Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Bolus for Supplving Biologically Beneficial Substances
to Ruminant Animals
This invention relates to a bolus for supplying biologically beneficial substances,
such as trace elements, to ruminant animals such as cattle, sheep, goats and deer.
Particulate materials of high density, for example rods or filaments of oxidisedcopper, are a~minict~red by mouth to n-min~nt ~nim~l~ for the purpose of
nutritional supplementation or medicinal treatment, more especially for thè
treatment of trace element deficiencies.
Such orally ~dmini~t~red high density particulate material is employed because
particles of approp,iate size and density lodge for prolonged periods in the
nlmin~nt stomachs. Slow solution of the active substance, e.g. trace element or
trace elements, takes place. The duration for which the active substance remainseffective can extend to several months and, for example, up to one year in the case
of a copper oxide particulate.
Oral atlministration of these high density particulate materials is especially suitable
for ruminant animals gra~ed extensively, handled in r~uently and not receiving
supplementary feeding.
Material such as particulate copper oxide rods or filaments is normallya(lminict~red in the form of individual doses. The applopliate dose is commonly
contained within a capsule of gelatin, which dissolves rapidly in the ruminant
stomach. The filled gelatin capsule is of high relative density, usually 2 or more,
which prevents it from being regurgitated. The gelatin typically dissolves within
ahout 15 minutes, when in contacl with the aqueous contents of the rumen or
reticulum, and the released par~icles, heing of-hign density, tend to sink to the
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hottom of whichever part of the ruminant stomach they are in. The particulate
character and weight of the beneficial material causes very delayed passage through
the parts of the ~ stomach, lasting up to several months, thus giving
prolonged effective treatment from a single administered dose.
Exissting boluses are relatively expensive, mainly due to the high cost of the
gelatin capsules when compared with the cost of the material to be administered.
The present invention therefore has as a principal object to provide an alternative
and less expensive bolus for administration to rumin~nt ~nim~
According to the invention there is provided a bolus comprising a dose of a
relatively high density particulate of a substance beneficial to a nlmin~nt animal,
ca}Tied by a bolus-shaped block of a solid, non-toxic binding substance which will
dissolve relatively rapidly in the rumin~nt stomach.
Suitable binding substances are, for example, sugar, salt such as rock salt or
cellulose/gum or gelatin mixtures. Powdered salt is a preferred binding
substance.
The block of the binding substance is preferahly formed, as hy moulding, into a
cylindrical shape, rounded at least at one end in order to facilitate passage through
the gullet of the animal.
As stated, it is essential that the binding substance be one which dissolves
relatively rapidly in the rllmin~nt stomach. The dissolving period, and t~s
release of the particulate material, should occur within seven days, preferably less
than one day, more preferably less than two hours, and ideally within between five
and sixty minutes. The binding suhstance is selected accordingly.
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Examples of particulate materials which may be carried by the hinding substance
forming the bolus are particulate copper oxide, preferably in the form of rods or
filaments, and elemental zinc. The relative density and size of the particulate are
such as to ensure prolonged residence in the ruminant stomach, i.e. residence for
a period of not less than one month of a useful proportion of the administered
dose.
According to a further optional feature of the invention, the bolus is coated with
a non-sticky coating which, after administration of the bolus, is removed by
solution or abrasion. One suitable coating material is caster sugar, applied forexample in a coating pan. Other possible coating materials are thinly applied
shellac, for example applied as shellac emulsion, and a wax such as Carnauba
Wax, which may also be applied as an emulsion.
According to a still further feature of the invention, the above-described bolus for
~dministration of particulate material such as copper oxide or zinc, is combinedinto a double bolus with a bolus of a resin material, preferably a rosin, which
incorporates at least one different biologically (pharmaceutically or medicinally)
beneficial substance for a ruminant animal. Examples of such different
biologically beneficial substances are selenium compounds, cobalt compounds,
iodine compounds, m~ng~nese or compounds thereof, zinc compounds such as zinc
oxide for control of fungal toxicoses, vitamins, lipids, amino-acids and
medicaments such as anthelmintics.
The double bolus may be produced in a variety of ways, for example by moulding
the sugar or like bolus formed of a dissolving binding substance around the rosin
bolus, or vice versa, by fixing the two boluses together end to end with a soluble
or dissembling binding tape, or fixing the two boluses end to end in a cardboardor like disintegrating or dissolving connecting tube.
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According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of
producing a bo]us for supplying a hiologically heneficial suhstance to a ruminant
animal, according to which a mould, having a bolus-shaped chamber and reservoir
space, is filled with a meltable powder capable of forming a binding substance and
a dose of a relatively high density particulate of a material beneficial to a ruminant
animal, the mould is heated, with the reservoir above the bolus chamber, to meltthe powder and enable the melted powder and the beneficial material to fall and
condense into the bolus chamber with limited protrusion into the neck, the mouldis cooled to allow the melted powder to solidify into a solid block of binding
substance carrying the beneficial particulate material, the mould is opened to
enable the moulded bolus to be extracted, and the moulded bolus is trimmed of
any protrusion.
