often leading to disease and health problems. Among birds, parrots are known for their high intelligence, approaching that of a six-year-old child, and are particularly prone to stress-induced behaviors, such as feather plucking, which affects the health of a large proportion of domestic parrot populations. Literature reports that this behavior is very common in domestic parrot populations, observed in up to 20% of pet parrots, and suggests that it is due to emotional distress caused by environmental changes or lack of social interaction (Garner et al., 2011). Stress triggers activation of the sympathetic-adrenal-medulla (SAM) axis and the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, leading to the release of stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol. These hormones prepare the body for a "fight or flight" response by increasing heart rate, blood pressure, and energy supply (McEwen, 1998). Although the effects of stress on humans and animals are well-documented, effective, safe, and practical solutions for alleviating stress in animals remain limited. Current methods for managing stress-related behaviors in pets often rely on changes in the living environment, play toys, or continuous companionship by the owner. This is clearly time-consuming and insufficient for all pets and owners; studies have shown that nearly 20% of pet parrots suffer from feather pecking.

[0003] It is still hoped that a new method or drug, health food and feed additive can be developed to prevent or alleviate stress-related symptoms in animals, especially birds. [Summary of the Invention]

[0004] Therefore, the present invention has unexpectedly discovered that a composition comprising docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and probiotics can effectively prevent or alleviate stress-related symptoms in birds.

[0005] In one aspect, the present invention provides the use of a composition for preparing a medicament, health food, or feed additive for preventing or alleviating stress-related symptoms in birds, wherein the composition comprises docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and probiotics, wherein the probiotics are selected from the group consisting of: Lactobacillus brevis, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus reuteri, Lactococcus lactis, Lactobacillus sporogene, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus paracasei, Bifidobacterium bifidum, and Bifidobacterium longum. Bacillus longum, Bacillus coagulans, and any combination thereof.

[0006] In one embodiment of the present invention, the bird is a parrot, and the stress-related symptom is parrot beak feather disease (PBFS).

[0007] In another aspect, the present invention provides a composition with stress-relief effects for birds, comprising docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and probiotics, wherein the probiotics are selected from the group consisting of: Lactobacillus brevis, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus reuteri, Lactococcus lactis, Lactobacillus sporogene, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus paracasei, Bifidobacterium bifidum, Bifidobacterium longum, Bacillus coagulans, and any combination thereof.

[0008] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the probiotic is Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactococcus lactis, Lactococcus lactis, Lactobacillus spores, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus paracasei, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus brevis, Bacillus coagulans, or a combination thereof.

[0009] According to one embodiment of the present invention, each 1 gram of the composition contains 2-200 mg of DHA.

[0010] According to one embodiment of the present invention, each 1 gram of the composition contains 2 x 10⁷ to 5 x 10¹⁰ probiotics.

[0011] In some embodiments of the present invention, the probiotic is a live bacterium or an inactivated probiotic.

[0012] In some embodiments of the present invention, the composition further comprises a post-probiotic produced by the probiotic.

[0013] In some embodiments of the present invention, the composition comprises the fermentation liquid of the probiotic, which contains the probiotic and its postbiotic.

[0014] In some embodiments of the present invention, the composition further comprises herbal ingredients associated with mood easing, wherein the herbal ingredients are selected from the group consisting of: sweet basil, chamomile, lemon balm, jujube seed, celery, codonopsis, astragalus, schisandra, cistanche, Siberian polygala, wolfberry, poria cocos, platycodon, Altai anemone, grapefruit, sweet orange, bitter orange leaf, lemon, peppermint, clary sage, lemon verbena, and any combination thereof.

[0015] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the composition of the present invention is prepared in the form of a pharmaceutical, health food or feed additive.

[0016] It should be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and not intended to limit the invention.

Implementation Method

[0021] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains.

[0022] As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an”, and “the” include plural references unless otherwise expressly indicated. Thus, for example, reference to “a sample” includes multiple such samples and their equivalents known to those skilled in the art.

[0023] As used herein, the term "individual" refers to a non-human animal, particularly a pet bird, such as a parrot. In this invention, the individual or patient refers to an individual with stress-related symptoms, or a group requiring treatment to improve emotional distress under stressful circumstances.

