WO2025239306A1 - Coated preparation containing cashew nut shell oil, anacardic acid, cardol and/or cardanol and silica particles - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided is a preparation which contains silica particles to which a cashew nut shell oil, anacardic acid, cardol and/or cardanol has been adsorbed, wherein the surfaces of the silica particles are coated with a coat agent that comprises a fatty acid mixture including an unsaturated fatty acid and a saturated fatty acid.

Description

Coating preparation containing cashew nut shell liquid, anacardic acid, cardol and/or cardanol, and silica particles

The present invention relates to a preparation in which cashew nut shell liquid (CNSL), anacardic acid, cardol, and/or cardanol are adsorbed onto silica particles, and the surface is further coated with a specific coating agent.

Cashew nut shell oil is an oily liquid found in the shells of the cashew nut tree (Anacardium occidentale L.). Its main components are anacardic acid, cardanol, cardol, and methyl cardol. Cashew nut shell oil can be prepared by heating or solvent extraction, but it is usually heated in cashew-producing areas to convert anacardic acid to cardanol before use. Cashew nut shell oil can cause rashes, so care must be taken when handling it. Since rashes can occur with any of the main components, anacardic acid, cardanol, or cardol, there was a need to develop a method for safely handling it.

Patent Document 1 reports that fluidity is improved by retaining cashew nut shell oil on silica particles, which are oil-absorbing carriers. However, when cashew nut shell oil retained on an oil-absorbing carrier is stored at low temperatures, anacardic acid and other substances precipitate on the surface of the oil-absorbing carrier, causing the oil-absorbing carriers to adhere to each other. Patent Document 1 also states that precipitation can be suppressed by controlling the particle size of the silica used in the oil-absorbing carrier. Patent Document 1 also discloses a method for suppressing the elution of cashew nut shell oil from the oil-absorbing carrier by retaining the cashew nut shell oil on the oil-absorbing carrier and then coating it with hardened oil or the like, but it has not been confirmed that these methods are effective in suppressing the precipitation of anacardic acid on the surface of the oil-absorbing carrier.

International Publication No. WO2014/142113

Studies by the present inventors have revealed that when an oil-absorbing carrier for cashew nut shell oil coated with saturated fatty acids such as hardened palm oil according to the method of Patent Document 1 is placed in warm water at 40°C simulating the gastric juice of livestock animals, the release of cashew nut shell oil is significantly reduced compared to an uncoated carrier. In other words, the method of Patent Document 1 can improve handling, such as preventing precipitation and elution during storage at low or normal temperatures, but it has been found that there is a problem with release within the bodies of livestock animals during use.
Specifically, the inventors attempted to adsorb cashew nut shell liquid onto silica having an average particle size of 150 μm or more and then coat the silica surface with saturated fatty acid such as hardened palm oil. While this significantly reduced the precipitation of anacardic acid and its elution at room temperature, when the silica preparation coated with saturated fatty acid was placed in warm water at 40°C, which simulates the gastric juice of livestock animals, the release of cashew nut shell liquid was significantly reduced compared to before the coating treatment.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a formulation that prevents cashew nut shell oil, anacardic acid, cardol, and/or cardanol (hereinafter also referred to as cashew nut shell oil, etc.) from precipitating and solidifying from an oil-absorbing carrier (i.e., silica) at low temperatures and from eluting at around room temperature, and that enables the cashew nut shell oil, etc. to be efficiently released from the oil-absorbing carrier when the formulation is ingested by an animal.

The inventors conducted extensive research to solve the above problems. As a result, they discovered that by appropriately setting the chain length and degree of unsaturation of the fatty acid used in the coating agent, it is possible to prevent anacardic acid precipitation while also achieving release properties at around 40°C. Based on these findings, the present invention was completed.

