# US 10,765,661 B2 · Method for improving feed digestibility and growth performance

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- Number: US 10,765,661 B2
- Document ID: US10765661B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/549,540
- Filed: 2016-02-10
- Published: 2018-01-25
- Granted: 2020-09-08
- Earliest claimed: 2015-02-10
- Assignees: Dsm IP Assets B.V.
- Applicants: Dsm IP Assets B.V.
- Inventors: Aaron Cowieson; Inge Knap
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10765661B2

## CPC

- A61K 31/375: Ascorbic acid, i.e. vitamin C; Salts thereof
- A23K 20/174: Vitamins
- A23K 20/189: Enzymes
- A23K 50/75: for poultry
- 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 38/482: {Serine endopeptidases (3.4.21)}
- A61P 3/00: Drugs for disorders of the metabolism (of the blood or the extracellular fluid A61P7/00)
- A61P 43/00: Drugs for specific purposes, not provided for in groups A61P1/00-A61P41/00
- A23K 50/00: Feeding-stuffs specially adapted for particular animals
- 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 provides a method for improving growth performance animals. In particularly, the inventors of the invention found that the addition of a proteolytic enzyme (protease) to regular animal diets results in a significant improvement of growth performance if the proteolytic enzyme is supplemented and combined with vitamin C.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for improving growth performance of a farm animal, comprising the step of administering to the farm animal a regular animal diet with an efficient amount of one or more proteases in combination with vitamin C, wherein administration of the regular animal diet with an efficient amount of one or more proteases in combination with vitamin C improves growth performance of the farm animal relative to the growth performance of a farm animal that has been administered the regular animal diet with an efficient amount of one or more proteases without vitamin C.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the growth performance is measured as average daily weight gain (ADWG), average daily feed intake (ADFI) and/or feed conversion ratio of the animal.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more proteases comprise an acid stable serine protease from Genus Nocardiopsis.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the animal is selected from the group consisting of non-ruminants and ruminants, ruminants include but are not limited to sheep, goat and cattle, and non-ruminants include but are not limited to horse; rabbit; pig including but not limited to infant pig, piglet, growing-fattening pig, sow and boar; and poultry including but not limited to turkey, duck and chicken.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the dosage of the one or more proteases is 0.01-200 mg protease enzyme protein per kg diet.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the dosage of vitamin C is 50-500 mg vitamin C per kg diet.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the growth performance is measured as feed conversion ratio of the animal.