Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
  • A23K—FODDER
  • A23K20/00—Accessory food factors for animal feeding-stuffs
  • A23K20/10—Organic substances
  • A23K20/111—Aromatic compounds
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
  • A23K—FODDER
  • A23K20/00—Accessory food factors for animal feeding-stuffs
  • A23K20/10—Organic substances
  • A23K20/179—Colouring agents, e.g. pigmenting or dyeing agents
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
  • A23K—FODDER
  • A23K50/00—Feeding-stuffs specially adapted for particular animals
  • A23K50/10—Feeding-stuffs specially adapted for particular animals for ruminants
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
  • A23K—FODDER
  • A23K50/00—Feeding-stuffs specially adapted for particular animals
  • A23K50/20—Feeding-stuffs specially adapted for particular animals for horses
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
  • A23K—FODDER
  • A23K50/00—Feeding-stuffs specially adapted for particular animals
  • A23K50/30—Feeding-stuffs specially adapted for particular animals for swines
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
  • A23K—FODDER
  • A23K50/00—Feeding-stuffs specially adapted for particular animals
  • A23K50/40—Feeding-stuffs specially adapted for particular animals for carnivorous animals, e.g. cats or dogs
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
  • A23K—FODDER
  • A23K50/00—Feeding-stuffs specially adapted for particular animals
  • A23K50/50—Feeding-stuffs specially adapted for particular animals for rodents
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
  • A23K—FODDER
  • A23K50/00—Feeding-stuffs specially adapted for particular animals
  • A23K50/70—Feeding-stuffs specially adapted for particular animals for birds
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61K—PREPARATIONS FOR MEDICAL, DENTAL OR TOILETRY PURPOSES
  • A61K31/00—Medicinal preparations containing organic active ingredients
  • A61K31/12—Ketones
  • A61K31/122—Ketones having the oxygen directly attached to a ring, e.g. quinones, vitamin K1, anthralin
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61P—SPECIFIC THERAPEUTIC ACTIVITY OF CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS OR MEDICINAL PREPARATIONS
  • A61P25/00—Drugs for disorders of the nervous system
  • A61P25/20—Hypnotics; Sedatives
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61P—SPECIFIC THERAPEUTIC ACTIVITY OF CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS OR MEDICINAL PREPARATIONS
  • A61P3/00—Drugs for disorders of the metabolism
  • A61P3/08—Drugs for disorders of the metabolism for glucose homeostasis
  • A61P3/10—Drugs for disorders of the metabolism for glucose homeostasis for hyperglycaemia, e.g. antidiabetics

Definitions

• the present invention relates to pet food containing astaxanthin and/or an ester thereof and having an effect of deodorizing excrement such as urine and feces, effects of improving sleep, sensibility such as perception and cognition, and visual sense, and an effect of treating, improving or preventing diabetes and diabetic complications for use in pets such as a mouse, rat, guinea pig, rabbit, monkey, dog, cat, hamster, pig, cow, sheep, horse, crocodile, alligator, snake, lizard, and bird.
• Astaxanthin is a kind of carotenoid like ⁇ -carotinoid, and is a red pigment present in a wide variety of edible creatures living in the nature, particularly, in the ocean, including shellfishes such as shrimp and crab, fishes such as sermon and sea-bream, algae such as green algae Haematococcus , and yeasts such as red yeast Phaffia.
• astaxanthin has a strong antioxidative action, which is 100 to 1,000 times as high as vitamin E ( ⁇ -tocopherol) and about 40 times as high as ⁇ -carotene. Astaxanthin, which has been conventionally treated merely as a pigment, but is now expected as healthy foodstuff. Many reports inform that astaxanthin has other actions besides the actions mentioned above, for example, anti-inflammatory action, anti-arteriosclerotic action, anti-diabetic action, protecting action of the retina against light damage, circadian rhythm control action, immunopotentiation action, anti-stress action, action of improving muscular endurance, action of improving sperm quality, and action of suppressing induction of bladder cancer. It is also reported that astaxanthin is effective for the skin since it has an action of suppressing pigment deposition, melanogenesis, and optical aging.
