# US 10,500,236 B2 · Bioactive animal feed > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,500,236 B2 - Document ID: US10500236B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/559,177 - Filed: 2016-03-16 - Published: 2018-07-12 - Granted: 2019-12-10 - Earliest claimed: 2015-03-16 - Assignees: Ecole Polytechnique Federale De Lausanne (Epfl) - Applicants: Ecole Polytechnique Federale De Lausanne (Epfl) - Inventors: Duncan-Bruce Sutherland; Mario Michael Zaiss - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10500236B2 ## CPC - A61K 35/74: Bacteria (therapeutic use of a bacterial protein A61K38/00) - A23K 10/18: of live microorganisms - A23K 50/50: for rodents - A23K 50/80: for aquatic animals, e.g. fish, crustaceans or molluscs - A61K 9/0056: {Mouth soluble or dispersible forms; Suckable, eatable, chewable coherent forms; Forms rapidly disintegrating in the mouth; Lozenges; Lollipops; Bite capsules; Baked products; Baits or other oral forms for animals} - A61K 35/66: Microorganisms or materials therefrom (fungi, yeasts or candida A61K36/06) - A61K 35/741: Probiotics (probiotic yeast, e.g. saccharomyces A61K36/06) - A61P 33/00: Antiparasitic agents - A61K: PREPARATIONS FOR MEDICAL, DENTAL OR TOILETRY PURPOSES (devices or methods specially adapted for bringing pharmaceutical products into particular physical or administering forms A61J3/00; chemical aspects of, or use of materials for deodorisation of air, for disinfection or sterilisation, or for bandages, dressings, absorbent pads or surgical articles A61L; soap compositions C11D) - A23K: FODDER - A61P: SPECIFIC THERAPEUTIC ACTIVITY OF CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS OR MEDICINAL PREPARATIONS ## Abstract The invention relates to a food supplement comprising or consisting of Archaebacteria, and particularly methanogenic Archaebacteria, to be used as a probiotic adjunct for animal feed. The supplement can be provided to e.g. farmed animals in addition to standard feed or as a food composition. Such a supplement is particularly useful in aquaculture and proves able in increasing animal growth rates, reducing animal susceptibility to parasitic infections and/or ameliorating animal faecal waste impact on environment. Also encompassed by the present invention are methods of manufacturing a composition comprising the bioactive food supplement as well as uses thereof. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An enriched animal feed composition comprising at least one population of at least one methanogenic Archaebacteria species, wherein the enriched animal feed composition comprises between 105 and 108 live Archaebacteria cells per gram, and the enriched animal feed composition at least one of increases animal growth rates and ameliorates the animal faecal waste impact on environment compared to standard non-enriched animal feeds. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The enriched animal feed composition according to claim 1, wherein the enriched animal feed composition is for animal farming. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The enriched animal feed composition according to claim 1, wherein the methanogenic Archaebacteria species is the Methanosphaera stadtmanae species or the Methanobrevibacter smithii species. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The enriched animal feed composition according to claim 1, wherein the enriched animal feed composition is in a solid form. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The enriched animal feed composition according to claim 1, wherein the at least one population of at least one Archaebacteria species is obtained by isolation from a rumen extract. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The enriched animal feed composition according to claim 2, wherein the animals are birds, mammals or aquatic animals. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) A method of manufacturing an enriched animal feed composition according to claim 1, the method comprising the steps of: obtaining at least one population of at least one Archaebacteria species; and mixing the at least one population of at least one Archaebacteria species with a carrier. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method according to claim 7, wherein the carrier comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of an aqueous solution, an oil, an Archaebacteria culture medium, and a rumen fluid. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The method according to claim 7, wherein the carrier is a liquid carrier, and further comprises the steps of: adding between 1% to 10% w/v of a thickening agent to the liquid composition comprising the liquid carrier and the at least one population of at least one Archaebacteria species; mixing the liquid composition to obtain a thickened solution; and drying the thickened solution to obtain a solid composition. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method according to claim 9, wherein the thickening agent is at least one selected from the group consisting of sugar, starch, and gelatin. ### Claim 11 A method of increasing animal growth rates comprising enriching animal feed with at least one population of at least one methanogenic Archae species, wherein the enriched animal feed comprises between 105 and 108 live Archaebacteria cells per gram of the animal feed. ### Claim 12 A method of ameliorating faecal waste impact on environment comprising enriching animal feed with at least one population of at least one methanogenic Archae species, wherein the enriched animal feed comprises between 105 and 108 live Archaebacteria cells per gram of the animal feed. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The enriched animal feed composition according to claim 1, wherein microbial cells in the enriched animal feed composition are all Archaebacteria cells.