p-Thymol Feed Additive Reduces Volatility and Toxicity

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Solution Overview

Problem

The use of thymol and carvacrol in majoram oil as animal feed additives faces challenges due to strong pungent smell, volatility, and toxicity, limiting their application and safety as growth promoters.

Innovation Solution

The use of p-thymol, its salts, and ester derivatives as animal feed additives, which are synthesized or extracted from plants, offering improved stability, safety, and antibacterial activity compared to thymol and carvacrol.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If thymol and carvacrol are used as feed additives, then antibacterial activity is improved, but volatility and pungent smell increase, reducing stability and acceptability

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveantibacterial activityVSAvoidvolatility

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the chemical structure parameter of the phenolic compounds by using p-thymol (para-isomer) instead of thymol (ortho-isomer) and carvacrol (meta-isomer). This structural parameter change results in lower volatility while maintaining antibacterial activity, resolving the contradiction between reliability and stability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a composite feed additive system containing p-thymol in combination with other feed additives. This composite approach allows the beneficial antibacterial properties to be maintained while the overall formulation's stability is improved through the synergistic effects of multiple components.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Reliability

If thymol and carvacrol are used as feed additives, then antibacterial activity is improved, but toxicity increases, limiting safety and application range

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveantibacterial activityVSAvoidtoxicity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the chemical structure from thymol and carvacrol to p-thymol (para-isomer), which has different toxicological properties. This structural parameter change maintains the desired antibacterial activity while reducing toxicity, thereby improving the safety profile for animal feed applications.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Productivity

If majoram oil is used as feed additive, then growth promoting effect is achieved, but strong pungent smell and volatility reduce palatability and intake

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvegrowth promoting effectVSAvoidpalatability

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and isolates the active antibacterial component p-thymol from majoram oil, separating it from other components that contribute to strong pungent smell and volatility. This extraction allows retention of growth-promoting effects while eliminating sensory defects that reduce palatability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the chemical composition parameter by using purified p-thymol instead of crude majoram oil. This parameter change maintains the growth-promoting antibacterial activity while significantly reducing the pungent smell and volatility, thereby improving palatability and animal intake.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS9018256B2Feed additive for animals of P-thymol, salt derivative or ester derivative thereof

Publication Date: 2015.04.28 GUANGZHOU INSIGHER BIOTECHNOLOGY CO LTD

AI summary

A feed additive includes at least one of p-thymol, a salt derivative and an ester derivative thereof for animals.