• the problems which are particularly caused by environments and feeding conditions of pets, include sleep disorder, deterioration of sensibility such as perception and cognition and visual sense, odor emitted from excrement such as feces and urine, and symptoms of diseases such as diabetes and diabetic complications.
• sleep disorder deterioration of sensibility
• odor emitted from excrement such as feces and urine
• symptoms of diseases such as diabetes and diabetic complications.
• These symptoms and conditions of pets have been controlled by medication.
• the symptoms and conditions are chronic and side effect caused by medication is a matter of concern. For these reasons, it has been desired to develop a something derived from a nontoxic substance, that is, naturally occurring substance, having a therapeutic/preventive/improvement effect on the symptoms and conditions.
• astaxanthin and/or an ester thereof has not yet been known to have effects of deodorizing excrement such as urine and feces, improving sleep, sensibility such as perception and cognition and visual sense, and an effect of treating, improving or preventing diabetes and diabetic complications of pets.
• pet food effective in deodorizing excrement there are a fermented healthy feed containing a solution of a fermented product by Bacillus subtilis and a tree extract (see Patent Document 1); a fecal odor deodorant for domestic animals containing a copper chlorophyllin salt as an active ingredient (see Patent Document 2); a feed effective in deodorizing animal excrement containing an extract from cinnamon leaves with a water/methanol mixture solution (see Patent Document 3); and a composition for deodorizing excrement containing a type of lactobacillus and a tea extract (see Patent Document 4).
• a composition constituted of tryptophan and a carbohydrate for facilitating animal sleep
• a pharmaceutical composition containing a novel melatonin derivative as an active ingredient for treating a mammalian sleep disorder
• a pharmaceutical composition containing an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor for treating an age-related behavior disorder of a pet animal
• Patent Document 7 teaches that an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor is administered to improve the sensibility of a pet.
• Patent Document 8 a method of using astaxanthin and/or an ester thereof to treat retinopathy is known (see Patent Document 8) and an eye control improver containing astaxanthin and/or an ester thereof is known (see Patent Document 9). Furthermore, it has been reported that a food or drink containing astaxanthin and/or an edible ester thereof, for preventing cataract or suppressing progress thereof, is capable of suppressing not only onset of cataract or suppressing progress thereof but also disorders such as monocular diplopia, eye fatigue, and halation, associated with visual disorder due to cataract (see Patent Document 10).
• the number of pets suffering from diabetes has been increased by the reasons that the number of pets increases, the living environment of a pet changes, and excessive food is given by the owner of lack of knowledge. Diabetes is mostly developed by a genetic reason. Besides this, diabetes is triggered by an elevated blood glucose level, which is caused by excessive feeding and living habits of indoor life, shortage of exercise, and accompanies various types of complications. It is difficult to limit the amount of a meal in view of the eating habit of a pet as well as to inject insulin to the pet. Administration of medicament may cause harmful effects in various ways. In these circumstances, it is desired to develop food containing a naturally occurring nontoxic substance for treating, improving or preventing diabetes and diabetic complications.
• Patent Document 1 Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 5-192087
• Patent Document 2 Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 3-266943
• Patent Document 3 Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2001-258480
• Patent Document 4 Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2002-114690
• Patent Document 5 Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 58-201715
• Patent Document 6 Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 7-196493
• Patent Document 7 Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2000-309545
• Patent Document 8 U.S. Pat. No. 5,527,533
• Patent Document 9 International Publication WO 02/094253
• Patent Document 10 Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 10-276721
• An objective of the present invention is to provide pet food having an effect of deodorizing excrement such as urine and feces, effects of improving sleep, sensibility, and visual sense, and an effect of treating, improving or preventing diabetes and diabetic complications, for use in pets such as a mouse, rat, guinea pig, rabbit, monkey, dog, cat, hamster, pig, cow, sheep, horse, crocodile, alligator, snake, lizard, and bird.
• the present inventors have conducted studies to achieve the aforementioned objective. As a result, the inventors have found that astaxanthin and/or an ester thereof has an effect of deodorizing excrement such as urine and feces, effects of improving sleep, sensibility, and visual sense, and an effect of treating, improving or preventing diabetes and diabetic complications and achieved the present invention.
