US-12620472-B2 - Method, apparatus, and program for evaluation of any one or both of health state and growth state of livestock animal

US12620472B2US 12620472 B2US12620472 B2US 12620472B2US-12620472-B2

Abstract

An information processing method, which includes an evaluating step of evaluating at least one item of growth potential, nutrition state of a protein, utilization efficiency of an amino acid, glucose metabolism, stress, appetite, feed efficiency, growth speed, and growth prediction, by using a blood concentration value of at least one amino acid of Asn, Ser, Gly, His, Thr, Arg, Pro, Tyr, Val, Met, Orn, Lys, Ile, Leu, Phe, Trp, and 3Met-His, obtained from an animal, or a value of one or a plurality of formulae that include an explanatory variable to be substituted with the blood concentration value, calculated using the formula and the blood concentration value, wherein at the evaluating step, each evaluation is carried out using the blood concentration value or the value of one formula, is useful for evaluating the health and/or growth state of livestock.

Inventors

Takayuki Tanaka
Yuko SUSA
Tetsuya Takimoto
Yosuke TSUNEYOSHI
Makoto Bannai

Assignees

AJINOMOTO CO., INC.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20201001
Priority Date: 20180410

Claims (20)

1 . An information processing method comprising: evaluating growth of an animal, by evaluating a growth prediction using a value of index formula (9), wherein the value is calculated by substituting a blood concentration value of the amino acids Ala, Pro, Ile, Trp, Gly, and Gln obtained from the animal into index formula (9) to produce an evaluation result of the growth prediction a 9 ×Ala+ b 9 ×Pro+ c 9 ×Ile+ d 9 ×Trp+ e 9 ×Gly+ f 9 ×Gln+ g 9 (9) where a 9 , b 9 , c 9 , d 9 , e 9 , and f 9 each are a real number other than zero, and g 9 is a real number, determining, based on the evaluation result of the growth prediction, a need to improve the growth of the animal, acquiring, following the determining, information regarding a recommendable amino acid comprising an amino acid recommended to improve the evaluation result of the growth prediction from a database, and administering the recommendable amino acid obtained based on the information acquired by the acquiring step to the animal in order to improve the growth, wherein the evaluating and the acquiring are carried out in a control unit of an information processing apparatus comprising the control unit, at the administering, at least one restriction amino acid selected from the group consisting of Lys, Met, Thr, Gly, Cyst, and His is administered to the animal with the recommendable amino acid, and the animal is a pig and the blood concentration value is of a daily age of the pig of 45 days to 60 days.
2 . The information processing method according to claim 1 , wherein the evaluating growth of the animal further comprises, evaluating growth speed using a value of index formula (8), wherein the value is calculated by substituting a blood concentration value of the amino acids Trp, Gln, Ala, Gly, Pro, and Val obtained from the animal into the index formula (8) to produce an evaluation result of the growth speed a 8 ×Trp+ b 8 ×Gln+ c 8 ×Ala+ d 8 ×Gly+ e 8 ×Pro+ f 8 ×Val+ g 8 (8) where a 8 , b 8 , c 8 , d 8 , e 8 , and f 8 each are a real number other than zero, and g 8 is a real number, the determining is further based on the evaluation result of the growth speed, and the recommendable amino acid further comprises an amino acid recommended to improve the evaluation result of the growth speed which is at least one selected from the group consisting of Trp, Gln, Ala, Gly, Pro, and Val.
3 . The information processing method according to claim 1 , comprising: setting a color, a pattern, or a combination thereof corresponding to the evaluation result of the growth prediction; and preparing a first result data with regard to a tile display of a rectangular area, in which the color, the pattern, or a combination thereof in the area are those having been set at the setting and a character string corresponding to the evaluation result of the growth prediction is disposed in the area, wherein the setting and the preparing the first result data are carried out in the control unit.
4 . The information processing method according to claim 1 , comprising preparing a second result data with regard to the evaluation results of the growth prediction, wherein the evaluation result is displayed in a table style or in a list style, wherein the preparing the second result data is carried out in the control unit.
5 . The information processing method according to claim 1 , wherein the database comprises, as the recommendable amino acid, at least one amino acid selected from the group consisting of Met, Lys, Thr, Trp, Val, Leu, Ile, Arg, Tyr, Phe, Gln, Glu, Gly, Cys2, and His.
6 . The information processing method according to claim 1 , wherein the information processing apparatus is connected through a communicable network to an information processing apparatus of a company that sells amino acids, wherein the method comprises: preparing ordering data of the recommendable amino acid based on the information acquired at the acquiring; and transmitting the ordering data prepared at the preparing ordering data to the information processing apparatus of the company, wherein the preparing ordering data and the transmitting ordering data are carried out in the control unit.
7 . The information processing method according to claim 1 , comprising preparing an opinion data, on the basis of the evaluation result of the growth prediction, opinion data regarding options for improving a growth prediction of other animals reared in a rearing condition of the animal, wherein the preparing opinion data is carried out in the control unit.
8 . The information processing method according to claim 1 , wherein the evaluating further comprises evaluating stress, and the evaluating stress is carried out by using a blood concentration value of at least one amino acid selected from the group consisting of Ser, Tyr, Ile, and Trp, or a value of a formula that comprises an explanatory variable to be substituted with the blood concentration value, calculated using the formula and the blood concentration value.
9 . The information processing method according to claim 1 , wherein the administering further administers the recommendable amino acid obtained based on the information acquired by the acquiring to an animal raised in a same rearing environment as the animal.
