DESC:FORM 2

THE PATENTS ACT, 1970

(39 of 1970)

&

THE PATENT RULES, 2003

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION

[See Section 10 and Rule 13]

TITLE:

“A COMPOSITION OF POULTRY FEED SUPPLEMENT FOR ENHANCING DIGESTION AND ABSORPTION OF PROTEIN”

APPLICANT:

PRAGATI BIOCARE PVT. LTD.
A company registered under Indian Companies Act, 1956, having address at
No. 55 & 56, Bikasipura Main Road, Behind J.C. Industrial Area, Yelachanahalli, Bangalore -560062, Kartanataka, India

PREAMBLE TO THE DESCRIPTION:
The following specification particularly describes the invention and the manner in which it is to be performed:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a composition of poultry feed supplement. More specifically, the invention relates a composition of poultry feed supplement which enhances digestion, enhances protein and amino acid assimilation in poultry.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Poultry feed is food for farm grown poultry, including chickens, ducks, geese and other domestic birds. Historically the poultry were largely fed by foraging the farm for eating insects, grains spilled by cattle and other poultry. This used to be supplemented with grains, household and garden waste. However, in the twentieth century poultry farming became more specialized with increase in demand. This led to use of poultry feed for raising the poultry in the farms. Poultry feed needs to judiciously and sufficiently be composed of feed ingredients for maintaining proper growth and production of eggs. Generally, there is no fixed composition for poultry feed and it varies based on the availability and price of the ingredients. Majorly, the feed is composed of an energy-providing nutrient such as carbohydrates and fats including cereal grains; and amino acid source such as oil seed meals and protein-rich meals.
The common amino acid sources used in poultry feed are soybean meal, corn meal, cottonseed meal, rapeseed meal and animal protein such as fish meal, meat meal, blood meal, and feather meal. Soybean and corn meals are rich sources of proteins compared to other plant-based meals.
The major problems associated with feed are their indigestibility, very less nutrient uptake, and inability to improve weight and growth of the poultry with minimum resources. One of the important constraints in digestion of feed includes a deficiency in endogenous enzyme activity, both of the poultry and of the gut microbial population.
There are several disadvantages associated with plant-based protein meals which further make uptake and assimilation of nutrients difficult such as:
1. presence of some anti-nutritional factors like trypsin inhibitors and protease inhibitors which inhibit the activity of important proteases required for protein digestion such as trypsin;

2. presence of tannins, pectin, phytic acid, and hemagglutinins which cause substantial reductions in protein and amino acid digestibility (up to 50 % in poultry) and adversely affect the growth of the poultry;

3. presence of high levels of phytic acid in soya blocks uptake of vitamins and minerals, especially in chickens;

4. anti-trypsin activity of anti-nutritional elements induces undesirable enlargement of pancreas in poultry;

5. presence of high levels of plant version of estrogen and phytoestrogen, the phytoestrogens mimic the action of female hormone estrogen;

6. economically the cost of soya is high;

7. presence of high amount of crude indigestible and unavailable protein in soya;

8. presence of high levels of potassium in soya increases moisture in the litter making it sticky which may serve as a substrate for increased bacterial activity causing foot pad dermatitis in poultry;

9. presence of gossypol in cottonseed meals interferes with iron in the feed, intestinal tract, blood, and egg yolk, leading to possible iron deficiency or to discoloration of the yolk;

10. presence of goitrogenic or progoitrogenic compounds, and glucosinolatec at sufficiently high concentrations in rapeseed meals reduces growth rate and egg production;

11. proteins of hide, scales, hair, feathers, and bone are not easily digested and contain high concentrations of keratin and/or collagenous proteins;

12. presence of a substance known as gizzerosine has been isolated from samples of fish meal known to induce gizzard erosion in poultry; and