• the present invention is attained based on the finding mentioned above.
• the present invention provides:
• Pet food characterized by comprising astaxanthin and/or an ester thereof;
• the pet food according to item (1) characterized by comprising astaxanthin and/or an ester thereof and having an effect of improving sleep;
• the pet food according to item (1) characterized by comprising astaxanthin and/or an ester thereof and having an effect of improving visual sense;
• the pet food according to item (1) characterized by comprising astaxanthin and/or an ester thereof and having an effect of treating, improving or preventing diabetes and diabetic complications;
• the pet food according to items (1) to (6) characterized in that the pet is at least one selected from the group consisting of a mouse, rat, guinea pig, rabbit, monkey, dog, cat, hamster, pig, cow, sheep, horse, crocodile, alligator, snake, lizard, and bird; and
• odor from pet excrement can be reduced and sensibility of a pet can be improved to enable the pet to quickly respond to a person.
• the pet can sleep well, with the result that health conditions are improved. Further, visual sense is improved and diabetes and diabetic complications can be treated, improved and prevented. Thus, a pet can be reared more satisfactorily.
• the “astaxanthin” used herein refers to naturally occurring astaxanthin or synthetic astaxanthin.
• the naturally occurring astaxanthin can be obtained from, for example, a crust, egg and organ of shellfishes such as shrimp, krill and crab, the skin and egg of various types of fish, algae such as green algae Haematococcus, yeasts such as red yeast Phaffia , marine bacteria, and seed plants such as an Amur adonis and buttercup. Extracts of astaxanthin from a natural substance and chemically synthesized astaxanthin are commercially available and thus easily obtained.
• Astaxanthin can be obtained by culturing red yeast Phaffia , green algae Haematococcus, and marine bacteria, etc. in an appropriate medium in accordance with a known method.
• green algae Haematococcus is most suitably used since it is easily cultured and extracted, contains astaxanthin in the highest concentration, and productivity of astaxanthin is high.
• green algae Haematococcus having a high content of astaxanthin it is preferably cultured in an airtight chamber having no heterologous micro organism included and proliferated and rarely containing foreign substances, for example, suitably cultured in an airtight dome, conical or cylindrical culture apparatus by use of a culture medium having a gas supply device movable within the apparatus (see the pamphlet of International Publication WO 99/50384); in an airtight culture apparatus while applying light from a light source placed within the apparatus; or in a flat-plate culture vessel.
• a component containing astaxanthin can be extracted with oil-soluble organic solvent, such as acetone, alcohol, ethyl acetate, benzene and chloroform from a natural substance containing astaxanthin.
• oil-soluble organic solvent such as acetone, alcohol, ethyl acetate, benzene and chloroform from a natural substance containing astaxanthin.
• the solvent is removed in accordance with a customary method to obtain a concentrated mixture of a monoester of astaxanthin and a diester of astaxanthin. If desired, the resultant concentrated mixture may be further purified.
• astaxanthin use may be made of an astaxanthin extract obtained as mentioned above, a powder and an aqueous solution containing the astaxanthin extract, or dried products of red yeast Phaffia, green algae Haematococcus, and marine bacteria, and pulverized products thereof.
• Astaxanthin is 3,3′-dihydroxy- ⁇ , ⁇ -carotene-4,4′-dione and has stereoisomers.
• stereoisomers mention may be made of three types of stereoisomers, (3R,3′)-astaxanthin, (3R,3′S) -astaxanthin, and (3S,3′S)-astaxanthin. Any one of the aforementioned astaxanthin stereoisomers may be employed in the present invention.
• astaxanthin and/or an ester thereof is included in astaxanthin according to the present invention.
• an ester of astaxanthin a monoester and/or a diester of astaxanthin is included.
• astaxanthin in pet food containing astaxanthin as an active ingredient according to the present invention, use may be made of at least one type of astaxanthin selected from the group consisting of free astaxanthin, a monoester and a diester of astaxanthin.