[0024] As used herein, the term "stress-related symptoms" for birds includes behaviors resulting from environmental changes (such as changes in owner, earthquakes, construction), such as self-plucking of feathers, anxiety, depression, and irritability. For parrots, the stress-related symptom is Psittacine Beak and Feather Symptom (PBFS).

[0025] As used herein, the term "about" means a range of values ​​that vary by ±10% from the specified value, unless otherwise stated. Minor deviations in the precise value are permissible due to experimental error, measurement precision, or other factors common in the relevant fields.

[0026] As used herein, the term "composition" refers to any mixture, formulation, or combination of ingredients designed for a particular purpose. In this invention, a specific example of such an anti-stress composition is formulation H-18, which comprises a composition of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and probiotics, selectively bound to bird feed powder. This bird feed powder can also serve as a carrier and provide additional nutritional value, making the overall composition suitable for bird consumption to reduce stress-related behaviors. According to this invention, the composition can be formulated into a pharmaceutical or feed additive form using known or standard methods.

[0027] As used herein, the terms "probiotics" or "probiotic flora" refer to live or inactivated strains of microorganisms that, when administered in adequate amounts, confer health benefits to the host. Probiotics may include a variety of bacterial strains known for their beneficial effects on gut health, immune function, and overall health. The probiotics selected in this invention include, but are not limited to, the following strains: Lactobacillus brevis, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus reuteri, Lactococcus lactis, Lactobacillus sporogene, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus paracasei, Bifidobacterium bifidum, Bifidobacterium longum, Bacillus coagulans, and any combination thereof.

[0028] As used herein, the term "post-biotic" refers to non-living microorganisms or their products that provide health benefits to the human body, including short-chain fatty acids, cell wall components, enzymes, organic acids and other bioactive molecules.

[0029] This invention provides a composition with stress-relief effects for birds, comprising docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and probiotics, wherein the probiotics are selected from the group consisting of: Lactobacillus brevis, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus reuteri, Lactococcus lactis, Lactobacillus sporogene, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus paracasei, Bifidobacterium bifidum, Bifidobacterium longum, Bacillus coagulans, and any combination thereof.

[0030] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the probiotic is Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactococcus lactis, Lactococcus lactis, Lactobacillus spores, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus paracasei, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus brevis, Bacillus coagulans, or a combination thereof.

[0031] According to a specific embodiment of the present invention, the probiotic may be a live bacterium or an inactivated probiotic.

[0032] According to embodiments of the present invention, the composition may further include postbiotics generated by the probiotics. In a particular embodiment of the present invention, the composition comprises a fermentation broth of the probiotics, containing the probiotics and their postbiotics.

[0033] In some embodiments of the present invention, the composition further comprises herbal ingredients associated with calming emotions, such as sweet basil, chamomile, lemon balm, jujube seed, celery, codonopsis, astragalus, schisandra, cistanche, Siberian polygala, wolfberry, poria cocos, platycodon, Altai anemone, grapefruit, sweet orange, bitter orange leaf, lemon, peppermint, clary sage, and lemon verbena, etc.

[0034] According to an embodiment of the present invention, it is formulated as a medicine, health food or feed additive.

[0035] As demonstrated by the embodiments of the present invention, the composition of the present invention, which has anti-stress effects on birds, can effectively reduce the number of days that test parrots self-pluck their feathers. However, once the use is stopped, the test parrots resume the behavior of self-plucking their feathers, showing that it has the effect of preventing or mitigating PBFS.

[0036] The present invention is further illustrated by the following embodiments, which are provided for illustrative purposes and not for limiting purposes.

[0037] Example:

[0038] Materials and Methods

[0039] Preparation of the composition H-18 of the present invention, which has anti-stress effects on birds.

[0040] According to the present invention, a composition with anti-stress effects for birds is prepared, named composition H-18, which contains three components and their contents as shown in Table 1 below. The DHA is fish-derived DHA or algae-derived DHA (e.g., algae DHA from DSM in Belgium or DHA from Polaris in France). The probiotic is *Lactobacillus rhamnosus*, *Lactococcus lactis*, *Lactococcus lactis*, *Bacillus spores*, *Lactobacillus plantarum*, *Lactobacillus paracasei*, *Lactobacillus casei*, *Lactobacillus brevis*, or a combination thereof. *Lactobacillus rhamnosus*, *Lactococcus lactis*, *Bacillus spores*, *Lactobacillus plantarum*, *Lactobacillus paracasei*, *Lactobacillus casei*, *Lactobacillus brevis*, *Bacillus coagulans*, or a combination thereof. The DHA is initially mixed at a concentration of 2-200 mg per gram of the composition and 2 x 10⁷ to 5 x 10¹⁰ cells per gram of the composition, then added to bird feed to supplement the amount, and an appropriate amount of test sample is prepared as needed. Table 1: Content of each component in composition H-18 of the present invention. Element Content per gram of composition Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) 2-200 mg Probiotics 2 x 10 7 Up to 5 x 10 10 indivual Bird feed Add until the final weight is 1 gram

