Alpha-Lipoic Acid Feed Additive for Aquatic Disease Prevention

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Solution Overview

Problem

The aquaculture industry faces challenges in maintaining fast turnover rates of fish due to high mortality rates caused by unbalanced microflora and infections from pathogenic microbes or viruses, which are exacerbated by the rapid spread of diseases and the negative impact of antibiotics and vaccines on fish performance.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating alpha-lipoic acid, a salt, or derivative thereof into fish feed at concentrations of 150-1000 mg/kg to improve feed conversion ratio (FCR), enhance daily weight gain, and modulate gut flora, thereby reducing mortality and treating viral infections.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If antibiotics and vaccines are used to prevent diseases, then mortality rate is reduced, but fish performance deteriorates and environmental impact increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemortality rateVSAvoidfish performance

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and eliminates antibiotics from the disease prevention approach, replacing them with alpha-lipoic acid as a non-antibiotic alternative that maintains effectiveness without the negative side effects on fish performance and environment

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

Alpha-lipoic acid serves as an intermediary substance that provides disease prevention benefits without the harmful effects of antibiotics, acting as a mediator between disease control needs and fish performance maintenance

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If the growing period is extended to ensure proper growth, then fish performance is improved, but mortality risk increases due to longer exposure to diseases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefish growthVSAvoidmortality rate

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by administering alpha-lipoic acid before diseases occur, creating prophylactic protection that allows fish to grow over extended periods without increased mortality risk from viral infections

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

Alpha-lipoic acid provides continuous disease prevention throughout the extended growing period, maintaining protective action consistently to enable both prolonged growth and reduced mortality

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

3Reliability

If medicated feed with antibiotics is used, then disease prevention is improved, but environmental impact deteriorates due to surplus feed

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedisease preventionVSAvoidenvironmental impact

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent removes antibiotics from the feed formulation, replacing them with alpha-lipoic acid that provides disease prevention without contaminating the aquatic environment through surplus feed

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent converts the potential harm of surplus medicated feed into a benefit by using alpha-lipoic acid, which maintains disease prevention efficacy while eliminating environmental contamination risks

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

Data Source

PatentUS20250295143A1Use of alpha lipoic acid as a feed additive for aquatic animals

Publication Date: 2025.09.25 DSM IP ASSETS BV

AI summary

Alpha lipoic acid is employed as a feed additive for aquatic animals including fish and shrimp, especially for cold water fish as for example salmon, bream, bass and for warm water fish as for example carp, tilapia, catfish. More particular, alpha lipoic acid is disclosed herein for the improvement of the feed conversion ratio and/or daily weight gain in fish, for reducing mortality by regulating the micro flora of the gut and/or by protecting the animal against infections caused by pathogenic viruses.