Microbial Lysozymes Enhance Animal Feed Performance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current animal feed solutions fail to effectively improve animal performance and growth efficiency, particularly in monogastric animals, due to limitations in antimicrobial activity and microbiome modulation, especially against pathogens like Staphylococcus aureus and Clostridium perfringens.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating microbial lysozymes from the GH25 and GH24 families, sourced from fungi, into animal feed at levels of 8 to 250 ppm enzyme protein per kg, which alter the gut microbiota by increasing Faecalibacterium and reducing Bacteroidales, thereby enhancing European Production Efficiency Factor (EPEF) and Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR).
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If hen egg white lysozyme is used in animal feed, then the feed has antimicrobial activity, but it is unable to lyse Staphylococcus aureus cell walls and effectively improve animal performance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the source parameter of lysozyme from hen egg white to microbial sources (bacteria, fungi, yeast), which fundamentally alters the enzyme's properties including its ability to lyse S. aureus cell walls and improve animal performance while maintaining antimicrobial activity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses microbial lysozyme produced through fermentation processes, which provides a cost-effective and scalable alternative to expensive hen egg white extraction, enabling widespread use in animal feed to improve productivity
2Ease of manufacture
If conventional animal feed is used, then the feed is simple and easy to manufacture, but it fails to effectively improve animal growth efficiency and feed conversion ratio
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the feed composition by incorporating specific microbial lysozymes at optimized concentrations (8-250 ppm enzyme protein per kg feed), which transforms conventional feed into an enhanced formulation that improves growth efficiency without complicating manufacturing
Solution Approach 2:
The microbial lysozyme in the feed performs self-regulating functions by selectively modulating the gut microbiome, reducing pathogens, and enhancing nutrient absorption, thereby automatically improving animal performance without requiring complex external management
3Device complexity
If the gut microbiome is not modulated, then the feed composition remains simple, but animal performance and feed conversion ratio cannot be improved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces microbial lysozyme as an intermediary substance that mediates between the feed and the animal's gut microbiome, selectively reducing harmful bacteria and enhancing beneficial species, thereby improving feed conversion ratio through microbiome modulation
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
Significantly improves EPEF and FCR by increasing the proportion of beneficial bacteria like Faecalibacterium, leading to enhanced growth performance and antimicrobial activity against pathogens, with microbial lysozymes demonstrating up to 5% improvement in EPEF and 2% improvement in FCR compared to controls.
Implementation Method 1
The enzyme causes the hydrolysis of bacterial cell walls by cleaving the glycosidic bonds of peptidoglycan
Implementation Method 2
After having their cell walls weakened by lysozyme action, bacterial cells lyse as a result of umbalanced osmotic pressure
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to methods of improving animal performance using animal feed comprising microbial polypeptides having lysozyme activity.