The invention rel tes ho a feed additive having physiol i all favourable effect and to a process for the preparation thereof.

Though cholesterol performs important biological tasks in the body, i is the public enemy No. 1 in our age. Tn case, i is present In excess in the human body, it will deposi in the vessel wal s, because of this the vessel walls become rigid, the blood pressure increases, or, iT the deposited particles come of the vessel walls for some reason, the vessel may get occluded, and if this happens i the coronary artery or other vessels, it leads to den th.

Tn many countries, also in Hungary, the ratio of myocardial infarction can amount up to 50% of causes of death. Tt has been observed that in countries where people consume a lot of fish, the ratio of myocardial infarction is rather low.

This is unambi uously attributed to the so-called omega-3 pol yunsaturated fatty acids being present in the fish lard in hi her quantity. Tn these fatty acids the first double bond is located at the third carbon atom, counted from the methyl end of the molecule, and the doub e bonds are in divinyl-methane

ril.hin. Western diet contains nil or very small quanti y of omega-3 fatty acids. The most, frequently consumed ol ive oil , sunflower oil or lard contains no omega-3 fatty acid, though for humans, 0,4-0,5% of the ingested fi calories must he in such a form (Sardesi , V. M. , J. Nutr. ninchem. 3, 155-166, 1 92).

These omega- polyenoic acids decrease platelet aggrega¬ tion, lower the cholesterol and triglyceride serum level , inhibi the deposition of cholesterol into the vessel

I0 wall , and ad itionall , they are important components of the <:erttra.l nervous system, e.g. they are essential for the normal function of the brain. Purified fish oil is available i encapsulated form. The world's fi h oil production is about 1-2 million

IH metric ton per year, but most of i is used for other purposes, so according to e tima ions, the needs of only 80-100 millions of people can be filled, though a multiple number of humans are arteriosclerotic and exposed to the ri k of infarction. Anyhow, it seems to 0 be justi ied to provide alternative omega-3 sources, taking into con idera ion the fact, that many people disl i e fi h oil prepa a ions.

The most simple omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid is the l inolenic aci ( ,fi , -octadecatri enoic acid, 18:3 omega-3 5 or rι-3), the animal body uses this acid for building up the long chain pol yunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids. A number of plants (peri 11a, flax, soybean, canola, nut)

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have seeds rich in linolenic acid.

The beneficial biological effects of linolenic acid were shown also by Cunnan et al . (Brit. J . Nutr. 69, 443-453, 1993 ) . Thus, it seems to be obvious to feed the various domestic animals with these seeds or the oil obtained from them, provided in a suitable form, because in the animal body this fatty aci or its different derivatives accumulate, and the products obtained from the animals (meat, milk, eg etc:. ) can be used for nutrition purposes. Certain prel imin y data prove that a relatively low linolenic aci quantity brought into the human body, reduces the cholesterol level and al o the risk of myocardial infarction (de horegil , M. et al . , The Lancet, 343, 1454-1459, 1994).

Tn this way, since a number of countries have no sea- fishery, the beneficial effects of the omega-3 fatty acids could be extended to great masses of the people. We had tried experiments, where animals were fed with feed containing additive rich in linolenic acid. We have found that in the animal products, such as lard, meat, l iver, milk, egg, the l inolenic acid accumulated to a certain degree. However, we could hardly detect this effect in case of cows, because the linolenic acid was hydrogenated in the rumen and so it lost its advantageous effect. This bi ohydrogeπat ion takes pl ce in the body of other animals

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too, though at lower degree.

Experiments were carried out in order to suppl f ed, containing l inolenic: acid, with a proper cover preventing the au I.oox da i on . We have found that when the grounded flaxseed or other seeds or the flaxseed oil appl ied to a carrier which was then granulated, was covered with a material of high molecular weight, preferably with paraffin, wax, fatty acid of higher number of carbon atoms, a polymer, the hydrogena i ng effect experienced in the animal body disappeared or signi fican l decreased.