• the diester of astaxanthin since it has two hydroxyl groups protected by ester bonds, has a higher stability than free astaxanthin and a monoester of astaxanthin, so that it rarely decomposed by oxygen. However, once it is taken into a living body, the diester of astaxanthin is rapidly hydrolyzed by biological enzyme into astaxanthin to exert the effect.
• esters obtained by esterification with a lower or higher saturated fatty acid, or lower or higher unsaturated fatty acid may include acetic acid, lauric acid, myristic acid, pentadecanoic acid, palmitic acid, palmitoleic acid, heptadecanoic acid, elaidic acid, ricinoleic acid, petroselinic acid, vaccenic acid, eleostearic acid, punicinic acid, licanoic acid, palynalic acid, gadolic acid, 5-eicosenoic acid, 5-docosenoic acid, cetolic acid, ercinoic acid, 5,13-docosadienoic acid, selacholic acid, decenoic acid, steric acid, dodecenoic acid, oleic acid, stearic acid, e
• Examples of astaxanthin monoesters further may include monoesters obtained by esterification with an amino acid such as glycine and alanine; a mono- or poly-carboxylic acid such as acetic acid and citric acid; an inorganic acid such as phosphoric acid and sulfuric acid; a saccharide such as glucoside; a glyco-fatty acid such as glycoglycero-fatty acid and glycosphingo-fatty acid; and a fatty acid such as glycero-fatty acid; and glycerophosphoric acid. Note that, if considerable, salts of the monoesters mentioned above may be included.
• an amino acid such as glycine and alanine
• a mono- or poly-carboxylic acid such as acetic acid and citric acid
• an inorganic acid such as phosphoric acid and sulfuric acid
• a saccharide such as glucoside
• a glyco-fatty acid such as glycoglycero-fatty acid and glycosphingo-fatty
• Examples of the diesters of astaxanthin may include diesters obtained by esterification with the same or different acids selected from the group consisting of the aforementioned lower saturated fatty acids, higher saturated fatty acids, lower unsaturated fatty acids, higher unsaturated fatty acids, amino acids, mono- or poly-carboxylic acids, inorganic acids, saccharides, glycol-fatty acids, fatty acids and glycerophosphoric acid. Note that, if considerable, salts of the aforementioned diesters may be included.
• Examples of diesters of glycerophosphoric acid may include saturated fatty acid esters of glycerophosphoric acid or esters of glycerophosphoric acid including fatty acids selected from higher unsaturated fatty acids, unsaturated fatty acids and saturated fatty acids.
• antioxidant examples include vitamin E (tocopherol), vitamin C, carotenoid, polyphenol, oil containing unsaturated fatty acid and natural extracts.
• Vitamin E includes vitamin E, tocotrienol, and derivatives thereof. Also, as vitamin E, use may be made of oil containing not less than one type of them. Specific examples of vitamin E include d1- ⁇ -tocopherol, d- ⁇ -tocopherol, d1- ⁇ -tocopherol acetate, d- ⁇ -tocopherol acetate, d1- ⁇ -tocopherol succinate, d- ⁇ -tocopherol succinate, d1- ⁇ -tocopherol nicotinate, and d- ⁇ -tocopherol nicotinate; d1- ⁇ -tocopherol, d- ⁇ -tocopherol, d1- ⁇ -tocopherol acetate, d- ⁇ -tocopherol acetate, d1- ⁇ -tocopherol succinate, d- ⁇ -tocopherol succinate, d1- ⁇ -tocopherol nicotinate, and d- ⁇ -tocopherol nicotinate
• d1- ⁇ -tocopherol d1- ⁇ -tocopherol acetate, d1- ⁇ -tocopherol succinate, d1- ⁇ -tocopherol nicotinate, ⁇ -tocotrienol, ⁇ -tocotrienol, and ⁇ -tocotrienol are particularly preferable.
• Vitamin C includes vitamin C and derivatives thereof.