That is, the present invention is as follows: [1] A preparation containing silica particles having adsorbed thereon cashew nut shell liquid, anacardic acid, cardol and/or cardanol, the surfaces of the silica particles being coated with a coating agent containing a fatty acid mixture containing unsaturated fatty acids and saturated fatty acids.
[2] The formulation according to [1], wherein the coating agent contains 1% by weight to 14% by weight of an unsaturated fatty acid.
[3] The formulation described in [1] or [2], wherein the unsaturated fatty acid is a mixture of C18:1 and C18:2.
[4] The formulation according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein the saturated fatty acid comprises palmitic acid (C16) and/or stearic acid (C18).
[5] The formulation according to any one of [1] to [4], wherein the coating agent has a melting point of 50°C or higher.
[6] The formulation according to any one of [1] to [5], wherein the silica particles have an average particle size of 150 μm or more.
[7] The formulation according to any one of [1] to [6], wherein the mass ratio of the silica particles to the coating agent is 80 to 99.9:20 to 0.1.
[8] The formulation according to any one of [1] to [7], wherein the surfaces of the silica particles are each coated with a coating agent.
[9] The formulation according to any one of [1] to [8], which is for use in feed.

The present invention can reduce precipitation, elution, adhesion, etc. of cashew nut shell liquid and the like during storage at low temperature or room temperature, while improving release properties around body temperature during use, thereby improving safety and ease of handling during preparation, distribution, storage, and use of the formulation.
In addition, by using a fatty acid mixture containing unsaturated fatty acids as a coating agent, the coating treatment can be carried out without using water or a solvent, so that the drying step can be omitted, the entire process can be simplified, and costs can be reduced. Furthermore, the oil absorption step and the coating step can be carried out in the same reaction vessel, so the process can be simplified and costs can be reduced.

The conditions for the anacardic acid precipitation test are shown below. The results of an evaluation test of anacardic acid precipitation using various coating agents are shown (photo). The dissolution test method is shown below. The results of a test evaluating the CNSL elution properties of various coating agents are shown below. The results of a CNSL release evaluation test using various coating agents are shown below.

The silica preparation of the present invention contains cashew nut shell liquid, anacardic acid, cardol and/or cardanol, and silica particles, and the silica particles have adsorbed thereto cashew nut shell liquid, anacardic acid, cardol and/or cardanol. The silica particles having adsorbed thereto cashew nut shell liquid, etc., are coated on the surface with a coating agent containing a fatty acid mixture including unsaturated fatty acids and saturated fatty acids.

In the following specification, silica particles with cashew nut shell oil or the like adsorbed thereon will be referred to as "silica base," and a preparation in which this silica base is coated with a coating agent will be referred to as "coated granules," and these will sometimes be collectively referred to as "silica preparations."

Cashew nut shell oil is an oily liquid found in the shells of the cashew nut tree (Anacardium occidentale L.). Cashew nut shell oil contains anacardic acid, cardanol, and cardol as its components. Anacardic acid is generally converted to cardanol by heat treatment.

Cashew nut shell oil can be obtained as a vegetable oil extracted by squeezing cashew nut shells. Cashew nut shell oil can also be obtained by extraction, for example, by solvent extraction of cashew nut shells. Furthermore, cashew nut shell oil can be obtained by the method described in JP-A-8-2314-10, for example, by solvent extraction. Commercially available cashew nut shell oil can also be used.
The unheated cashew nut shell liquid obtained in this manner contains 55 to 80% by mass of anacardic acid, 5 to 20% by mass of cardanol, and 5 to 30% by mass of cardol, as described in J. Agric. Food Chem. 2001, 49, 2548-2551.

The cashew nut shell liquid used in the present invention may be heated cashew nut shell liquid obtained by heating the unheated cashew nut shell liquid obtained as described above to 70°C or higher, preferably 130°C or higher. It may also be cashew nut shell liquid obtained by storing unheated cashew nut shell liquid at room temperature (20°C) for approximately one year or more.

Heated cashew nut shell oil, obtained by heat-treating non-heated cashew nut shell oil at 70°C or higher, preferably 130°C or higher, contains 0-10% by mass of anacardic acid, 55-80% by mass of cardanol, and 5-30% by mass of cardol, as a result of anacardic acid, the main component of non-heated cashew nut shell oil, being decarboxylated and converted to cardanol.