10 . An information processing apparatus comprising a control unit, wherein the control unit comprises: an evaluating unit that evaluates growth of an animal, by evaluating a growth prediction using a value of index formula (9), wherein the value is calculated by substituting a blood concentration value of the amino acids Ala, Pro, Ile, Trp, Gly, and Gln obtained from the animal into index formula (9) to produce an evaluation result of growth prediction a 9 ×Ala+ b 9 ×Pro+ c 9 ×Ile+ d 9 ×Trp+ e 9 ×Gly+ f 9 ×Gln+ g 9 (9) where a 9 , b 9 , c 9 , d 9 , e 9 , and f 9 each are a real number other than zero, and g 9 is a real number, and determines, based on the evaluation result of the growth prediction, a need to improve the growth of the animal, an acquiring unit that acquires, following the determining, information regarding a recommendable amino acid comprising an amino acid recommend to improve the evaluation result of the growth prediction from a database, and an administering unit that administers the recommendable amino acid obtained based on the information acquired by the acquiring unit to the animal in order to improve the growth, wherein the administering unit administers at least one restriction amino acid selected from the group consisting of Lys, Met, Thr, Gly, Cyst, and His to the animal with the recommendable amino acid, and (III) the animal is a pig and the blood concentration value is of a daily age of the pig of 45 days to 60 days.
11 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the evaluating unit further evaluates growth speed by using a value of index formula (8), wherein the value is calculated by substituting a blood concentration value of the amino acids Trp, Gln, Ala, Gly, Pro, and Val obtained from the animal into the index formula (8) to produce an evaluation result of the growth speed a 8 ×Trp+ b 8 ×Gln+ c 8 ×Ala+ d 8 ×Gly+ e 8 ×Pro+ f 8 ×Val+ g 8 (8) where a 8 , b 8 , c 8 , d 8 , e 8 , and f 8 each are a real number other than zero, and g 8 is a real number, the evaluating unit further determines based on the evaluation result of the growth speed, and the recommendable amino acid further comprises an amino acid recommended to improve the evaluation result of the growth speed which is at least one selected from the group consisting of Trp, Gln, Ala, Gly, Pro, and Val.
12 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the control unit comprises: a setting unit that sets a color, a pattern, or a combination thereof corresponding to the evaluation result of the growth prediction; and a first result data preparing unit that prepares a first result data with regard to a tile display of a rectangular area, in which the color, the pattern, or a combination thereof in the area are those having been set by the setting unit and a character string corresponding to the growth prediction is disposed in the area.
13 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the control unit comprises a second result data preparing unit that prepares a second result data with regard to the evaluation results of the growth prediction, wherein the evaluation result is displayed in a table style or in a list style.
14 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the database comprises, as the recommendable amino acid, at least one amino acid selected from the group consisting of Met, Lys, Thr, Trp, Val, Leu, Ile, Arg, Tyr, Phe, Gln, Glu, Gly, Cys2, and His.
15 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 10 , being connected through a communicable network to an information processing apparatus of a company that sells amino acids, wherein the control unit comprises: an ordering data preparing unit that prepares ordering data of the recommendable amino acid based on the information acquired by the acquiring unit; and an ordering data transmitting unit that transmits the ordering data prepared by the ordering data preparing unit to the information processing apparatus of the company.
16 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the control unit comprises an opinion data preparing unit that prepares, on the basis of the evaluation result of the growth prediction, opinion data regarding options for improving a growth prediction of other animals reared in a rearing condition of the animal.
17 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the evaluating unit further evaluates stress, and the evaluating unit evaluates stress by using a blood concentration value of at least one amino acid selected from the group consisting of Ser, Tyr, Ile, and Trp, or a value of a formula that comprises an explanatory variable to be substituted with the blood concentration value, calculated using the formula and the blood concentration value.
18 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the administering further comprises administering the recommendable amino acid obtained based on the information acquired by the acquiring to an animal raised in a same rearing environment as the animal.
19 . An information processing program product having a non-transitory tangible computer readable medium comprising programmed instructions for causing a control unit of an information processing apparatus comprising the control unit to carry out an information processing method, wherein the information processing method comprises: evaluating growth of an animal, by evaluating a growth prediction using a value of index formula (9), wherein the value is calculated by substituting a blood concentration value of the amino acids Ala, Pro, Ile, Trp, Gly, and Gln obtained from the animal into index formula (9) to produce an evaluation result of the growth prediction a 9 ×Ala+ b 9 ×Pro+ c 9 ×Ile+ d 9 ×Trp+ e 9 ×Gly+ f 9 ×Gln+ g 9 (9) where a 9 , b 9 , c 9 , d 9 , e 9 , and f 9 each are a real number other than zero, and g 9 is a real number, determining, based on the evaluation result of the growth prediction, a need to improve the growth of the animal, acquiring, following the determining, information regarding a recommendable amino acid comprising an amino acid recommended to improve the evaluation result of the growth prediction from a database, and administering the recommendable amino acid obtained based on the information acquired by the acquiring to the animal in order to improve the growth, wherein the evaluating and the acquiring are carried out in a control unit of an information processing apparatus comprising the control unit, at the administering, at least one restriction amino acid selected from the group consisting of Lys, Met, Thr, Gly, Cyst, and His is administered to the animal with the recommendable amino acid, and the animal is a pig and the blood concentration value is of a daily age of the pig of 45 days to 60 days.
20 . The information processing program product of claim 19 , wherein the evaluating further comprises evaluating stress, and the evaluating the stress is carried out by using a blood concentration value of at least one amino acid selected from the group consisting of Ser, Tyr, Ile, and Trp, or a value of a formula that comprises an explanatory variable to be substituted with the blood concentration value, calculated using the formula and the blood concentration value.