According to still another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of
producing the bolus, especially in the case where powdered salt is employed as the
binding substance, according to which the binding suhstance is moulded with a
dose of a relatively high density particulate of a material, for example copper
oxide filaments or needles, beneficial to a ruminant animal, the mixture heing
wetted by a relatively small quantity of water or an aqueous solution of a non-toxic
solvent, the mixture is compressed into a mould having a bolus shaped moulding
chamber, the mould is heated to drive off the water, and the bolus is extracted
from the mould aRer cooling.
Preferably, the bolus chamber is cylindrical with a rounded end.
Preferably, in the first method, the mould is loaded first with powder for forming
the binding substance, then with the particulate of beneficial material, and
optionally then with further powder for forming the hinding substance.
When the mould is heated and the powder for forming the binding suhstance melts
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and condenses into the bolus chamber, the relatively heavy particulate of heneficial
material tends to sink into the melted powder, thereby to form a holus having the
particulate beneficial material embedded therein, especially in a central region of
the length of the bolus.
Boluses and methods of production thereof in accordance with the invention are
now further described by way of example.
Example 1
15 g of granulated sugar and 20 g of copper oxide particles, in the form of rodsor fil~mçnts of approximately 0.5 mm diameter and 2 to 5 mm in 1ength, were
placed in a split silicon rubber mould having a holus chamber connected through
a short neck to an overhead reservoir chamber. 10 g of sugar were first loaded
into the mould, followed by the copper oxide particles, followed by 5 g of sugarat the top. The sugar used may be sucrose, lactose, glucose or fructose, for
example, or a crude mixture such as molasses may alternatively be employed.
After shaking or vibrabon, the filled mould was placed in a fan oven, at 155
degrees C, for a period of 2l/2 hours.
The constituents of the mould settled into the bolus chamber with melting of thesugar, with a small protrusion upstanding at the neck. The mould was
subse4uently slowly cooled, and the bolus extracted and trimmed.
The resultant bolus, of cylindrical shape with moulded ends (resulting from the
shape of the bolus chamber) constituted a solid block of binding material (re-
solidified sugar) in which the copper particles were emhedded, mainly in a central
region of the length of the bolus.
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As an optional step, a surface coating of Carnauha Wax was applied by repetitivespraying.
The holus was tested by placing it in water at 37 degrees C and shaking gently on
a planetary shaker. The bolus was found to disintegrate, by solution of the
binding material, within 15 minutes, releasing the copper oxide particles.
It has been found possible to combine the above-described bolus of dissolving
binding material with a resin, most preferably a rosin, bolus, in which the rosin
acts as a binding substance in which a different biologically beneficial substance
is uniform]y dispersed. In use, the rosin bolus remains in the alimentary tract
over a long period, the beneficial substance being slowly released by leaching over
this long period.
The double bolus may be produced by moulding the sugar or equivalent bolus
around the rosin bolus, or vice versa, or by fixing the two single boluses end to
end using a dissolving tape or a cardboard connecting tube.
Example 2
25 g of copper rods or filaments as previously referred to are mixed with ~ g
powdered salt, 0.2 g cereal flour, 0.1 g pectin and 2 g gum arabic, together with
4 ml water as a wetting agent. The wet mixture is tamped into a mould having
a bolus shaped moulding chamber. The mould is then heated to drive off water
and the resultant solid bolus extracted after cooling.
Example 3
The same method as Example 2 is employed, but with a mixture comprising 25 g
copper particulate, 12 g powdered salt, 0.2 g cereal flour, 0.1 g p ectin and 4 ml
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water.
Examr)le 4
The same method as Examples 2 and 3 is employed, but with a mixture
comprising 25 g copper particulate, 4 g powdered salt, 0.2 g cereal flour, 0.1 gpectin, and 4 ml water.
In general, in the second method exemplified by Examples 2 to 4, it is preferredto employ a ratio by weight of binding material, salt and starch for example, tocopper needles, in the range 3:1 to 1:10, preferably 2:1 to 1:6, mixed with '~2 to
20 ml, preferably 3 to 10 ml water or any aqueous solution of a non-toxic
solution, preferably saturated, of a solute such as magnesium sulphate, cobalt
chloride, sodium chloride, sodium silicate or potassium iodide.
Instead of employing salt and starch as the binding substance, the starch can bereplaced by microcrystalline cellulose, agar-agar, a gum such as xanthan, pectinor cereal flour, or any combination thereof with or without the starch, as typified
by the examples.
Assuming the use of powdered salt and starch, the amount of salt used for a bolus
to carry 25 g copper particulate is between I g and 10 g, preferably 2 g and 6 g,
whilst the amount of starch used is in the range I g to 20 g, preferably 3 g to 10
g-
It has also been possible to prepare the sugar-based bolus of Example 1 by the
second method, using a small quantity of saturated sugar solution as a wetting
agent.