[0041] Laboratory animals

[0042] This experiment recruited 19 parrots with PBFS, aged 1 to 8 years. All parrot owners volunteered to participate in this experiment. All parrots were fed the composition H-18 of this invention for 28 days. During the experiment, their feather-plucking behavior was continuously observed, such as by visually observable and non-invasive methods, such as checking for feathers on the cage floor and missing feathers on their bodies. All parrots maintained their original daily living environment to reduce unnecessary stress factors. The dosage of the composition H-18 of this invention was adjusted according to the parrot's weight, divided into small, medium, and large sizes, administered once, twice, and three times daily, respectively. The method of administration was to mix the composition H-18 of this invention with their daily food or drinking water, in a manner convenient for the owner and preferred by the parrot.

[0043] Result

[0044] Effects of the composition H-18 of the present invention on PBFS-parrots

[0045] The results are shown in Table 2. Of the 19 parrots tested, all 19 showed cessation of feather-plucking and plucking behavior within 2 to 28 days after application of the composition H-18 of this invention. Experimental observations confirmed that the cessation of feather-plucking behavior was independent of the bird's species, age, or sex, with an effectiveness rate of 100%. The results also showed that the test parrots that stopped feather-plucking and plucking after using the composition H-18 of this invention resumed their feather-plucking and plucking behavior once application was stopped. This indicates that continuous administration of the composition H-18 of this invention is necessary to alleviate feather-plucking behavior and highlights its effect in alleviating stress-related symptoms in parrots under continuous stress. Figures 1 and 2 show the improvement in feather-plucking and plucking behavior in the test grey parrots and macaws after using the composition H-18 of this invention. Table 2: Feather-plucking behavior experimental results. serial number gender variety age (age) result Time to stop plucking (days) Stop pecking feathers Feathers fully recover (days) 1 mother Grey parrot Psittacus erithacus 8 4 yes 14 2 Unknown Macaw Ara ararauna Unknown 7 yes 60 3 male Lovebirds Agapornisroseicollis 2 6 yes 30 4 mother Monk Parrot Myiopsitta monachus 5 2 yes 14 5 mother Monk Parrot Myiopsitta monachus 6 10 yes 30 6 mother Eclectic Parrot Eclectus roratus Unknown 8 yes 30 7 male Eclectic Parrot Eclectus roratus Unknown 5 yes 30 8 Unknown White-bellied Parrot Pionites leucogaster Unknown 5 yes 16 9 mother Macaw Ara ararauna 4 7 yes 14 10 mother Red-collared Green Parrot Psittacula krameri 1 28 yes 65 11 male Macaw Ara ararauna 3 14 yes 18 12 Unknown Green-cheeked parrot Pyrrhura molinae 5 months 5 yes 15 13 male Eclectic Parrot Eclectus roratus Unknown 7 yes 4 14 mother Monk Parrot Myiopsitta monachus 12 16 yes 25 15 male Lovebirds Agapornisroseicollis 7 8 yes 30 16 male Pacific parrot Pacific Parrotlet 2 7 yes 25 17 mother Lorikeets Loriini spp. 4 10 yes 30 18 male cockatiel Nymphicus hollandicus 12 6 yes 26 19 male Eclectic Parrot Eclectus roratus 15 6 yes 30