• the vitamin C derivatives may include glycosides such as glucoside ascorbate; alkyl esters of L-ascorbic acid such as L-ascorbyl palmitate, L-ascorbyl isopalmitate, L-ascorbyl dipalmitate, L-ascorbyl diisopalmitate, L-ascorbyl stearate, L-ascorbyl isostearate, L-ascorbyl distearate, L-ascorbyl diisostearate, L-ascorbyl myristate, L-ascorbyl isomyristate, L-ascorbyl dimyristate, L-ascorbyl diisomyristate, L-ascorbyl 2-ethylhexanoate, L-ascorbyl di-2-ethylhexanoate, L-ascorbyl oleate, L-as
• carotenoid examples include ⁇ -carotene, ⁇ -carotene, lycopene, lutein, canthaxanthin, astaxanthin, zeaxanthin, ⁇ -apo-8′-carotinal, carotene derived from Donariera, carrot and palm oil, and tomato pigment.
• oils containing unsaturated fatty acid may include oils containing unsaturated fatty acid such as linoleic acid, arachidonic acid, ⁇ -linolenic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, and docosahexaenoic acid; glyceroids containing these unsaturated fatty acids; and phospholipids containing these unsaturated fatty acids.
• sardine oil perilla oil, kiwifruit seed oil, camellia oil, pigeon wheat oil, grape seed oil, black currant oil, Borage seed oil, evening primrose oil, hemp oil, corn oil, soybean oil, linseed oil, butter, lard, coconut oil, palm oil, olive oil, canola coil, olein-rich safflower oil, and fish oil.
• Examples of the natural extracts include eleutherococcus extract, kiwi extract, Sophora angustifolia extract, Millettia reticulate extract, Rhodiola Rosea extract, coffee extract, wheat extract, Asarum Sieboldi extract, Paeonia lactiflora extract, Inula britannica extract, evening primrose extract, tomato extract, grape extract, black currant extract, garden balsam extract, melothria heterophylla extract, coix extract, Althaea extract, Polygonum Bistorta root extract, Nettle Extract, Artemisia Capillaris flower extract, turmeric extract, Coptis extract, seaweed extract, Gentiana extract, Scutellaria baicalensis extract, Symphytum officinale extract, Perilla extract, Lonicera Japonica Extract, clove extract, white kidney bean extract, Angelica acutiloba Kitagawa extract, Saxifraga Sarmentosa extract, Rosemary extract, Sanguisorba officinalis extract, Ginkgo tree leaf extract
• the ratio of the antioxidant to astaxanthin varies depending upon the types of astaxanthin and antioxidant to be blended; however, the ratio of the antioxidant to astaxanthin is generally 0.1 to 200 parts by weight, preferably 0.2 to 20 parts by weight, and more preferably 0.5 to 5 parts by weight based on 1 part by weight of astaxanthin.
• Pet food containing astaxanthin according to the present invention can be used for exerting effects of deodorizing excrement, and improving sleep, sensibility and visual sense, and treating, improving or preventing diabetes and diabetic complications of a pet.
• deodorizing excrement refers to reducing, removing and preventing odor from pet excrement, and more specifically, means that bad odor of pet excrement is drastically reduced by feeding pet food containing astaxanthin. It is considered that astaxanthin inhibits enteric bacteria and urease derived from a plant, which decompose urea and are responsible for generating ammonia that is a main cause of bad odor, and controls the enteral conditions, thereby accelerating growth of useful bacteria in the intestine.
• the effect of improving sleep of a pet used herein refers to an effect for improving, treating, and suppressing a sleep disorder caused by stress, disease, change in the rhythm of life, medication, physical disorder, and aging.
• the sleep disorder refers to insomnia such as disturbance of sleep induction, and disturbance of sound sleep.
• the symptom of the disturbance of sleep induction means difficulty with falling asleep.
• the symptoms of the disturbance of sound sleep include “night awakening”, which is a sleep disorder involving awakening from sleep several times in the midnight and feeling of insufficient sleep; “early awakening”, which is a sleep disorder involving awakening at dawn and cannot get back to sleep to the morning; and “lack of feeling of sufficient sleep”, which is a sleep disorder involving no sense of sufficient sleep despite the sufficient time of sleep.