On the other hand, cashew nut shell oil obtained by storing unheated cashew nut shell oil at room temperature (20°C) for approximately one year or more contains 0-10% by mass of anacardic acid, 55-80% by mass of cardanol, and 5-30% by mass of cardol, as a result of anacardic acid, the main component of unheated cashew nut shell oil, being decarboxylated and converted to cardanol.

The cashew nut shell liquid content in the silica preparation of the present invention is 10% to 70% by mass, preferably 20% to 65% by mass, and more preferably 30% to 60% by mass, based on the total amount of the silica preparation. A content of 10% by mass or more can efficiently improve rumen fermentation, prevent bloat, treat bloat, treat acidosis, control clostridial diseases, control coccidiosis, increase milk yield in dairy cows, control periparturient diseases in dairy cows, improve reproductive efficiency in dairy cows, and promote livestock gain. A content of 70% by mass or less is preferable because it prevents hand rash during work and maintains the ease of handling of the silica preparation.

The silica preparation of the present invention may contain anacardic acid, cardanol, and/or cardol instead of cashew nut shell liquid.

Examples of anacardic acid include natural anacardic acid, synthetic anacardic acid, and derivatives thereof. Commercially available anacardic acid may also be used. As described in JP-A-8-231410, anacardic acid can be obtained by extracting cashew nut shells with an organic solvent, and then eluting the resulting cashew nut oil using silica gel column chromatography with a mixed solvent of n-hexane, ethyl acetate, and acetic acid at varying ratios (see, for example, JP-A-3-240721 and JP-A-3-240716). Such anacardic acid can be included in silica preparations, feed additives, and feed at a content similar to that of cashew nut shell oil.

Examples of cardanol include natural cardanol, synthetic cardanol, and derivatives thereof. The cardanol used in the present invention can be obtained by decarboxylating anacardic acid, the main component of cashew nut shell liquid. Such cardanol can be included in silica preparations, feed additives, and feed at a content similar to that of cashew nut shell liquid. When heated cashew nut shell liquid is used, the mass ratio of anacardic acid to cardanol in the heated cashew nut shell liquid is preferably 0:100 to 20:80.

Cardols include natural cardols, synthetic cardols, and their derivatives. The cardol used in the present invention can also be obtained by refining cashew nut shell liquid.

The silica preparation of the present invention contains an oil absorbent, and cashew nut shell oil, anacardic acid, cardanol, or cardol is adsorbed to the oil absorbent. In the silica preparation of the present invention, the oil absorbent is silica. Here, the silica is in particulate form, and the silica particles typically have an average particle size of 150 μm or more, preferably 250 μm or more. There is no particular upper limit to the average particle size, but it may be, for example, 500 μm. The average particle size of silica can be measured by methods such as ISO 13320-1.

It is preferable that the silica absorbs more than 200g of oil per 100g. The oil absorption capacity of silica (also known as oil adsorption amount or oil absorption capacity) can be measured using methods such as ISO 787/5.

The formulation of the present invention may further contain a stabilizer such as cashew nut shell liquid and/or an antioxidant. As a stabilizer, a chelating agent, which is a multidentate ligand that coordinates with metal ions contained in cashew nut shell liquid or the like to form a chelate compound, is preferably used.