13. fish meal may also result in the development of off-flavors in poultry meat and eggs.
Low-protein amino acid-supplemented diets in broiler chickens affect its performance, carcass characteristics, whole-body composition and efficiencies of nutrient. Several methods have been employed to deal with individual problems associated with each kind of protein-based meals to increase protein digestion, and assimilation of amino acids by poultry for better growth and production.
Enzyme cocktails have been used to replace soya meal to deal with the anti-nutritional elements. However, enzymes are delicate in nature and require optimal pH & temperature to work; storage of enzyme requires special conditions which is highly impractical to maintain in feed mills or farms; transportation needs to be done delicately in controlled temperature else the efficacy of the enzyme cocktail is questionable; short expiry date with maximum 12 months; and moreover, enzyme cocktail does not specifically solve the protein absorption problem.
WO2007031725A1 discloses the use of leucine, isoleucine, and valine in the manufacture of a food supplement for improving the cognitive ability of a companion animal, a pet. The leucine, isoleucine, and valine may be provided as free amino acids, preferably in crystalline form or as a peptide rich in leucine, isoleucine, and valine or leucine, isoleucine and valine rich extract. The supplementation of animal feed with the said amino acids was shown to increase and/or sustain the cognitive ability of a companion animal.
Study carried out by Baker had shown that glycine (or serine) is a key limiting amino acid in reduced protein [23 % crude protein (CP) reduced to 16 % CP] corn-soybean meal diets for broiler chicks, and supplementation of feed with glycine is beneficial.
Use of colostrum in poultry feed has been disclosed in US20090226558A1. Colostrum is thin yellowish fluid secreted by mammary glands preceding the production of milk which is rich in antibodies and minerals and therefore is widely recognized for its importance of immune system activity. The major bioactive compound in colostrum is immunoglobulin G (IgG). IgG is the most abundant of the antibodies, normally comprising of 75 % to 80 % of all the antibodies in the body. They are found in all body fluids including colostrum, blood serum and lymph. IgG antibodies are considered the most important for fighting bacterial and viral infections, and have an exceptionally high presence in first milking colostrum. Colostrum is available in powdered form of feed stores, animal health supply stores, and from local dairy farms.
However, there still exists the need of formulation of a poultry feed supplement which enhances amino acid uptake and assimilation, improves growth and productivity of the poultry with minimal digestion problems. The present invention takes into account the problems of the prior art and provides a composition for poultry feed supplement to enhance nutritional assimilation and increase the growth and productivity of poultry.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
The main objective of the invention is to provide a composition of poultry feed supplement to enhance the digestibility and assimilation of nutrients, more particularly proteins and amino acids, thereby reducing the requirement of crude protein in the feed.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a composition of poultry feed supplement with components which provide a suitable environment for growth of desirable gut microorganisms and aid in reducing pathogenic and undesirable microorganisms.
Yet another objective of the invention is to provide a composition of poultry feed supplement which advantageously reduces the feed conversion ratio and improves the overall growth and productivity of the poultry.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a composition of poultry feed supplement which is highly economical and reduces the overall cost of the feed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a composition of poultry feed supplement which enhances the digestibility of the feed, helps in increasing the assimilation of nutrients by the poultry, thereby promoting the growth and productivity in terms of meat and laying of eggs for birds.
In the main embodiment the present invention provides a composition of poultry feed supplement comprising of branched chain amino acids (BCAA) such as leucine, isoleucine, and valine; colostrum bonded with selective predigested protein compounds such as taurine, glutamine, cysteine, histidine, glycine; digestive pH regulators such as acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid and citric acid; methyl donors such as DL-methionine and methylcobalamin; and xanthan gum.
The present invention advantageously provides a composition of poultry feed supplement to be added to poultry feed which stimulates endogenous enzyme activity, gives a preferred pH environment for optimum digestion, stabilizes gut, reduces crude protein, increases chick growth and weight, maximizes the assimilation of protein & amino acids, and increases egg yield and disease resistance.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiment set forth herein. Rather, the embodiment is provided so that this disclosure will be thorough, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art.
The present invention relates to a composition of poultry feed supplement. More specifically, the composition of the poultry feed supplement enhances the digestibility of the feed, helps in increasing the assimilation of nutrients by the poultry, thereby promoting the growth and productivity in terms of meat and laying of eggs for birds.
In the main embodiment the present invention provides a composition of poultry feed supplement comprising of:
1. at least one branched chain amino acid (BCAA) such as leucine, isoleucine, and valine;

2. colostrum bonded with at least one selective predigested protein compounds such as taurine, glutamine, cysteine, histidine, and glycine;

3. at least one digestive pH regulators such as such as acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, and citric acid;

4. at least one methyl donor such as DL-methionine, and methyl cobalamine; and

5. xanthan gum.
The use of branched chain amino acids and other amino acids significantly reduce the requirement of crude protein which in turn reduces the overall cost of the diet provided to the poultry. Increasing dietary branched chain amino acids in the poultry feed significantly improved the body weight gain, breast muscle weight, average daily gain, average daily feed intake, gain to feed ratios, carcass weight, and yield.
The use of pH regulators, such as acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, and citric acid:
1. aid in maintaining a suitable acidic environment in the gut which helps in maintaining gut microbes, such as lactobacilli;

2. reduce the undesirable bacteria in the gut by acidification;

3. stimulate the activation of digestive enzymes in the gut; and

4. reduce the survival of the human pathogen, Salmonella owing to the anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties created by the acidic environment.

