Composition and method for promoting reduction of heat stress in animals

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a method for promoting reduction of heat stress in animals, as well as a composition for use in the disclosed method. The composition comprises a glucan, silica, mineral clay, mannan, and optionally an endoglucanohydrolase, and may be administered to an animal that is susceptible to or suffers from heat stress.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method, comprising administering a composition comprising glucan, silica, mineral clay and mannan to an aquatic animal that is experiencing a stress event, or is at risk of experiencing a stress event. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises between 15% and 40% silica, between 50% and 81% mineral clay, between 1.0% and 5.0% β-glucans, and between 1% and 8.0% mannan. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprises an endoglucanohydrolase. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the composition consists essentially of silica, mineral clay, glucan, mannan and endoglucanohydrolase. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the composition consists essentially of between 15% and 40% silica, between 50% and 81% mineral clay, between 1.0% and 5.0% β-glucans, between 0.05% and 3.0% β-1,3 (4)-endoglucanohydrolase and between 1% and 8.0% mannan. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the composition consists of between 15% and 40% silica, between 50% and 81% mineral clay, between 1.0% and 5.0% β-glucans, between 0.05% and 3.0% β-1,3 (4)-endoglucanohydrolase and between 1% and 8.0% mannan. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the aquatic animal is a fish. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the fish is a salmon or a trout. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the stress event is heat-induced stress. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the aquatic animal is immunosuppressed prior to administration of the composition. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the aquatic animal is administered an amount of the composition effective to alter a stress indicator relative to an aquatic animal that has not been administered the composition. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the stress indicator is feed intake, an immune biomarker, serum cortisol level or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the stress indicator is an elevated level of serum cortisol in the aquatic animal relative to a level of cortisol in an aquatic animal not experiencing the stress event. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein:
 the stress indicator is measured; and   an amount of the composition administered to the aquatic animal is selected based at least in part on the measurement of the stress indicator.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the composition is incorporated into the aquatic animal's feed in an amount ranging from 0.1 to 100 kg per ton of feed, and the composition incorporated into the feed is provided to the aquatic animal. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising administering the composition in an amount from 1 mg/kg body weight per day to 20 g/kg body weight per day. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the composition is administered to the aquatic animal prior to the aquatic animal experiencing the stress event, while the aquatic animal is experiencing the stress event, and/or after the aquatic animal experiences the stress event. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the composition is administered to a group of aquatic animals that are experiencing the stress event or are at risk of experiencing the stress event for a first period of time;   a stress indicator of at least one aquatic animal of the group of aquatic animals is subsequently measured; and   an adjusted amount of the composition is administered to the group of aquatic animals for a subsequent period of time, wherein the adjusted amount is based at least in part on the measurement of the stress indicator.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the composition is administered for an effective period of time to promote a reduction in stress caused by the stress event. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the effective period of time is at least 1 day. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the effective period of time is from 1 day to 200 days. 
     
     
         22 . A method of reducing heat-induced stress in an aquatic animal, the method comprising administering a composition comprising glucan, silica, mineral clay, and mannan to an aquatic animal that has or is at risk of developing heat-induced stress, wherein administering the composition to the aquatic animal for an effective period of time promotes reduction of heat-induced stress. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the composition comprises between 15% and 40% silica, between 50% and 81% mineral clay, between 1.0% and 5.0% β-glucans, and between 1% and 8.0% mannan. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the composition further comprises an endoglucanohydrolase. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the composition consists essentially of between 15% and 40% silica, between 50% and 81% mineral clay, between 1.0% and 5.0% β-glucans, between 0.05% and 3.0% β-1,3 (4)-endoglucanohydrolase and between 1% and 8.0% mannan. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the composition consists of between 15% and 40% silica, between 50% and 81% mineral clay, between 1.0% and 5.0% β-glucans, between 0.05% and 3.0% β-1,3 (4)-endoglucanohydrolase and between 1% and 8.0% mannan. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the aquatic animal is a fish. 
     
     
         28 . A method of reducing a serum cortisol level in an aquatic animal, comprising administering a composition comprising glucan, silica, mineral clay, and mannan to an aquatic animal that is experiencing a stress event, or is at risk of experiencing a stress event, wherein administering the composition promotes a reduction in the serum cortisol level in the aquatic animal relative to a serum cortisol level in an aquatic animal not administered the composition.