Examples of chelating agents include organic acid-based, organic acid salt-based, phosphoric acid-based, phosphate-based, aminopolycarboxylic acid-based, aminopolycarboxylate-based, neutral amino acid-based, aluminosilicate-based, phosphonic acid-based, phosphonate-based, and polymer-based chelating agents. Examples of organic acid-based and organic acid salt-based chelating agents include citric acid and its salts, malic acid and its salts, tartaric acid and its salts, succinic acid and its salts, gluconic acid and its salts, oxalic acid and its salts, glycolic acid and its salts, and propionic acid and its salts.
Phosphate and phosphate chelating agents include orthophosphoric acid and its salts, pyrophosphoric acid and its salts, tripolyphosphoric acid and its salts, tetrapolyphosphoric acid and its salts, hexametaphosphoric acid and its salts, and phytic acid and its salts. Salts of orthophosphoric acid include sodium dihydrogen phosphate, potassium dihydrogen phosphate, ammonium dihydrogen phosphate, disodium hydrogen phosphate, dipotassium hydrogen phosphate, and diammonium hydrogen phosphate. Examples of aminopolycarboxylic acid and aminopolycarboxylate chelating agents include ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and its salts, ethylenediaminediacetic acid and its salts, hydroxyethylethylenediaminetetraacetic acid and its salts, diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid and its salts, nitrilotriacetic acid and its salts, triethylenetetraaminehexaacetic acid and its salts, dicarboxymethylglutaminehexaacetic acid and its salts, dicarboxymethylglutamic acid tetrasodium salt, dihydroxymethylglycine, 1,3-propanediaminetetraacetic acid and its salts, 1,3-diamino-2-hydroxypropanetetraacetic acid and its salts, phosphonobutanetricarboxylic acid and its salts, glutamic acid and its salts, cyclohexanediaminetetraacetic acid and its salts, iminodiacetic acid and its salts, N-(2-hydroxyethyl)iminodiacetic acid and its salts, N-(2-hydroxyethyl)ethylenediaminetriacetic acid and its salts, glycol ether diaminetetraacetic acid and its salts, glutamic acid diacetic acid and its salts, aspartic acid diacetic acid and its salts, and dihydroxymethylglycine.
Neutral amino acid chelating agents include glycine, alanine, leucine, cysteine, methionine, asparagine, and glutamine.
Zeolite is an example of an aluminosilicate-based chelating agent.
Phosphonic acid and phosphonate chelating agents include hydroxyethylidene diphosphonic acid and its salts, nitrilotrismethylenephosphonic acid and its salts, and nitrilotris and its salts.
Examples of polymeric chelating agents include polyacrylic acid, polymaleic acid, and copolymers of maleic acid and acrylic acid. Two or more types of chelating agents can also be used simultaneously.

Antioxidants for cashew nut shell oil and other ingredients include ethoxyquin, t-butylhydroxytoluene, t-butylhydroxyanisole, t-butylhydroquinone, ascorbic acid and its esters, vitamin E, gallic acid and its esters, erythorbic acid, chlorogenic acid, sulfites, thiosulfates, phosphites, hypophosphites, and phosphates. It is also possible to use two or more types of antioxidants at the same time.

The silica preparation of the present invention is a coated granule obtained by coating the silica base obtained by adsorbing cashew nut shell oil or the like onto silica particles (oil absorption process) with a coating agent (coating process).

The coated granules can be obtained, for example, as follows.
Silica particles having an average particle size of 150 μm or more (other oil absorbents may be added as needed) and cashew nut shell oil, etc. (stabilizers and/or antioxidants may be added as needed) are mixed together, and then the silica particles (silica base) adsorbing the cashew nut shell oil, etc. are coated with a coating agent under heating.
In the present invention, after the oil absorption step, the coating treatment with a coating agent may be carried out after granulation/granulation treatment, or the coating treatment with a coating agent may be carried out without granulation/granulation treatment. Therefore, in the silica preparation of the present invention, the surface of each silica particle may be coated with a coating agent.

The coating agent used in the present invention includes a fatty acid mixture containing unsaturated fatty acids and saturated fatty acids.

The unsaturated fatty acids used in the present invention are not limited as long as they are capable of releasing cashew nut shell liquid, anacardic acid, cardol, or cardanol, but examples include saturated fatty acids with a melting point above 50°C, more specifically, one or more selected from C16:1, C16:2, C18:1, C18:2, and esters thereof. Among these, it is preferable that they contain at least C18:1 and/or C18:2, and it is more preferable that they contain C18:1 and C18:2. The total content of C18:1 and C18:2 in the unsaturated fatty acids is preferably 50% by weight or more, and more preferably 80% by weight or more.

