Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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FOOD ADDITIVE FOR HUMAN AND ANIMALS
AND USES THEREOR
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
a) Field of the invention
The present invention relates generally to a composition to treat domestic
animal
manure, such as poultry, pigs and swine, and human, both liquid and solid, to
enhance the
environment so that the residual solid and liquid waste are free from odors,
can be returned back
to the environment, and can be used as productive elements of the environment
and, specifically,
to a composition that treats farm animal liquid and solid manure to eliminate
odors, water
contamination, and soil contamination, with the safe return of these
byproducts back into the
environment at low cost.
b) Description of the prior art
Principal sources of odor emissions may include production facilities--open
lot and
confinement buildings; manure/wastewater storage and/or treatment systems--
ponds, pits,
lagoons, stockpiles, composting operations; and land application systems for
solid or liquid
manure, treated effluent, or open lot runoff.
Many technologies for control of odor and odorants from concentrated animal
feeding
operations (CAFOs) have been developed over the last 3 or 4 decades. However,
most of these
technologies have not been evaluated properly or systematically. These
measures generally fall
under four broad approaches: (1) ration manipulation, (2) improved manure
collection and
treatrnent, (3) capture and treatment of odorous gases, and (4) enhanced
dispersion.
The creation of large farms for raising domestic animals at the commercial
level in large
numbers, such as cows, chickens, pigs, and swine, has created an increased
concern
environmentally over the animal waste products, typically liquid and solids,
created by such large
domestic production of animals. Typical environmental concerns which are each
related but
different in result include air contamination caused by the odors produced
from the waste, ground
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water and stream contamination from runoffs at the waste site, and soil
contamination,
particularly for agricultural purposes, resulting from the large volume of
waste. Therefore,
organic animal waste sludges have become a tremendous enviromnental problem
throughout the
United States and throughout the world.
U.S. Pat. No.: 4,193,206 issued Mar. 18, 1980 to Maffet discloses processes
for drying
sewage sludge and filtering water. As disclosed, wet sewage sludge is dried in
either a thermal
drying zone or a mechanical dewatering zone comprising a cylindrical chamber
with a porous
wall. A plasticizer is added to the dry sludge.
U.S. Pat. No.: 4,270,279 issued Jun. 2, 1981 to Roediger discloses a method
for drying,
and sterilizing sewage sludge. Basically the sludge is dried and broken into
small pieces and
covered with quicklime.
U.S. Pat. No.: 4,295,972 issued Oct. 20, 1981 to Kamei discloses a method for
treating
water containing waste. The method includes adding calcium oxide for
preliminary drying and
granulating the mixture.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,013,458 issued May 7, 1991 to Christy, Sr. et al. discloses a
process and
apparatus for pathogene reduction and waste. The method includes using
hydration reaction by
elevating the pH of the sludge for releasing heat. None of the methods
disclosed in these patents
shows the simple and efficient treatment of sludge as disclosed by applicant's
method which
includes economical steps of dewatering the sludge and water filtration using
membranes.
Another approach involves manure treatment methods that include odor control
measures, such as maintaining aerobic conditions during storage, aerobic
treatment (aerated
lagoons or composting), anaerobic digestion or biochemical treatment.
Thus, when looking at agricultural waste, the increasing production of the
waste, such as
pig and swine production and their waste products, presents a large problem
for both farming
soils and the natural environment, which includes streams, water tables, and
soils.
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The capture-and-treat approach includes the use of covered storage pits or
lagoons; soil
incorporation of applied liquid or solid manure; and dry scrubbers for
building exhaust gases,
including soil absorption beds, bio-filter fields, or packed beds. Soils and
organic materials such
as peat or wood chips, have been used as they readily absorb odorous gases and
provide for
aerobic decomposition of captured odorants.
Odor control is of increasing concern. In the immediate future, application of
those
technologies available will be required to a greater extent. However, many of
the technologies
require expensive retrofits and precious land. It is also unclear whether some
of the methods are
environmentally sustainable systems from a nutrient management perspective.
According to the prior art described above, there is still needs for new
alternative
technologies, composition and/or methods, for treating domestic animal manure,
and even human
dejections, in an environmental compatible manner.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
One aim of the present invention is to provide a composition for treating
human and
animal dejection, the composition comprising at least one bacteria, and a
digestive enzyme.
