Microbial Alpha-Amylase Feed Composition Starch Digestion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current animal feed compositions do not effectively enhance animal performance or feed utilization efficiency, leading to increased production costs.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating microbial α-amylase or recombinant α-amylase expressed in transgenic plants into animal feed compositions, which can be used to improve starch digestibility and feed efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional animal feed compositions are used, then production costs increase, but animal performance and feed utilization efficiency do not improve
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces microbial α-amylase to change the biochemical parameters of feed composition, specifically enhancing starch breakdown capability. This enzymatic parameter change improves feed utilization efficiency by converting complex starch into more digestible forms, thereby resolving the contradiction between maintaining production costs and improving animal performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses microbial α-amylase as an intermediary substance that mediates between the feed (starch) and the animal's digestive system. This enzyme acts as a catalyst that facilitates starch digestion, improving feed utilization efficiency without requiring changes to the animal's physiology or the basic feed structure.
2Loss of energy
If conventional animal feed compositions are used, then production costs increase, but feed utilization efficiency does not improve
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs microbial α-amylase that enables the feed system to self-optimize digestion efficiency. The enzyme works autonomously within the animal's digestive tract to break down starch, allowing the system to improve feed utilization without requiring external intervention or additional costly processing steps.
3Speed
If starch digestibility is improved, then growth rate increases, but feed composition complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and utilizes a specific functional component (microbial α-amylase) from complex microbial systems. Rather than incorporating entire microbial cultures or complex enzyme mixtures, the invention isolates the key starch-digesting enzyme, simplifying the feed composition while maintaining the growth-promoting effects.
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 use of microbial or recombinant α-amylase in animal feed compositions increases average daily weight gain, growth rate, and feed utilization efficiency, reducing the number of days needed to achieve desired weights and improving milk production in dairy animals.
Implementation Method 1
The present invention provides improved animal feed compositions comprising microbial α-amylase
Implementation Method 2
the plant material comprises an expressed heterologous α-amylase
Data Source
AI summary
The invention provides an animal feed composition comprising microbial α-amylase, for example, an animal feed composition comprising transgenic plant material comprising a microbial α-amylase (e.g., a thermostable microbial α-amylase). The invention further provides methods of increasing animal performance and/or the efficiency of feed utilization by an animal (e.g., for milk or meat production), comprising feeding to the animal an animal feed composition of the present invention.