The saturated fatty acids used in the present invention are not limited as long as they are capable of releasing cashew nut shell liquid, anacardic acid, cardol, or cardanol, but examples include saturated fatty acids with a melting point above 50°C, more specifically, one or more selected from saturated fatty acids having 14 or more carbon atoms, such as myristic acid (C14:0), palmitic acid (C16:0), and stearic acid (C18:0), and esters thereof. Among these, it is preferable to contain at least palmitic acid and/or stearic acid, and it is preferable to contain palmitic acid and stearic acid. The total amount of palmitic acid and stearic acid in the saturated fatty acids is preferably 50% by weight or more, and more preferably 80% by weight or more.

In a fatty acid mixture containing unsaturated and saturated fatty acids, the ratio of unsaturated fatty acids to saturated fatty acids is preferably 1% to 14% by weight with the remainder being saturated fatty acids, more preferably 5% to 14% by weight with the remainder being saturated fatty acids, and even more preferably 5% to 10% by weight with the remainder being saturated fatty acids.

The fatty acid mixture as described above may be a mixture prepared in advance, or a mixture of unsaturated fatty acids and saturated fatty acids may be used.
Palm oil fatty acids can be used as a fatty acid mixture containing unsaturated and saturated fatty acids, for example. Examples of palm oil fatty acids include those containing 1-2% (by weight, hereinafter the same) C14:0 as saturated fatty acids, 44-48% C16:0, and 41-45% C18:0 as saturated fatty acids, and 6-9% C18:1 and 1-3% C18:2 as unsaturated fatty acids. Particularly preferred examples include those having the following fatty acid composition:
C14:0 1.5%, C16:0 46%, C18:0 43%, C18:1 7.5%, C18:2 2%

The fatty acid mixture used as the coating agent in the present invention preferably has a melting point of 50°C or higher.

The coating agent used in the present invention is present in an amount of 0.01 to 50% by mass, preferably 0.05 to 40% by mass, more preferably 0.1 to 30% by mass, based on the total amount of the coating preparation.
The mass ratio of the silica particles to the coating agent is preferably 80 to 99.9:20 to 0.1.

The apparatus used in the oil absorption treatment and coating treatment is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include mixers such as a paddle mixer, ribbon mixer, rocking mixer, and cone mixer.In the present invention, the oil absorption step and the coating step may be carried out continuously in the same container, or may be carried out separately.That is, it is sufficient if the silica and cashew nut shell oil are mixed to adsorb the cashew nut shell oil onto the silica, a coating agent is added after adsorption, and the silica with the cashew nut shell oil adsorbed and the coating agent are mixed under heating to coat the silica surface.
In the method for producing the preparation of the present invention, if oils and fats melted under heating are used as a coating agent, there is no need to use a solvent and no need for a drying step.

The production method of the present invention may be carried out either under normal pressure or under reduced pressure.
In the production method of the present invention, the oil absorption step may be carried out at room temperature, but in order to improve the efficiency of oil absorption, it is recommended to heat the oil to a temperature preferably between 20 and 100°C, more preferably between 30 and 80°C, and particularly preferably between 40 and 80°C.

The coating step is preferably carried out by adjusting the heating temperature to match the melting point of the coating agent used. The heating temperature when adding the coating agent may be above the melting point, but is preferably 5 to 50°C higher than the melting point of the coating agent used.
When coating is performed using a coating agent, the above-mentioned device can be used, and specifically, for example, the following steps are carried out.
- Cashew nut shell oil and other substances are adsorbed onto silica particles with an average particle size of 150 μm or more.
・Add an appropriate amount of coating agent to silica particles (silica base) that have adsorbed cashew nut shell oil, etc., and stir and mix at an appropriate temperature.
After stirring and mixing, the coated silica particles are cooled, if necessary.