• the effect of improving sensibility of a pet used herein refers to improving, treating and suppressing disorder in perception and cognition ability caused by stress, disease, change in the rhythm of life, and aging.
• sensibility when sensibility is improved, a pet responds sensitively to sound and a stranger, expresses emotion such as delight, when the pet owner attracts attention by behavior and gives food. Furthermore, a pet frequently tries to draw owner's attention and becomes willing to greet to the owner. Since a pet is improved in health conditions, the hair condition of the pet improves.
• the effect of improving visual sense of a pet used herein refers to improving, treating or suppressing a disorder of visual sense caused by stress, disease, change in the rhythm of life, and aging.
• the disorder of visual sense include refractive error and adjustment error of the eye such as near sight, far sight, distorted visual sense and old sight, diseases such as retinopathy, maculopathy, glaucoma, cataract, dry eye, and conjunctivitis, and fatigue. Also, effect of preventing eye mucus is included.
• the effect of treating, improving or preventing diabetes of a pet used herein refers to treating, improving or preventing diabetes and diabetic complications developed as the result that a blood glucose level increases due to living habits such as excessive feeding and shortage of exercise caused by indoor life, besides a genetic reason.
• the present invention is effective against both type I and type II diabetes, and more effective against type II diabetes.
• Insulin resistance which is acquired characteristic of type II diabetes, is frequently associated with obesity, in particular, accumulation of visceral fat. Also, hyperlipemia and high blood pressure are frequently complicated with type II diabetes.
• the pet food according to the present invention improves the symptom of a high blood glucose level by reducing an elevated blood glucose level, thereby treating, improving or preventing diabetes.
• the pet food according to the present invention has an effect of treating, improving, or preventing diabetic complications such as nervous disorder, retinopathy, nephropathy, and ischemia by treating, improving, or preventing diabetes.
• the pet food is effective in treating, improving or preventing the nervous disorders such as sudden deafness, abnormality in eye and face (paralysis and pain), postural hypotension, diarrhea, constipation (digestive symptom), urinary disturbance, appendicular pain, perceptional abnormality, muscular atrophy, and necropathy.
• the pet food is also effective in treating, improving or preventing retinopathy such as macular degeneration, glaucoma, cataract, simple retinopathy, preproliferative retinopathy, and proliferative retinopathy.
• the pet food is also effective in treating, improving or preventing ischemia such as brain infarction and myocardial infarction.
• the form and state of the pet food according to the present invention is not particularly limited.
• the pet food may be a solid preparation, solid, pellet, granule, biscuit, and paste and may be dry, semidry (for example, the moisture content of pet food is 10 to 50 wt %), or wet (for example, canned pet food having a moisture content of 50 to 80 wt %).
• the pet food of the present invention may be produced by adding and blending astaxanthin with a commercially available material for pet food or spraying an aqueous solution of astaxanthin to a commercially available pet food in an appropriate production step thereof.
• the pet food of the present invention may be produced by adding and blending astaxanthin with a commercially available pet food or spraying astaxanthin on such pet food.
• the pet food may be produced in the form of an easy-to-take solid preparation such as an oral tablet, sublingual tablet, pill, powder, dusting powder, subtle granule, granule, capsule and soft capsule, in the same manner as in a dietary supplement for a human.
• an easy-to-take solid preparation such as an oral tablet, sublingual tablet, pill, powder, dusting powder, subtle granule, granule, capsule and soft capsule, in the same manner as in a dietary supplement for a human.
• any material may be used as long as it can be used in pet food.
• any material used in the art may be used and include animal materials such as fish flour, fish meat, seafood, fishmeal, animal meat, meat meal, meat and bone meal, blood meal, feather meal, silkworm pupa oil cake, skim milk, animal fat and oil (such as bovine oil, swine oil, bone oil), hen egg, and milk; micro organisms such as beer yeast and torula yeast; cereals such as corn, milo, wheat, barley, rye, oat, wheat powder, brown rice, blister, soybean, ground soybean, and cassava; starch such as a-starch and potato starch; oil cakes such as soybean oil cake, molt soybean oil, rapeseed oil cake, peanut oil cake, palm oil cake, sunflower oil cake, linseed oil cake, sesame oil cake, safflower oil cake, palm kernel oil cake, and kapoc oil cake;
• the solid preparation can be produced by blending such a carrier and astaxanthin homogeneously.
