Fermentation Product Carrier Binding for Animal Feed
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current animal feed products face challenges such as fungal contamination, increased mortality rates due to acidic environments, and health issues related to the imbalance of beneficial and pathogenic gut flora, which existing solutions like probiotics and buffering agents do not adequately address, particularly in sustainable and organic, non-GM feeding programs.
Innovation Solution
A composition comprising a carrier, preferably a naturally occurring earth component like phyllosilicates, combined with a fermentation product from microorganisms like Lactobacillus acidophilus, which is bound to the carrier and may include a buffering agent, enhancing animal health and reducing fungal growth.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If antibiotics and synthetic chemicals are removed from animal feeds to create sustainable organic feeding programs, then animal health and well-being are improved in the long term, but disease and mortality rates increase due to microbial contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses beneficial microorganisms (probiotics) as intermediary agents to suppress harmful microbes. These live bacteria compete with pathogens for resources and space, producing antimicrobial substances that inhibit disease-causing organisms without requiring antibiotics or synthetic chemicals. This mediator approach maintains animal health while adhering to organic feeding principles.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies the microbial ecosystem parameters by introducing specific beneficial bacteria strains that alter the gut environment. These parameter changes include shifting pH levels, producing antimicrobial compounds, and changing competitive dynamics, thereby reducing harmful microbial contamination while maintaining animal health in organic systems.
2Reliability
If buffering agents are used to increase gastric pH levels to facilitate probiotic survival, then probiotic survival and food conversion ratios improve, but mortality rates increase and harmful effects occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent carefully optimizes pH buffering parameters to achieve the right balance. Instead of high levels of buffering agents that cause harm, the invention uses controlled, moderate buffering that raises gastric pH just enough to protect probiotics while maintaining conditions that control pathogenic bacteria. This parameter optimization resolves the contradiction between probiotic survival and animal safety.
3Quantity of substance
If fungal contamination occurs on animal feed products, then feed value is reduced and economic loss occurs, but existing solutions do not adequately address fungal growth inhibition in organic non-GM feeding programs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces beneficial microorganisms as intermediary agents that produce natural antifungal compounds. These probiotic bacteria compete with fungi for space and nutrients, and their metabolic products inhibit fungal growth. This mediator approach protects feed value without requiring synthetic fungicides, making it suitable for organic non-GM feeding programs.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively enhances animal health by improving gut balance, reducing mortality, and inhibiting fungal growth, thereby improving feed conversion ratios and overall well-being while maintaining the sustainability and organic integrity of the feed.
Implementation Method 1
a fermentation product from microorganisms like Lactobacillus acidophilus, which is bound to the carrier
Implementation Method 2
Buffering agents have also been used to improve the health and well-being of the animals. For instance, moderating the highly acidic environment of the gut can reduce (premature) acidic degradation of beneficial nutrients
Implementation Method 3
Some embodiments include an antifungal or fungal growth-inhibiting composition... The solution effectively enhances animal health by improving gut balance, reducing mortality, and inhibiting fungal growth
Data Source
AI summary
Animal nutrition compositions include a carrier and a fermentation product applied to the carrier. Liquid fermentation products are fluidly applied to dry carriers, such as phyllosilicates or other earthen components, while mixing and applying air flow, under appropriate temperature and pH conditions, to bind the fermentation product to the carrier and dry the reaction product to appropriate moisture content. Fermentation products are also mixed with liquid carriers, such as water. Fermentation products include components of a microbial fermentation culture, such as liquid medium, microbial cellular components, and fermentation metabolites produced by microorganisms. Some compositions include a pH buffering agent and/or additional components to further enhance beneficial effects of the composition, such as improved weight gain and feed conversion, reduced gut lesions, harmful gut bacteria count, and decreased mortality. Compositions can be mixed with animal feeds or otherwise administered. Compositions can inhibit fungal growth on animal feeds.