The silica preparation of the present invention is suitable for use as a rumen fermentation improver, bloat preventive agent, bloat treatment agent, abomasal displacement treatment agent, acidosis treatment agent, clostridial disease control agent, coccidiosis disease control agent, dairy cow milk yield improver, dairy cow periparturient disease control agent, dairy cow reproductive efficiency improver, and livestock weight gain promoter for ruminants. The silica preparation of the present invention can also be used for feed and as a feed additive. There are no particular restrictions on the subjects for administering the feed, but examples include ruminants, preferably cows, goats, and sheep.

The feed additive of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it contains the silica preparation of the present invention, but may also contain optional ingredients such as ingredients effective in promoting the growth of ruminants, nutritional supplement ingredients, and ingredients that enhance storage stability. Such optional ingredients include, for example, probiotics such as Enterococcus bacteria, Bacillus bacteria, and Bifidobacterium; enzymes such as amylase and lipase; vitamins such as L-ascorbic acid, choline chloride, inositol, and folic acid; minerals such as potassium chloride, iron citrate, magnesium oxide, and phosphates; amino acids such as DL-alanine, DL-methionine, and L-lysine; organic acids and salts thereof such as fumaric acid, butyric acid, lactic acid, and acetic acid; antioxidants such as ethoxyquin, dibutylhydroxytoluene, butylhydroxyanisole, ferulic acid, vitamin C, and vitamin E; antifungal agents such as calcium propionate; binders such as CMC, sodium caseinate, and sodium polyacrylate; emulsifiers such as lecithin, glycerin fatty acid esters, and sorbitan fatty acid esters; pigments such as astaxanthin and canthaxanthin; and flavorings such as various esters, ethers, and ketones.

Furthermore, the feed additive of the present invention can be mixed with other feed ingredients normally used in feed to produce feed. There are no particular restrictions on the type of feed or the ingredients other than the silica preparation.

For example, when the feed of the present invention is administered to ruminants such as cows, goats, and sheep, the amount of feed to be ingested can be adjusted appropriately depending on the type, weight, age, sex, health condition, and ingredients of the animal. In this case, the amount of cashew nut shell liquid contained in the feed is preferably 0.005 to 500 g/head per day, more preferably 0.05 to 100 g/head per day, and even more preferably 0.5 to 50 g/head per day.
The method of feeding the animals and the method of rearing them can be any method commonly used depending on the type of animal.

The present invention will be explained in detail below using examples, but the aspects of the present invention are not limited to the following examples.

1. Extraction of Unheated Cashew Nut Shell Liquid 500 kg of cashew nut shells were obtained from Cashew Trading Co., Ltd. and pressed to produce 158 kg of cashew nut shell liquid (unheated CNSL).

The composition of cashew nut shell liquid was measured using the following method: HPLC (Waters 600, Nihon Waters), detector (Waters 490E, Nihon Waters), printer (Chromatopack C-R6A, Shimadzu), and column (SUPELCOSIL LC18, SUPELCO). A solvent of acetonitrile:water:acetic acid in a volume ratio of 80:20:1 was used, and the flow rate was 2 ml/min. Detection was based on absorbance at 280 nm.

The unheated cashew nut shell liquid contained 61.8% by mass of anacardic acid, 8.2% by mass of cardanol, and 19.9% by mass of cardol.

2. Preparation of Silica Preparation (1) Sipernat 2200 (manufactured by Evonik: average particle size 320 μm) was used as silica.

(2) The coating agents used were the products of Wako Pure Chemical Industries and Yokoseki Yushi shown in Table 1, as well as palm oil fatty acids.

(3) Cashew Nut Shell Oil Cashew nut shells were obtained from Cashew Trading Co., Ltd. as described above, and were pressed to produce cashew nut shell oil.

(4) Oil absorption step: A 300 ml three-neck separable flask equipped with a dropping funnel and a paddle-type stirring blade was placed in the flask. 52 g of silica having each particle size shown in Table 1 was placed in the flask, and the flask was immersed in a warm bath adjusted to 25°C. While stirring, 68 g of cashew nut shell liquid from the dropping funnel was added dropwise over approximately 40 minutes. After the dropwise addition, stirring was continued for 5 minutes, completing the oil absorption step (Production Example 1).