The bacteria is preferably a probiotic bacteria, and/or can be selected from
the group of
the genus Trichoderma, Acidophilus, Lactobacillus, Bacillus, Streptococcus,
and
Bifidobacterium, or alternatively be selected from the group of Trichoderma
longibrachiatum,
Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactococcus Salivarius, Lactococcus Rhamnosus,
Bacillus subtilis,
Bacillus latereosporus, Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus pumilis, Bacillus
licheniformis, Bacillus
megaterium, Bacillus amyloliquifaciens, Streptococcus salivarius,
Bifidobacteria longum,
Bifidobacteria bifidum, Bifidobacterium infantis, and Bifidobacteria breve.
The composition comprises bacteria preferably in concentration of 1 x 10g to 5
x 1010/g.
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The composition of the invention may further comprising a yeast, such as, for
example
but not limited to, Aspergilus, Aspergilus niger, Aspergillus oryzae, or
Kleviromyces. Yeasts can
be foud, for example, but not limited to, at a concentration of I x 106 to 10
x 10101g
The bacteria and yeasts are preferably fermented dehydrated before preparing
the
composition.
The digestive enzyme of the composition has at least one of the activity
selected from
the group consisting of xylanase, glucanase, amylase, galactomannase,
pentosanase, cellulose,
heteroxylanase, polygalacturonase, pectine esterase, aspartic protease,
metallo protease, endo-
mannanase, b-mannosidase, lipase, protease, phytase, such as thermo resistant
phytase, and
pectinase activity. More specifically, the digestive enzyme has at least one
of the activity selected
from the group consisting of (3-glucanase, a-amylase, b-xynalase, endo-
xylanase, a-
arabinosidase, b-xylosidase, feruloyl esterase, en-arabinanase, endo-b-
glucanase, laminarinase,
endo-l-,4-b-glucanase, cellobiohydrolase, b-glucosidase.
The digestive enzyme is preferably found in concentration of 0.1 to 5% (w/w)
in the
composition.
Though it can change depending on the animal the composition is given, or the
animal's
origin manure the composition is added to, the composition is preferably at a
pH of between 4 to
10, more preferably at a pH of 6 to 8. It will be recognized by the person
skilled in the art that a
pH neutralizing agent, acid, or base, can be added to the composition
directly, or to the manure,
such as in a lagoon, to have an optimal pH. The composition can therefore
comprise a pH
neutralizing agent, an acid or a base for adjusting the composition at a
desired pH.
The composition can be prepared under solid or liquid form before being given
to a
human or animal or being added to a manure or dejection to be treated.
The treatment of dejection, through oral administration to human or animals,
or through
addition to the dejections, has the effect in at least one of reducing the
ammoniac concentration,
reducing the anhydride sulfide concentration, reduce the odors of dejection,
increase the weight
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gain of the animal or human, liquefy the solid fraction, improve the feed
conversion, stabilize the
good microbial flora in the intestine, reduce gases, reduce phosphorus and
nitrogen in dejection.
Other compounds can be added to the composition of the invention. For example,
but
not limited to, some quantities of dolomite can be added to the composition
before use, as for
example, but not necessarily limited to, in concentration of 0.1 to 10 %
(w/w).
It can be also recognized by someone skilled in the art that the enzyme can be
added
directly to the composition, or can be produced in the composition by a
microorganism. For
example, but not limited to, some xynalase can be produced in the composition
during use by a
strain of Aspergillus. The phytase can be produced, for example, by Peniophora
lycii.
A method for treating human or animal dejection comprising orally
administering to said
human or animal or putting directly in dejection the composition of anyone of
claim 1 to 23.
Another aim of the present invention is to provide the use of a as described
herein in the
preparation of a human or animal dejection treatment composition.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved
composition for
treating agricultural, and municipal treatment sludges, including animal waste
such as pig and
swine manure, solid and liquid, through oral administration to animals and
human being, in order
to economically remove odors, to reduce the volume of the sludge, and to
provide both a treated
sludge and water that can be safely returned to the environment in an
economical manner.
In accordance with the present invention there is provided a provide an
economical
composition for managing agricultural sludges such as liquid manure, to reduce
air
contamination, especially odors, water contamination such as streams and water
tables and
municipal water supplies, and agricultural soil contamination economically and
safely, without
the use of harsh chemicals.
For the purpose of the present invention the following terms are defined
below.
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The term "dejection" is intended to mean the digestion residues naturally
rejected by
animals and human. This therefore includes human and animal dejections, and
manure. The
dejection can be the digestion product taken directly when rejected by the
animal or human, or
where it is kept for storage, or futur processing, such as in a lagoon.
