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EP-4734769-A1 - A FEED ADDITIVE AND A METHOD FOR PREPARING A FEED ADDITIVE

EP4734769A1EP 4734769 A1EP4734769 A1EP 4734769A1EP-4734769-A1

Abstract

According to an example aspect of the present invention, there is provided a feed additive obtainable by a method comprising the steps of: providing a soluble lignin-containing organic solution; providing an aqueous precipitant solution comprising about wt-% to about 40 wt-% of acid(s); adding the aqueous precipitant solution to the soluble lignin-containing organic solution to provide a mixture having a temperature in the range of about 40°C to about 90°C; cooling the mixture containing a precipitated lignin product for about 2 sec to about 2 hours; separating and recovering the precipitated lignin product from the mixture; collecting the resulting mixture as a feed additive.

Inventors

  • PUPUTTI, Mirka
  • SONCK, Matti
  • LAINE, JAAKKO
  • KOSKINEN, JERE
  • MAUNUKSELA, JYRI

Assignees

  • Chempolis Oy

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20240628

Claims (20)

  1. 1. A feed additive obtainable by the method comprising the steps of: - providing a soluble lignin-containing organic solution, - providing an aqueous precipitant solution comprising about 5 wt-% to about 40 wt-% of acid(s), - adding the aqueous precipitant solution to the soluble lignin-containing organic solution to provide a mixture having a temperature in the range of about 40°C to about 90°C, - cooling the mixture containing a precipitated lignin product for about 2 sec to about 2 hours, - separating the precipitated lignin product from the mixture, - collecting the resulting mixture as a feed additive.
  2. 2. The feed additive according to claim 1, wherein the soluble lignin-containing organic solution is a spent cooking liquor from an organosolv pulping process of a lignocellulosic material.
  3. 3. The feed additive according to claim 2, wherein the organosolv pulping process of a lignocellulosic material is performed using an aqueous solution comprising at least one organic acid as a cooking liquor.
  4. 4. The feed additive according to claim 3, wherein the organic acid is selected from formic acid, acetic acid or combinations thereof.
  5. 5. The feed additive according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the aqueous solvent comprises furfural.
  6. 6. The feed additive according to any of the claims 2-5, wherein the lignocellulosic material is selected from a group comprising straw materials, such as wheat or bagasse, wood materials, such as eucalyptus, grass materials, such as bamboo, napier grass or mischantus, and combination thereof.
  7. 7. The feed additive according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the soluble lignin-containing organic solution comprises formic acid, acetic acid, and water.
  8. 8. The feed additive according to claim 7, wherein the soluble lignin-containing organic solution further comprises furfural.
  9. 9. The feed additive according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the soluble lignincontaining organic solution comprises about 65 wt.% to about 90 wt.% of formic acid, acetic acid or combinations thereof calculated from the total amount of compounds evaporated from the soluble lignin-containing organic solution at 105 °C under atmospheric pressure.
  10. 10. The feed additive according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the soluble lignincontaining organic solution comprises less than 8 wt.% of at least one alcohol, such as methanol and/or ethanol.
  11. 11. The feed additive according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the dry matter of the soluble lignin-containing organic solution is in the range of about 50 wt.% to about 90 wt.%, specifically about 60 wt.% to about 85 wt.%, more specifically about 70 wt.% to about 80 wt.%.
  12. 12. The feed additive according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the aqueous precipitant solution comprises about 20 wt.% to about 30 wt.% of acid(s).
  13. 13. The feed additive according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the acid(s) in the aqueous precipitant solution are organic acid(s).
  14. 14. The feed additive according to claim 12, wherein the acid(s) are selected from formic acid, acetic acid or combinations thereof.
  15. 15. The feed additive according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the aqueous precipitant solution comprises an acidic process side stream from organosolv pulping process of the lignocellulosic material.
  16. 16. The feed additive according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the aqueous precipitant solution is added to the soluble lignin-containing organic solution in a weight ratio of about 0.7:1 to about 2.5:1, specifically about 1 :1 to about 2:1.
  17. 17. The feed additive according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the mixture has a temperature of about 50°C to about 90°C, specifically 60°C to about 85°C, more specifically about 65°C to about 80°C.
  18. 18. The feed additive according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the mixture after the adding step comprises at most 60 wt.%, specifically in the range of about 5 wt.% to about 60 wt.%, of at least one organic acid calculated from the total weight of compounds evaporated from the soluble lignin-containing organic solution at 105 °C under atmospheric pressure.
  19. 19. The feed additive according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the mixture is cooled to about 20°C to about 50°C, specifically about 25°C to about 40°C.
  20. 20. The feed additive according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the cooling of the mixture is performed within 60 minutes.