These organic acids stimulate digestive enzymes and increase the lactobacilli population in the gut which in turn aids in increasing the digestion of protein and energy-sources of the feed. Maintenance of gut microbes by proper acidification helps in reducing undesirable bacteria in the gut which compete for nutrients, thereby increasing nutrient absorption by the poultry. Thus, the pH regulators aid in improving the digestibility of the feed and assimilating more nutrients. Salmonella is a human pathogen that is commonly found in poultry products. The use of pH regulators in the poultry feed and drinking water helps in decreasing the contamination of chicken carcasses and eggs with Salmonella.
The use of methyl donors such as DL-methionine, and methylcobalamin also significantly affects the growth and productivity of the poultry. Methylcobalamin is a naturally occurring co-enzyme form of Vitamin B12 which circulates through the blood stream. In addition to the Vitamin B12 structure, it has an additional methyl containing metal-alkyl group which helps the body to produce red blood cells. Methionine is an essential amino acid required for the growth of the poultry. However, it is not synthesized by poultry. So supplementation of DL-Methionine with finished feeds is very beneficial. Deficiency in DL-Methionine causes decreased growth rate of birds, poor feather, decreased egg production of Layer, cannibalism, and decreased weight and size of the eggs.
Colostrum exerts multiple effects, it promotes healthy intestinal bacteria, is an effective anti-oxidant, anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and anti-inflammatory agent, and an immune-boosting power house. In addition, colostrum has been shown to stimulate the growth of various cell lines in vitro, including fibroblasts and intestinal epithelial cells, suggesting that it is important for regulating growth of gut lining. It helps in eliminating pathogenic bacteria, and inducing zymogen activity in turn rendering a beneficial environment in the gut and stabilizing it.
Predigest protein and free amino acid complexes compensate the marginal deficiency of most limiting amino acids in the poultry feed sparing the use of soya. Glutamine and glutamate acid enhance growth and development of gastrointestinal tract of broiler chicken. Taurine acts as growth enhancer in poultry chickens.
The present invention advantageously provides a composition of poultry feed supplement which significantly reduces the need of crude protein in the feed thereby severely reducing the cost of total poultry feed. The reduction of crude protein in the poultry feed advantageously reduces the nitrogen pollution in poultry waste by reducing amines which are by-products of protein digestion.
The present invention also advantageously provides a composition of poultry feed supplement which significantly reduces the feed conversion ratio (FCR) of poultry. FCR is the ratio of the conversion of poultry feed into poultry weight or flesh or meat. The smaller is the FCR, more efficient is the feed and better is the digestion and assimilation of nutrients by the poultry. This in turn reduces the cost of growing and maintaining poultry in the farm.
In another embodiment, the present invention increases bioavailability of protein during digestion by reducing the nutritional factors in the feed.
In another embodiment, the present invention helps in detoxification of amines which are by-products of protein digestion.
In another embodiment, the present invention enhances anabolism and catabolism of protein in poultry feed.

EXAMPLE 1
EFFECTS OF DIETARY INCREASE OF AMINO ACIDS ON POULTRY GROWTH AND PRODUCTIVITY
Dietary amino acids are key components of poultry feed to ensure a balanced and sufficient supply as protein synthesis precursors, but they also play vital roles in regulating nutrient utilization as signaling molecules. Higher branched chain amino acids improved the growth performance of broiler chicks. Dietary leucine increased the fiber diameters of the pectorals major muscle and breast yield, while the dietary valine improved yield comparatively less. Abdominal fat decreased linearly with increasing levels from dietary leucine and valine. The supplementation of leucine and valine can reduce the abdominal fat deposition in birds which fed with low crude protein diets during the growth phase. The growth depression was overcome by adding a mixture of isoleucine, leucine, and valine.
Many modifications and other embodiments of the invention set forth herein will readily occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention pertain having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.
,CLAIMS:CLAIMS

We claim:
1. A composition of poultry feed supplement comprising of:

at least one branched chain amino acid;

colostrum bonded with selective predigested protein compounds;

at least one digestive pH regulator;

at least one methyl donor;

glycine; and

xanthan gum;

wherein,
the composition reduces the requirement of crude protein in poultry feed.

2. The composition of poultry feed supplement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the branched chain amino acid is leucine, isoleucine, or valine.
3. The composition of poultry feed supplement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the colostrum is bonded with selective predigested protein compounds belonging to the group comprising of but not limited to taurine, glutamine, cysteine, histidine, and glycine.
4. The composition of poultry feed supplement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the digestive pH regulator is selected from the group comprising but not limited to acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, and citric acid.
5. The composition of poultry feed supplement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the methyl donor is selected from the group comprising but not limited to as DL-methionine, and methylcobalamin.

6. The composition of poultry feed supplement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the composition reduces the requirement of crude protein in the poultry feed.
7. The composition of poultry feed supplement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the composition increases the digestive ability of the poultry.
8. The composition of poultry feed supplement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pH regulator reduces contamination of chicken carcasses and eggs with Salmonella.
9. The composition of poultry feed supplement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the methyl donor increases growth rate of poultry birds and weight of eggs.
10. The composition of poultry feed supplement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the composition reduces feed conversion ratio of poultry.