Methods of Accelerating Muscle Growth, Decreasing Fat Deposits and Improving Feed Efficiency in Livestock Animals

Abstract

A method of promoting or improving the feed efficiency and the muscle to fat ratio in animals by administering to the animals a therapeutically effective amount of a pure or substantially pure RR-isomer of ractopamine is disclosed. Also disclosed are animal feed preparations and compositions and pharmaceutical preparations capable of increasing lean meat deposition in an animal or decreasing body fat, or promoting or improving the growth of an animal or improving the feed efficiency of an animal. Feed preparation, compositions and pharmaceutical preparations including therapeutically effective amounts of a pure or substantially pure RR-isomer of ractopamine are disclosed

1 . A method of promoting muscle growth, decreasing fat deposits or improving feed efficiency of animals, which comprises administering to said animal an effective amount of the pure or substantially pure RR-enantiomer of ractopamine or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, solvate or polymorph thereof. 
   
   
       2 . A method of promoting muscle growth, decreasing fat deposits or improving feed efficiency of animals, which comprises administering to said animal an effective amount of the pure or substantially pure RR-enantiomer of ractopamine or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, solvate or polymorph thereof, while minimizing or eliminating the side effects residing in the corresponding racemic mixture of RR—, RS—, SR— and SS-isomers. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said RR-isomer of ractopamine or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof is administered to said animals as a feed or feed additive, containing the pure or substantially pure RR-enantiomer of ractopamine or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, solvate or polymorph thereof in concentrations from 1 ppm to 500 ppm. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said RR-isomer of ractopamine or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof is administered to said animals in the form of drinking water, containing the pure or substantially pure RR-enantiomer of ractopamine or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, solvate or polymorph thereof in a concentration from 1 ppm to 500 ppm. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said RR-isomer of ractopamine is administered for promoting muscle growth of livestock animals, birds and farmed fish. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said RR-isomer of ractopamine is administered for decreasing body fat of livestock animals, birds and farmed fish. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said RR-isomer of ractopamine is administered to livestock animals, birds and farmed fish for improving feed efficiency. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said side effect is stress with concomitant aggression. 
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said side effect is stress with concomitant decrease in meat quality. 
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said side effect is stress with concomitant increase in mortality. 
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said animals are ruminants. 
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said animals are swine. 
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said animals are horses. 
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said animals are chicken or turkeys. 
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein optically pure RR-ractopamine contains 98 per cent by weight or more of RR-ractopamine and 2 per cent or less by weight of the sum of RS—, SR— and SS-ractopamine. 
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein substantially pure RR-ractopamine contains 80 per cent by weight or more of RR-ractopamine and 20 percent or less by weight of the sum of RS, SR and SS-ractopamine. 
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein pure or substantially pure RR-enantiomer of ractopamine or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, solvate or polymorph thereof is administered in combination with an effective amount of at least one antibacterial compound. 
   
   
       18 . A feedstuff composition for animals, comprising the admixture with protein-containing feed materials of the pure or substantially pure RR-isomer of ractopamine, a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, solvate or polymorph thereof. 
   
   
       19 . The composition of  claim 18  wherein said feedstuff also contains an effective amount of at least one antibacterial compound. 
   
   
       20 . The composition of  claim 19 , wherein said antibacterial compound is a beta-glucan. 
   
   
       21 . A composition containing pure or substantially pure RR-enantiomer of ractopamine or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, solvate or polymorph thereof, and at least one antibacterial compound.