• a carrier include saccharides such as sucrose, sorbitol and fructose; glycols such as polyethylene glycol and propylene glycol; oils such as sesame oil, rapeseed oil, olive oil and soybean oil; and flavors such as strawberry flavor and peppermint flavor.
• the solid preparation is a powder, pill, capsule, soft capsule and tablet
• an excipient such as lactose, glucose, sucrose, lactose, mannitol, cornstarch, and silicon dioxide
• a disintegrator such as starch and sodium alginate
• a lubricant such as magnesium stearate and talc
• a binder such as polyvinyl alcohol, hydroxypropyl cellulose, gelatin and casein
• an emulsifier such as glycerin fatty acid ester, sucrose fatty acid ester, sorbitan fatty acid ester, saponin, and lecithin
• a thickener such as guar gum, alginic acid, carageenan, agar, pectin, arabia gum, crystalline cellulose
• a plasticizer such as glycerin. Tablets and soft capsules are preferable since they are easily taken.
• the pet food may contain additives such as a toughening agent, quality improver, antibiotics, antibacterial agent, enzyme, antifungal agent, antioxidant, coloring agent, sweetener, and flavor.
• additives such as a toughening agent, quality improver, antibiotics, antibacterial agent, enzyme, antifungal agent, antioxidant, coloring agent, sweetener, and flavor.
• the content of astaxanthin in pet food is not particularly limited and may be selected within the palatability range, for example, from 0.0001 to 10 wt %, preferably 0.0005 to 5 wt %, and further preferably 0.0005 to 3 wt % in terms of free astaxanthin based on the total amount of pet food.
• a solid preparation is suitable since a dose per time or day can be determined.
• the content of astaxanthin per solid preparation of 200 to 1000 mg in weight is 0.1 to 10 mg, and preferably 0.2 to 5 mg in terms of free astaxanthin.
• the dose of pet food given to a pet can be selected depending upon the age and weight of the pet, for example, 1 to 500, preferably 2 to 300, and further preferably, 5 to 200 pg/day in terms of free astaxanthin per kilogram of the weight of the pet.
• the pet food can be given at any time and may be given once or a plurality of times in a day.
• the present invention may be applied to various types of pets.
• Pets are animals improved by a human not for food but for a companion animal and have many chances to contact with a human.
• Examples of pets include a mouse, rat, guinea pig, rabbit, monkey, dog, cat, hamster, pig, cow, sheep, horse, crocodile, alligator, snake, lizard, and bird.
• the present invention is preferably applied to particularly dogs and cats.
• the present invention will be explained by way of the following Examples, which may not be construed as limiting the present invention.
• the astaxanthin used in Examples below is astaxanthin oil containing an extract from algae Haematococcus and manufactured by Fuji Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.
• AstaReal 50F (trade name, manufactured by Fuji Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.) used in Examples below is oil containing a fatty acid ester of astaxanthin (containing 5% astaxanthin in terms of free astaxanthin) and triglycerides.
• AstaReal powder (trade name, manufactured by Fuji Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.) is a powder product containing AstaReal 50F in a content of 20%.
• Odor of the samples was measured by an odor tester (KALMOR- ⁇ , manufactured by Kalmor Co.) in a room maintained at 22° C. To explain more specifically, the odor of an airtight vinyl bag of 280 mm ⁇ 200 mm containing no sample was measured as an initial value by inserting a test probe. Then, 100 mg of sample was weighed, placed in the vinyl bag and stand still for 15 minutes. The odor of the vinyl bag having the sample placed therein was measured (measured value). The value of the odor was obtained by subtracting the initial value from the measured value.
• KALMOR- ⁇ manufactured by Kalmor Co.
• a beagle dog (about 10 kg in weight, 6 months old) was prepared as a diabetic model by administering streptozotocin (STZ) purchased from Sankyo Laboratories.