[0046] Dose-effect of composition H-18

[0047] To further confirm the dose-effect of the composition H-18 of the present invention, the following experiments were conducted. First, the amounts of DHA and probiotics in composition H-18 were adjusted to 1 / 4, 1 / 3, 1, 2, and 4 times, and then applied to test parrots respectively, and the time for them to stop plucking was calculated. The experimental results are shown in Table 3. When the dosage of composition H-18 was 1 times (control group), the number of days the test parrots stopped plucking was 3-14 days. When the dosage of composition H-18 was reduced to 1 / 3 times, the number of days the test parrots stopped plucking was extended to 5-24 days; when the dosage of composition H-18 was reduced to 1 / 4 times, plucking could not be stopped. When the dosage of composition H-18 was increased to 2 times and 4 times, the number of days the test parrots stopped plucking was significantly shortened to 2-3 days and 2-5 days, respectively, indicating that the anti-stress effect of composition H-18 of the present invention has a dose-dependent effect. As shown in Table 3, when the DHA content per gram of composition H-18 is less than 1 mg, no effect is produced; the effective DHA content should be greater than 2 mg per gram of composition. Table 3: Relationship between dosage and anti-stress effect of composition H-18 of the present invention. dose DHA / g H-18 Probiotics / g H-18 Number of days to stop plucking 4 times 33.5 mg 3 x 10 8 2-3 2 times 17 mg 1.5x10 8 2-5 1x 8.5 mg 0.75 x10 8 3-14 1 / 3 times 2.7 mg 0.23 x10 8 5-24 1 / 4 times 1.35 mg 0.12 x 10 8 No stopping hair removal effect

[0048] Although this specification contains many specific details, these details should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention or the claims, but rather as descriptions of features characteristic of particular embodiments or examples of the invention. Certain features described in the text of individual embodiments or examples in this specification may also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. References Dhabhar, FS (2009). Enhancing versus suppressive effects of stress on immune function: Implications for immunoprotection and immunopathology. Neuroimmunomodulation, 16(5), 300-317. Garner, JP, Meehan, CL, & Mench, JA (2011). Stereotypies in caged parrots, schizophrenia and autism: Evidence for a common mechanism. Behavioral Brain Research, 207(2), 388-396. McEwen, BS (1998). Stress, adaptation, and disease: Allostasis and allostatic load. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 840(1), 33-44. [Simplified Explanation of the Diagram]

[0017] The foregoing summary of the invention and the following detailed description of the invention will be better understood when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Preferred embodiments are shown in the drawings to illustrate the invention.

[0018] In the attached drawing:

[0019] Figure 1 shows the results of the improvement in feather-plucking behavior in the tested grey parrots after treatment with the anti-stress composition H-18.

[0020] Figure 2 shows the results of improved feather-plucking behavior in the test macaws before and after treatment with the anti-stress composition H-18. [Biomaterial Storage]

[0050] None

Claims

1. The use of a composition for the preparation of a medicament, health food, or feed additive for the prevention or relief of stress-induced feather picking behavior (FPB) in parrots, wherein the composition comprises docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and probiotics, wherein the probiotics are selected from the group consisting of: Lactobacillus brevis, Lactobacillus reuteri, Lactococcus lactis, Lactobacillus sporogene, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus paracasei, Bifidobacterium bifidum, Bifidobacterium longum, and Bacillus coagulans. (coagulans) and any combination thereof.

2. The use as described in claim 1, wherein the probiotic is Lactococcus lactis, Lactobacillus spores, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus paracasei, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus brevis, Bacillus coagulans, or a combination thereof.

3. A composition for stress relief in parrots, comprising docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and probiotics, wherein the probiotics are selected from the group consisting of: Lactobacillus brevis, Lactobacillus reuteri, Lactococcus lactis, Lactobacillus sporogene, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus paracasei, Bifidobacterium bifidum, Bifidobacterium longum, Bacillus coagulans, and any combination thereof; wherein each gram of the composition contains 2-200 mg of DHA and 2 x 10⁷ to 5 x 10⁷ mg of DHA. 1010 probiotics.

4. The composition as claimed in claim 3, wherein the probiotic is Lactococcus lactis, Lactobacillus spores, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus paracasei, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus brevis, Bacillus coagulans, or a combination thereof.

5. The composition as claimed in claim 3, wherein the probiotic is a live bacteria or an inactivated probiotic.

6. The composition as claimed in claim 3, further comprising postbiotics produced by the probiotic.

7. The composition as claimed in claim 3, wherein the composition comprises a fermentation liquid of the probiotic, comprising the probiotic and its postbiotics.

8. The composition described in any one of claims 3 to 7 is formulated as a pharmaceutical, health food, or feed additive.

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