Yeast Cell Wall Extract for Oral Control of Porcine Ileitis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current vaccination strategies for porcine ileitis caused by Lawsonia intracellularis are cumbersome and do not effectively prevent or treat the disease, particularly in chronic forms that affect growth performance and lead to significant economic losses.
Innovation Solution
Administering a β-glucan-rich Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast cell wall extract, containing at least 50% β-1,3- and β-1,6-glucans and less than 5% mannans, orally to boost pig immunity and treat or prevent Lawsonia intracellularis infections.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If parenteral vaccination strategies are used to combat ileitis, then immunity against Lawsonia intracellularis is provided, but the administration becomes cumbersome and less effective for chronic forms
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical injection system (parenteral vaccination) with an oral administration system using feed supplements. The yeast cell wall extract is incorporated into pig feed, allowing immune stimulation through the digestive tract rather than requiring injection equipment and procedures. This substitution resolves the contradiction by maintaining immunity effectiveness while dramatically improving administration convenience.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces feed as an intermediary medium to deliver the yeast cell wall extract. Instead of direct injection into the animal, the active ingredients are delivered through the food chain, using the feed as a carrier and the digestive system as the delivery pathway. This intermediary approach makes administration as convenient as normal feeding while maintaining immunological effectiveness.
2Reliability
If parenteral vaccination is administered to young piglets, then protection against acute ileitis is achieved, but it does not effectively prevent chronic forms affecting growth performance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by continuously stimulating the immune system through oral administration of yeast cell wall extract starting from an early age and continuing throughout the growing period. This prolonged preliminary immune stimulation prepares the animal against both acute and chronic forms of ileitis, preventing the disease before it can impact growth performance, rather than relying on a single vaccination event.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent ensures continuity of useful action by incorporating the yeast cell wall extract into the feed throughout the growing period. This continuous exposure maintains immune system activation and readiness, providing ongoing protection against Lawsonia intracellularis. The continuous immunological support prevents the chronic form of the disease that would otherwise progressively affect growth performance over time.
3Reliability
If vaccines are administered by injection, then immunity is stimulated, but the treatment does not act directly in the intestine where the pathogen is primarily present
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the digestive tract and feed as intermediaries to deliver the yeast cell wall extract directly to the intestinal site of infection. The oral route allows the active ingredients to pass through the gastrointestinal system and act locally in the intestine where Lawsonia intracellularis resides, while still stimulating systemic immunity. This dual action at the site of infection and systemically resolves the contradiction between immunity stimulation and direct local action.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the immune response into local intestinal immunity and systemic immunity. The oral administration of yeast cell wall extract simultaneously activates immune cells at the intestinal mucosa (local action where the pathogen is present) and stimulates systemic immune factors through absorption and circulation. This segmentation allows both local and systemic immune protection to occur concurrently.
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 extract promotes weight gain and reduces infection incidence in pigs, providing effective prevention and treatment of ileitis without the drawbacks of parenteral vaccination.
Implementation Method 1
β-glucan-rich Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast cell wall extracts significantly boost the immunity of pigs that have been exposed to Lawsonia intracellularis
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a β-glucan-rich Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast cell wall extract for use in the prevention or treatment of a disease associated with or caused by a Lawsonia intracellularis infection in pigs, characterised in that the extract comprises β-glucans and mannans, where the β-glucans are present in the form of a mixture of β-1,3-glucans and β-1,6-glucans in a total amount of greater than or equal to 50% by weight, notably of between 50% and 99% by weight, and where the mannans are present in a total amount less than 5% by weight, notably of between 1% and 5% by weight.