• STZ streptozotocin
• the beagle dog was fed with food containing AstaReal 50F (manufactured by Fuji Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. and containing 0.67 mg of astaxanthin (in terms of free astaxanthin) per tablet (300 mg) for 4 weeks.
• Blood was taken from the dog at the initiation time, 2 weeks after, and 4 weeks after the test.
• the blood serum was separated from each of the samples and blood glucose level of the serum was measured.
• the beagle dog was housed in a metal cage and raised under the conditions: temperature of 22 ⁇ 2° C., humidity 55 ⁇ 10%, and light exposure: 12 hours (7 a.m. to 7 p.m.). AstaReal 50F (1 g) was given to the dog together with food every day, 9 a.m. TABLE 4 Change in blood glucose level (mg/dL) Before 2 weeks after 4 weeks after administration administration administration 413.2 273.5 257.3
• the blood glucose level in the diabetic beagle dog decreased 2 weeks and 4 weeks after administration with statistical significance.
• Astaxanthin was administered to a beagle dog by feeding it with food containing AstaReal 50 F for 4 weeks. Difference between before and after administration was observed.
• the beagle dog (about 10 kg in weight, 6 months old) was purchased from Sankyo Laboratories. After the purchase, preparatory feeding for about 4 weeks was performed to confirm that the dog had no abnormal conditions, weight and feed amount.
• the beagle dog having no abnormality was housed in a metal cage and raised under the conditions: temperature of 22 ⁇ 2° C., humidity 55 ⁇ 10%, and light exposure: 12 hours (7 a.m. to 7 p.m.). AstaReal 50F (1 g) was given to the dog together with food every day, 9 a.m.
• the components listed above were blended and made into pellets of 100 to 300 mg having a size of 4 mm ⁇ about 5 to 10 mm) by a disk-pellet pelletizer manufactured by Fuji Paudal Co. Ltd. The pellets were dried at 50° C. for 10 hours to obtain dry food.
• the components listed above were blended, pulverized, and classified through a sieve having openings of 1 mm. Water was added to the resultant mixture to contain about 27 wt % of a solid matter.
• the mixture was extruded by a cooking extruder (manufactured by Wenger Manufacturing, Inc.) equipped with round dies of 8 mm in diameter to obtain a swollen product.
• the swollen product thus obtained was dried by a belt-type dryer at 120° C. for 20 minutes and soybean oil (5 parts by weight) was sprayed onto the swollen product (95 parts by weight) to obtain dry dog food.
• the components listed above were blended, pulverized, and classified through a sieve having openings of 1 mm. Water was added to the resultant mixture to contain about 27 wt % of a solid matter. The mixture was extruded by a cooking extruder (manufactured by Wenger Manufacturing, Inc.) equipped with round dies of 8 mm in diameter to obtain a swollen product. Soybean oil (5 parts by weight) and a fish extract (3 parts by weight) were sprayed onto the swollen product (92 parts by weight) to obtain dry cat food.
• Chicken meat 74.9 parts by weight Chicken viscera 20 parts by weight Vitamin/mineral mix 5 parts by weight AstaReal 50F 0.1 part by weight
• the components listed above were blended by a mixer and cooked in a 2% saline solution at 100° C. for 10 minutes.
• the resultant cooked mixture was cooled and charged in cans to obtain canned dog food.
• the cans had a size of 75 mm of diameter and 110 mm of height.
• Each of the cans was charged with 300 g of meat together with 100 g of water.
• the cans were finally subjected to retort sterilization at a temperature 120° C. for 70 minutes.
• the mixture of the aforementioned composition containing cooked red meat of skipjack and tuna as a main ingredient was prepared in flake form to obtain canned cat food.
• the cans had a size of 100 mm of diameter and 120 mm of height.
• Each of the cans was charged with 160 g of meat together with 100 g of water.
• the cans were finally subjected to retort sterilization at a temperature of 110° C. for 80 minutes.

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• 2004
  • 2004-12-17 WO PCT/JP2004/018950 patent/WO2005058064A1/ja active Application Filing
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• 2010
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