# US 2021/0274809 A1 · Bioactive feed additive for livestock > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0274809 A1 - Document ID: US20210274809A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/249,600 - Filed: 2021-03-05 - Published: 2021-09-09 - Earliest claimed: 2020-03-06 - Assignees: Iowa State University Research Foundation, Inc. - Applicants: Iowa State University Research Foundation, Inc. - Inventors: Elizabeth Ann Kraayenbrink; Krysten Craft; Stephan Schmitz-Esser - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210274809A1 ## CPC - A23K 10/30: from material of plant origin, e.g. roots, seeds or hay; from material of fungal origin, e.g. mushrooms (obtained by microbiological or biochemical processes, e.g. using yeasts or enzymes, A23K10/10) - A23K 10/18: of live microorganisms - A23K 20/147: Polymeric derivatives, e.g. peptides or proteins - A23K 20/158: Fatty acids; Fats; Products containing oils or fats - A23K 20/163: Sugars; Polysaccharides - A23K 20/174: Vitamins - A23K 20/184: Hormones - A23K 20/24: Compounds of alkaline earth metals, e.g. magnesium - A23K 20/30: {Oligoelements} - A23K 50/10: for ruminants - A23K 50/75: for poultry - A23K: FODDER ## Abstract The present application relates to livestock and/or companion animal feed compositions, methods of making and using the same, and in particular a feed composition comprising an alfalfa bioactive additive, wherein the alfalfa bioactive composition includes one or more of saponins, fatty acids, phytoestrogens, and polysaccharides, and wherein the feed composition is suitable for improving the health, immune function, and intestinal microbiota of animals such as cattle, goats, sheep, swine and fowl. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An animal feed composition comprising: an alfalfa bioactive composition comprising one or more saponins, one or more fatty acids, one or more phytoestrogens, one or more polysaccharides, or a combination thereof; and a carbohydrate source. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The composition of claim 1, wherein the carbohydrate source comprises maize, sorghum, rye alfalfa, green oilseed, legumes, grasses, cabbage, pumpkins, turnips, beets, carrots, swedes, vegetable roots, non-leguminous hay, clover, wheat bran, rice bran, barley bran, maize bran, rye bran, oat bran, millet bran, sorghum bran, fonio, triticale, pulses, or a combination thereof. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The composition of claim 1, further comprising a source of fiber. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The composition of claim 3, wherein the source of fiber comprises neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, lignin, cellulose, or a combination thereof. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The composition of claim 1, further comprising one or more vitamins and minerals, wherein the vitamins and minerals are calcium, phosphorous, magnesium potassium, chloride, sodium, copper, zinc, sulfur, iron, manganese, nitrate, or a combination thereof. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The composition of claim 1, further comprising a supplementary protein source, wherein the supplementary protein source is soy meal, sunflower meal, canola meal, distiller's dried grains with solubles (DDGS), pea protein, bean protein, lupins, lemna, algae, sweet potato, common vetch seeds, hempseed cake, castor oil meal, pigeon pea, rapeseed, cassava foliage, duckweed, fish meal, blood meal, poultry by-product (ground poultry offal), meat meal, keratin, insect meal, or a combination thereof. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The composition of claim 1, wherein the alfalfa bioactive composition is present in an amount of between about 0.0001 wt. % to about 15 wt. % of the composition, and the carbohydrate source is present in an amount of from about 1 wt. % to about 99 wt. % of the composition. ### Claim 8 A method of improving the growth of livestock animals comprising: (a) providing to a livestock animal an alfalfa bioactive composition in an amount effective to increase the body weight and/or feed efficiency of the livestock animal, wherein the alfalfa bioactive composition comprises: (i) one or more saponins, (ii) one or more fatty acids, (iii) one or more phytoestrogens, (iv) one or more polysaccharides, (v) or a combination thereof; and (b) exposing the livestock animal to the alfalfa bioactive composition, whereby the body weight and/or feed efficiency of the livestock animal is improved compared to livestock animals not provided with the alfalfa bioactive composition. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the feed intake of the livestock animal is maintained or improved even in the event of a pathogen challenge. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the livestock animal is exposed to the alfalfa bioactive composition for a period of between 1 day and >56 days ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the exposure occurs by providing the alfalfa bioactive composition as part of an animal feed composition. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the alfalfa bioactive composition is suspended in a solvent comprising water, chloroform, or a combination thereof. ### Claim 13 A method of improving immune resistance in livestock comprising: (a) providing to a livestock animal an alfalfa bioactive composition in an amount effective to reduce serum cytokines and/or improve adaptive and/or innate immune response, wherein the alfalfa bioactive composition comprises: (i) one or more saponins, (ii) one or more fatty acids, (iii) one or more phytoestrogens, (iv) one or more polysaccharides, (v) or a combination thereof; and (b) exposing the livestock animal to the alfalfa bioactive composition, wherein the concentration of serum cytokines is reduced and/or innate and/or adaptive immune cell concentration is increased. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the decrease in serum cytokines includes a reduction in the number of IFN-γ+ and/or TNF-α+ cells. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the reduction in the number of IFN-γ+ and/or TNF-α+ cells improves infection recovery rate. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the increase in adaptive immune cells includes an increase in one or more B-cell and/or T-cell populations. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the increase in innate immune cells includes an increase in one or more neutrophil and/or macrophage populations. ### Claim 18 A method of improving the intestinal microbiota of livestock comprising: (a) providing to a livestock animal an alfalfa bioactive composition in an amount effective to reduce a pathogen population and improve one or more beneficial microbial populations, wherein the alfalfa bioactive composition comprises: (i) one or more saponins, (ii) one or more fatty acids, (iii) one or more phytoestrogens, (iv) one or more polysaccharides, (v) or a combination thereof; and (b) exposing the livestock animal to the alfalfa bioactive composition, wherein the quantity of the pathogen population is reduced and/or the quantity of the one or more beneficial microbial populations are increased. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein the pathogen population includes Citrobacter rodentium and/or an operational taxonomic unit thereof. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein the one or more beneficial microbial populations includes Akkermansia, Turicibacter, Muribaculaceae, Dubosiella, Lactobacillus, Bacteroides, Lachnospiraceae, Alistipes, Parasutterella, Bifidobacterium, Anaeroplasma, or a combination or an operational taxonomic unit thereof. ### Claim 21 An alfalfa bioactive composition comprising: (i) one or more saponins; (ii) one or more fatty acids; (iii) one or more phytoestrogens; and/or (iv) one or more polysaccharides.