Description

CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation of International Patent Application No. PCT/JP2019/014870, filed Apr. 3, 2019, and claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2018-075707, filed Apr. 10, 2018, both of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to information processing methods calculating methods, information processing apparatus, calculating apparatus, information processing programs, and calculating programs. Discussion of the Background In an animal husbandry field, it is increasingly required to actively deal with new issues that require some costs (for example, prevention measures against epidemic and disease so as to reduce an accident rate and deal with an animal welfare) as a part of social responsibilities, in addition to improvement in productivity (for example, shortening of rearing days and increase in a feed utilization efficiency). In order to deal with these new issues, too, a healthy and good livestock animal with a decreased disease risk needs to be reared; thus, realization of a further rational rearing environment (for example, precise grasping of a health state of a livestock animal) is important. A test of a biomarker to indicate a health state is rapidly advancing because of a recent development in a genome analysis and a post-genome test. Also, the biomarker is being widely used in prevention, diagnosis, prognosis prediction, and the like of a disease. Biomarkers actively tested are on the bases of: a genomics and transcriptomics based on gene information; a proteomics based on protein information; and a metabolomics based on metabolic information. However, in the biomarkers based on the genomics and the transcriptomics, there is a problem in that an environmental factor is not reflected even though a genetic factor is reflected. In the biomarker based on the proteomics, because it is necessary to analyze many proteins, there is a problem in that many problems are still remained unsolved in the analysis methods as well as the comprehensive analysis method thereof. In the biomarker based on the metabolomics, there may be a promising future as the biomarker that reflects not only a genetic factor but also an environmental factor; but because there are so many metabolites, there is a problem in that many problems are still remained unsolved in the comprehensive analysis method thereof. Existing biomarkers indicating a health state of a pig that have been reported are: a blood IGF-1 (Insulin-like Growth Factor-1) indicating a secretion amount of a growth hormone (see A. J. van Dijk, H. Everts, M. J. A. Nabuurs, R. J. C. F. Margry, A. C. Beynen, Growth performance of weanling pigs fed spray-dried animal plasma: a review, Livestock Production Science, 2001, 68, 2-3, 263-274, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety); a blood insulin indicating a metabolic state of a glucose (see A. J. van Dijk, H. Everts, M. J. A. Nabuurs, R. J. C. F. Margry, A. C. Beynen, Growth performance of weanling pigs fed spray-dried animal plasma: a review, Livestock Production Science, 2001, 68, 2-3, 263-274, which is incorporated herein by reference inits entirety); a blood albumin indicating a nutrition state of a protein (see Robert D. Goodband, Mike D. Tokach, Steve S. Dritz, Jim L. Nelssen, General Nutrition Principles for Swine, Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, 1997, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety); and a blood serotonin as well as kynurenine and tryptophan, the neighboring metabolites of serotonin, indicating a stress state (see Grandin, T, The effect of stress on livestock and meat quality prior to and during slaughter, International Journal for the Study of Animal Problems, 1980, 1(5), 313-337, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety). Existing biomarkers indicating a growth state of a pig that have been reported are: Average Daily Feed Intake (see John F. Patience, Mariana C. Rossoni-Serao, Nestor A. Gutierrez, A review of feed efficiency in swine: biology and application, J Anim Sci Biotechnol, 2015, 6(1), 33, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety) and Gain to Feed Ratio (see John F. Patience, Mariana C. Rossoni-Serao, Nestor A. Gutierrez, A review of feed efficiency in swine: biology and application, J Anim Sci Biotechnol, 2015, 6(1), 33, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety). JP-T-2017-527264, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, discloses, among others, a system to provide advices with regard to nutrition, health, and/or wellness of an animal on the basis of the data obtained by collecting and analyzing at least one parameter that relates to health, diet therapy, action, and environment of the animal. JP-T-2008-508606, which is incorporated herein by reference in its enti