The term "probiotic bacteria" as used herein is intended to mean bacteria
contributing to
the intestinal flora equilibrium and to the general good health.
Citation of documents herein is not intended as an admission that any of the
documents
cited herein is pertinent prior art, or an admission that the cited documents
are considered
material to the patentability of the claims of the present application. All
statements as to the date
or representations as to the contents of these documents are based on the
information available to
the applicant and does not constitute any admission as to the correctness of
the dates or contents
of these documents.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The present invention now will be described more fully hereinafter with
reference to the
accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the invention are
shown. This
invention, may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be
construed as
limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are
provided so that this
disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of
the invention to
those skilled in the art.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a biological
composition
based on microorganisms, including bacteria and yeasts, mixed with enzymes,
preferably food
substrate digestive enzymes, which tackle the problem at the source in the
animals'
gastrointestinal tract. The present invention can reduce the problem of odor
associated with
processing, storing and using animal manure as a fertilizer.
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In one embodiment, the present invention provides biological compositions
comprising a
plurality of live bacteria, preferably probiotic bacteria, and yeast cells
with digestive enzymes,
which are capable of reducing the odor of the contents of the gastrointestinal
tract of animals. The
use of the biological compositions of the invention can result in a reduction
of the environmental
impact of animal wastes, as well as the processing and storing of manure.
The biological compositions of the invention can be fed directly to animals or
used as an
additive to be incorporated into regular animal feed, or even put directly
into the lagoons. The
compositions comprising activated microbial cells of the invention and
ingredients such as
enzymes, such as digestive enzymes, are encompassed by the invention.
According to one embodiment of the invention, it is contemplated that the
microorganisms, bacteria and yeasts, used in the preparation of the
composition of the present
invention, are those known as having beneficial activity in the gut and
digestive tract of human
and animal when orally taken. The microorganisms are capable of modulating the
microbial flora
in the digestive tract to maintain therein an natural equilibrium for the
animal physiology, in
addition of bringing up the capacity of producing different products, such as
enzymes, which can
allow to degrade or modify certain target molecule entities. For example, a
microorganism can
produce an enzyme, such as a xylanase, a glucanase, or a phytase, when put in
contact with the
dejection, and transform an entity, such as urea, into ammoniac and carbone
dioxide, eliminating
therefore the odor associated with the non transformed urea. Too, a soluble
phosphate molecule
can be converted into an insoluble product. The later is then easier to
manipulate or use, for
example, as is in commercial or domestic fertilizer.
In a preferred embodiment, the bacteria are also probiotic bacteria.
Probiotics are dietary
supplements containing potentially beneficial bacteria or yeast, however
lactic acid bacteria
(LAB) are the most common microbes used. LAB have been used in the food
industry for many
years, because they are able to convert lactose into lactic acid. This not
only provides the
characteristic sour taste of fermented dairy foods such as yogurt, but acts as
a preservative, by
lowering the pH and creating less room for spoilage organisms to grow.
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Probiotic bacterial cultures are intended to assist the body's naturally
occurring flora
within the digestive tract to reestablish themselves. They are sometimes
recommended by
doctors, and, more frequently, by nutritionists, after a course of
antibiotics, or as part of the
treatment for candidiasis. Many probiotics are present in natural sources such
as lactobacillus in
yogurt and sauerkraut. Claims are made that probiotics strengthen the immune
system.l
The rationale for probiotics is that the body contains a miniature ecology of
microbes,
collectively known as the gut flora. The number of bacterial types can be
thrown out of balance
by a wide range of circumstances including the use of antibiotics or other
drugs, excess alcohol,
stress, disease, exposure to toxic substances, or even the use of
antibacterial soap. In cases like
these, the bacteria that work well with our bodies (see symbiosis) may
decrease in number, an
event which allows harmful competitors to thrive, to the detriment of our
health.
The composition provided by the present invention preferably includes at least
two, most
preferably three enzymes such as xylanase, protease, amylase, glucoamylase,
lipase, pectinase,
mannanase, galactosidase, arabinofuranosidase or phytase. Enzymes having the
desired activities
may for instance be mixed with, preferably, a mixture of xynalase,
endoglucanase, amylase, and
used in the present invention either before impregnating these on a filler or
alternatively such
enzymes may be impregnated simultaneously or sequentially on such a filler.
