Se-VitE Feed Additive Modulates Gut Microbiome
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need to modulate the metabolic pathways and metabolic output of the gut microbiome in animals to improve nutrition, health, and sustainability, as animals exhibit high taxonomic variability in their gut microbiomes, and existing methods are inadequate in achieving this.
Innovation Solution
The use of a nutritional composition containing a combination of vitamin E and selenium (Se-VitE) in animal feed, which promotes the growth of beneficial microbial genera, suppresses non-beneficial ones, and modulates metabolic pathways to enhance nutrient utilization and overall animal health and welfare.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If prebiotics or probiotics are used to influence gut microbiome composition, then beneficial microorganisms become more abundant and metabolic pathways are enhanced, but the approach does not effectively address high taxonomic variability in animal gut microbiomes and has limited ability to suppress non-desirable bacteria
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines selenium and vitamin E into a single feed additive preparation that works synergistically to modulate gut microbiome composition. This combination approach addresses the limitations of using prebiotics or probiotics alone by providing both beneficial effects (promoting desirable bacteria) and suppressive effects (reducing harmful bacteria) simultaneously, thereby improving reliability and versatility of microbiome modulation across animals with varying gut microbiome compositions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the specific parameters of selenium concentration (0.3-5.0 mg/kg) and vitamin E concentration (10-500 mg/kg) to achieve optimal microbiome modulation. By carefully controlling these parameter ranges, the invention achieves consistent effects across animals with high taxonomic variability in their gut microbiomes, while also effectively suppressing non-desirable bacteria that would not respond to conventional prebiotic or probiotic approaches alone.
2Productivity
If conventional diets containing plant-fiber polysaccharides are fed to animals, then undigested components reach the lower intestinal system for microbiota processing, but the metabolic output varies significantly due to high taxonomic variability in gut microbiome composition
Solution Approach 1:
The selenium-vitamin E combination acts as a feedback mechanism that senses and responds to the animal's gut microbiome composition. By modulating the microbial community structure, the preparation creates a more stable and predictable metabolic output from undigested plant-fiber polysaccharides, thereby improving nutrient utilization efficiency while reducing variability caused by high taxonomic differences in gut microbiomes across animals.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the chemical parameters of the feed by adding selenium (0.3-5.0 mg/kg) and vitamin E (10-500 mg/kg), which subsequently alters the gut microbiome composition and metabolic pathways. This parameter change in the feed formulation leads to more consistent metabolic output from plant-fiber polysaccharides across animals, improving both productivity and stability of the system.
3Reliability
If vitamin E is provided in amounts above minimal requirements to improve animal performance, then antioxidant properties are enhanced and chronic disease prevention is improved, but the impact on gut microbiome composition and metabolic pathways is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges vitamin E with selenium to create a preparation that provides both the antioxidant benefits for chronic disease prevention and the microbiome-modulating effects for improved metabolic pathway activity. The combination works synergistically, where selenium enhances the ability to modulate gut microbiome composition while vitamin E provides the antioxidant protection, thereby simultaneously improving reliability of disease prevention and productivity through metabolic modulation.
Solution Approach 2:
The selenium-vitamin E preparation serves multiple functions: it acts as an antioxidant for chronic disease prevention, modulates gut microbiome composition, enhances metabolic pathway activity, and improves nutrient utilization. This multi-functional approach allows a single feed additive to address both the health benefits (chronic disease prevention) and productivity benefits (metabolic pathway modulation) that would otherwise require separate interventions.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to methods of feeding animals by providing feed additives that modulate the gut microbiome to improve the health, nutrition, and growth performance. The present disclosure further relates to methods of modulating metabolites present in the gastrointestinal tract of an animal. Such modulation includes, for example, modulating the level said metabolites.