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US 2002/0160031 A1Published application
Rodenticide and method of screening
AssigneeNatrocell Technologies Ltd.
InventorWilliam Dawson
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AssigneeNatrocell Technologies Ltd.
InventorWilliam Dawson
Estimating the term…
A rodenticide which is non-toxic to humans, domestic animals and livestock comprises a water-retentive material as the active ingredient and a rodent attractant. Preferably the water-retentive material is cellulosic material. In certain embodiments the water-retentive material comprises alpha-cellulose. In one preferred embodiment the cellulosic material comprises purified cellulose derived from the core of the cob of the DK 446 maize hybrid or from the core of the cob of an agonist of the DK 446 hybrid. It is considered that the unique selective toxicity of such rodenticides arises from the interference with water transport through the gut wall, particularly in the caecum (where cellulose is digested in rats). The caecum is vestigial in humans, who are not therefore affected by such materials. A laboratory method of screening candidate water-retentive materials for rodenticidal activity in the field is disclosed, involving examination of the gut (for compaction and bloating) and the caecum (for impaction).
A method of screening water-retentive candidate materials for potential rodenticidal activity in the field, the method comprising providing water-retentive materials as candidate materials, feeding rodents with the candidate materials ad libitum under laboratory conditions, measuring weight loss in the rodents during an initial phase of the testing, and selecting those candidate materials which lead to a mean weight loss of at least 15% of initial body weight.
A method according to any preceding claim wherein the rodents are laboratory rats or laboratory mice.
A method according to claim 6 wherein the rodents are Rattus norvegicus.
A method of screening water-retentive materials for rodenticidal activity, wherein a water-retentive material is fed to rodents and the rodents are tested to determine whether or to what extent the water-retentive material has disrupted water transport through the wall of the gut.
A rodenticide comprising a water-retentive material as the active ingredient and a rodent attractant.
A rodenticide comprising cellulosic water-retentive material as the active ingredient and a rodent attractant, the cellulosic water-retentive material being substantially free of corn-cob material.
A rodenticide comprising cellulosic water-retentive material as the active ingredient and a rodent attractant, the cellulosic water-retentive material being substantially free of material derived from the core of the cob of the DK 446 maize hybrid or from the core of the cob of an agonist of the DK 446 hybrid.
A method of making a rodenticide comprising the steps of combining a water-retentive material with a rodent attractant, the water-retentive material being the active ingredient of the rodenticide.
A method of making a rodenticide, the method comprising the step of combining cellulosic water-retentive material with a rodent attractant, the cellulosic water-retentive material being substantially free of corn-cob material and being the active ingredient of the rodenticide.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.