In one embodiment of the invention, the filler can be then in turn mixed with
selected
food ingredient, depending on the animal specie to which the dejection is
treated, to prepare the
final feed. It is also possible to formulate the composition as a solution of
the individual enzyme
activities and then mix this solution with a feed material pre-formed as
pellets or as a mash..
It is also possible to include the enzyme/bacteria feed additive (another
spelling of the
composition of the present invention) in the human or animals' diet by
incorporating it into a
second (and different) feed or drinking water which the human or animal also
has access to.
Accordingly, it is not essential that the composition provided by the present
invention is
incorporated into the food itself, although such incorporation forms a
particularly preferred aspect
of the present invention.
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Other organic compounds and food products as known in the art can be added to
the
composition. For example, salts, fungi, corn or wheat powder, mineral oil,
calcium carbonate,
and others can be added to the composition.
The biological compositions of the invention comprise yeasts. Unlike the
traditional use
of yeasts as a component of the feed, the yeast cells of the invention are not
a primary source of
nutrients for the animals. The yeast cells of the invention can reduce the
odor of wastes produced
by animals. The use of the biological compositions of the invention can lower
the overall cost of
maintaining a commercial animal operations where manure is stored and
processed to be used as
a fertilizer.
The invention may have other applications for the treatment of agricultural,
industrial,
and municipal sludges also.
The composition according to the present invention can be prepared in a number
of
ways. For instance, it can be prepared simply by mixing different enzymes
having the appropriate
activities to produce an enzyme mix. This enzyme mix can be either mixed
directly with a feed,
or more conventionally impregnated onto a cereal-based carrier material such
as milled wheat,
maize or soya flour. A by-product of any of these products may also be used.
The composition provided by the present invention may be mixed directly with
the
animal feed, such as one comprising barley, to prepare the final feed.
Alternatively, the
composition may be mixed with one or more other compositions such as a vitamin
composition, a
mineral composition and an amino acid composition. The resulting composition
including several
different types of components can then be mixed in an appropriate amount with
the feed.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, the present
invention is
applicable to the diet of numerous animals, which herein is defmed as
including mammals and
fowl. In particular, the diet may be employed with commercially significant
mammals such as
cows, poultry, swine, sheep, goats, laboratory rodents (e.g. rats, mice,
hamsters and gerbils), and
zoo animals such as monkeys and apes, as well as domestic mammals such as cats
and dogs.
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Typical commercially significant fowl include chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese,
pheasants and quail.
The composition and method described herein for treating animal and human
waste has
many advantages. First, it greatly reduces the large volume of sludge and
results in a sludge
product that can be transferred into the environment without malodorous odors
typically
emanated by sludges, especially agricultural waste such as liquid manure from
pig houses.
Typically, malodorous odors are generated by storage of wet sludge in huge
volume tanks.
The composition and method also provide for the environmental improvement of
the
liquid waste or water that can now be safely returned to the environment, both
for agricultural
purposes or returned naturally to streams or into sewer systems.
The present invention will be more readily understood by referring to the
following
examples which are given to illustrate the invention rather than to limit its
scope.
EXAMPLE I
Assessment of the composition in pigs.
Materials and methods
The basic composition used for this experiment consists in Corn powder, wheat
powder,
calcium carbonate, silicate sodium alumina, mineral oil, and dehydrated
fermented Bacillus
licheniformis, Bacillus subtilis, Aspergillys niger as microorganisms.
Enzymes: b-glucanase (7.5 U.I./g, xynalase 4.75 U.I./g, a-amylase (4.5U.I./g,
and
galactomannanase (0.75 U.I./g) were mixed with the basic composition to obtain
a final
composition. The pH was adjusted to 7Ø
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The final composition was added to regular pig food at a concentration of
280g/ton then
mixed in a regular food mixer as used in the art. Portions of the mixed food
were given to pigs
according to the regular pig feeding protocol.
Results
The average conversion rate (kg of food/kg weight gain) was of about 1. The
resulting
manure was more liquid, the nitrogen and anhydride sulfide gases were reduced
in proportion of
up to 95% depending on the production plan, the phosphorus was also reduced in
the manure, and
odors were reduced by up to 70%.
While the invention has been described in connection with specific embodiments
thereof, it will be understood that it is capable of further modifications and
this application is
intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention
following, in general, the
principles of the invention and including such departures from the present
disclosure as come
within known or customary practice within the art to which the invention
pertains and as may be
applied to the essential features hereinbefore set forth, and as follows in
the scope of the
appended claims.