The subject of the invention therefore a feed additive having physiol gically favourable effect, which comprises grist of flaxseed or grist of soybean or grist of canolaseed or grist of perillaseed or flaxseed oil press cake or flaxseed oil appl ied to a carrier, optionally 0,001-1% by weight of vitamin K, 0,001-1% by weight of bile ac: i d and on the surface of the solid material 0,0-5% by weight paraffin or wax or palmitic acid or a mixture thereof or natural or synthetic polymer and 0,1-5% by weight of known auxiliary materials. The polymer is preferably cellulose acetate, gelatine, polyvinyl alcohol , polyvinyl alcohol acetate. A further object of the invention is a process for the preparation of said feed additive. The process according to the invention comprises mixing grist of flaxseed or grist of soybean or grist of canolaseed or grist of

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perillaseed or granulated flaxseed oil press cake or flaxseed oil appl ied to a granulated carrier, optionally 0,001-1% by weight oT vitamin E and 0,001-1% by weight of bile ac: i d arid coating the mixture with 0,5-10 % by weight of a mixture consisting of paraffin or wax or palmitic acid or a mixture thereof or natural or synthetic polymers, 0,2-1% by weight of surface-active material and op ionall vitamin E, bile acid, solvent. The additive according to the invention can be used as feed additive for pig, cow, layer, fish and kinds of fi h.

The feed ad itive and (.he process for its preparation are illustrated by the following examples.

Exampl 1

The flaxseed was grounded and the coat was applied within 48 hours.

After grinding the flaxseed had the following particle si f.e distribution: 2,0 mm 2,2 % by weight

0,8 mm 62,0% by weight

0,5 mm 20,7% by weight

0,2 mm 9,1% gy weight under 0,2 mm 5,0 % by weight The composition of the material used for coating the flaxseed was the following:

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98,2% by weight of paraffin of food industry grade (K

30/95 MOI, Rt. ) (softening point: 65°C) 1 ,5% by weight of HOCHST WACHS KP-301 (product of HOECHST) 0,3% by weight of TWEEN 80 einulgeator (product of AThAS) The quantity of the coating material applied was 6 parts by weight to 100 parts by weight of grist. The coal, ing process involved the following steps: The grist of flaxseed was warmed to 75-95'C.

The homogenized coating mixture was wa med to 75 ^* C and then added to the grist under continuous stirring. The stirring was continued until the coating material di tributed homogenously on the surface of the flaxseed grist. During thi time the temperature of the mixture was maintained at, 90°0.

After the mixture became completely homogenous the grist was cooled to room temperature.

The coating was carried out in a single-worm blending equipment consisting of a heated section and a cooled one. For heating to the suitable temperature electric heating element and for cooling water counterflow was u ed .

Example 2

The process described in Example 1 was followed with the exception that for coating a mixture containing 0,1% by

weight oT vitamin E and 0,2% by weight of bile acid was used .

Exampi e 3 The process described in Example 1 was followed with the exception that instead of the grist of flaxseed starting material bran granules were used to which flaxseed oil was appl ied. The flaxseed oil content of the granules was 30% by weight and it also contained 0,001% by weight of vitamin E and 0,1% by weight of bile acid.

Exampl 4

The process described in Example 1 was followed with the exception that grist of perillaseed was substituted for the gri t of flaxseed.

Exampie 5

A group of 50 pigs was fed for one month with a feed containing 20% of feed addi ive according to Example 1. The control group consisting of 50 pigs was fed with the usual feed for one month.

The composition of fatty acids was determined in the lard, meat and l iver of the animals.

The results are given in the following table.

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C = Control T = Treated

The results show that in the lard, meat and liver of animals fed with a feed containing the additive according to the invention, the quantity of linolenic acid increased compared to the control.

Example 6

A group of 100 layers was fed with conventionel feed containing 25% by weight of feed additive according to Example 2.

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The number of layers in the control group was also 100 and the animal were fed wi h conventional feed containing no additive.

The eggs laved by the animals involved in the experiment were examined for the fatty a id composition. The results obtained are i en in the following table.

Fatty acid composition of eggs {% by weight)

The resul t show that in the eggs 1 ayed by the animals of the test group the l inolenic acid content significantly i ncrease .

Example 7 An experi ental group of 30 cows was fed for 60 days with a feed containing feed additive according to Example 1. The animals consumed from this feed twice a day such a

quantity which contained 2 x 500 g of additive according to Exaple 1. The fatty acid composition of the milk was examined. The results which are the means of 5 separate determinations are given in the following table.

Fatty acid composition of cow's milk

It can be seen that the level of 18:0 acid decreased by 33% by weitht, while that of 18:2 and 18:3 acids rose by 100% by wight and 400% by weight, respectively in the milks of experimental animals. Both, the reduction in 18:0 acid and the increase in 18:2 and 18:3 acids indicate a reduction of biohydrogenation processes taking place in the rumen.

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