Description

A FEED ADDITIVE AND A METHOD FOR PREPARING A FEED ADDITIVE FIELD [0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of animal nutrition. More specifically, the present invention belongs to the field of feed additive compositions for improving storability and microbial quality of feed. BACKGROUND [0002] Microbial toxins are common in silage feed when no preservative is used. Improving the storability of silage feed is typically based on the activity of beneficial lactic acid bacteria, naturally present in silage in anaerobic conditions. The presence of lactic acid reduces pH, which inhibits the growth of aerobic microbes, such as yeasts, enterobacteria and molds, which causes spoilage in silage. [0003] Quality of animal feed has impact on animal health, as pathogens cause illness, in particular in monogastric animals (pigs, poultry). The excessive use of antibiotics is causing globally antibiotic resistance, which is why the use of antibiotics is heavily regulated. In addition, EU is in the near future going to ban to use of zinc due to its harmful effect to the environment. Thus, new feed ingredients with antimicrobial qualities are needed to help reducing usage of antibiotics, while also having beneficial (probiotic or prebiotic) effects on animal metabolism. [0004] Current strategies to reduce antibiotics in animal feed include addition of probiotics or prebiotics to feed (Anadon, 2019). Such additives include for example different types of probiotics, prebiotics, organic acids, plant extracts, fatty acids and immunostimulants. An effect has however been shown only for some of these strategies. [0005] Other additives that are used in maintaining growth of lactic acid bacteria in animal feed include added lactic acid bacteria, enzymes, sodium nitrite, sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate. Some of these additives can further be used to slow or inhibit the growth of pathogens. Current strategies for improving aerobic stability of the feed include adding lactic acid bacteria, propionic acid salts, sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate or sodium nitrite into feed. The mode of action of these strategies is to inhibit growth of yeasts and moulds. [0006] As is obvious from above, a variety of strategies are in use for improving storability and microbial quality of feed. Yet, there is a high demand for new, efficient methods. Especially methods that can provide simultaneous effects on aerobic stability and microbial quality of feed are of high importance. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0007] The invention is defined by the features of the independent claims. Some specific embodiments are defined in the dependent claims. The present invention is meant to mitigate/minimize the problems of the solutions described in the prior art and/or to improve storability and microbial quality of the feed [0008] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a feed additive obtainable by the method comprising the steps of: - providing a soluble lignin-containing organic solution, - providing an aqueous precipitant solution comprising about 5 wt-% to about 40 wt-% of acid(s), - adding the aqueous precipitant solution to the soluble lignin-containing organic solution to provide a mixture having a temperature in the range of about 40°C to about 90°C, - cooling the mixture containing a precipitated lignin product for about 2 sec to about 2 hours, - separating and recovering the precipitated lignin product from the mixture, - collecting the resulting mixture as a feed additive. [0009] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a feed additive comprising spent cooking liquor from an organosolv pulping process of a lignocellulosic material from which lignin has been precipitated by addition of 5 to 40 wt- % of at least one acid. [0010] According to a third as aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided use of the feed additive according to the first or the second aspect of the disclosure for preserving feed. [0011] According to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided there is provided use of the feed additive according to the first or the second aspect of the disclosure as a feed supplement. [0012] According to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method for producing a feed additive, comprising the steps of: - providing a soluble lignin-containing organic solution, - providing an aqueous precipitant solution comprising about 5 wt-% to about 40 wt-% of acid(s), - adding the aqueous precipitant solution to the soluble lignin-containing organic solution to provide a mixture having a temperature in the range of about 40°C to about 90°C, - cooling the mixture containing a precipitated lignin product for about 2 sec to about 2 hours, - separating and recovering the precipitated lignin product from the mixture, - collecting the resulting mixture as a feed additive. [0013] The present invention is thus based on separating lignoc