(5) Coating Step: Using the cashew nut shell liquid-containing silica produced in the oil absorption step (4) above, coated granules were produced using various coating agents. A small amount of coating was carried out using a 500 ml eggplant flask by rotating the flask in a hot water bath.
Specifically, 10 g of the cashew nut shell liquid-containing silica produced in the oil absorption step (4) above and 1 g of each crushed coating agent were added to a 500 ml eggplant flask, and the flask was rotated to mix uniformly. A water bath was then set to a temperature appropriate for the melting point of the added coating agent, and the eggplant flask was immersed in the water and rotated for about 10 minutes to perform the coating treatment. Using this method, preparations coated with the coating agents listed in Table 2 were prepared (Production Example 2).

3. Performance Evaluation (1) Precipitation Confirmation Test Depending on Silica Particle Size (Example 1)
The various silica preparations before coating (Production Example 1) and after coating (Production Example 2) were left to stand at 4° C. for 14 days, after which the presence or absence of cashew nut shell liquid precipitated on the surface of each silica was confirmed (the anacardic acid precipitation test conditions are shown in FIG. 1).

The results of the deposition test are shown in Figure 2 and Table 2. 10% of each coating agent was used.
By using a coating agent other than lauric acid, myristic acid, and palmitic acid, it has become possible to suppress the precipitation of anacardic acid.

(2) Evaluation of cashew nut shell liquid elution in various coating agents (Example 2)
1 g of each of the preparations prepared in Production Examples 1 and 2 was placed in 40 ml of water and allowed to stand at 20°C for 1 hour. The coated granules were then collected, and the cashew nut shell liquid remaining in the granules was extracted and collected using ethyl acetate, and the amount of elution was calculated. The elution test method is shown in Figure 3.

The results of the dissolution test are shown in Figure 4 and Table 2. The dissolution rates were measured after standing at 20°C and 30°C for 1 hour.
The elution-inhibiting effect was high when the coating agent was made of a saturated fatty acid having 16 or more carbon atoms and a melting point of 53° C. or higher, or when the coating agent contained an unsaturated fatty acid.

(3) Evaluation of intraruminal release properties using various coating agents (Example 3)
The temperature inside the rumen was set to 40° C., and the amount released was calculated in the same manner as in Example 2. The results are shown in FIG.

Release properties were good when C12, C14, and C16 saturated fatty acids were used in the coating agent, but release properties tended to deteriorate when stearic acid, a C18 saturated fatty acid, or hardened palm oil or hardened soybean oil, which are composed of C16 and C18 saturated fatty acids, were used in the coating agent. On the other hand, it was found that release properties improved when unsaturated fatty acids were mixed. It is thought that the unsaturated fatty acid content in the coating agent should be around 10% by weight, i.e., 1% to 14% by weight.

The present invention provides a silica formulation containing cashew nut shell liquid and other ingredients that has improved safety and ease of handling. This formulation, which inhibits precipitation of active ingredients during low-temperature storage, releases them in the rumen (40°C), and inhibits dissolution during storage (room temperature), is useful in the livestock industry.

Claims (9)

A preparation containing silica particles having adsorbed thereon cashew nut shell liquid, anacardic acid, cardol, and/or cardanol, the surfaces of which are coated with a coating agent containing a fatty acid mixture containing unsaturated fatty acids and saturated fatty acids. The formulation described in claim 1, wherein the coating agent contains 1% to 14% by weight of unsaturated fatty acids. The formulation described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the unsaturated fatty acid is a mixture of C18:1 and C18:2. The formulation described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the saturated fatty acids include palmitic acid (C16) and/or stearic acid (C18). The formulation described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the melting point of the coating agent is 50°C or higher. The formulation described in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the silica particles have an average particle size of 150 μm or more. The formulation according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the mass ratio of the silica particles to the coating agent is 80-99.9:20-0.1. The formulation described in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the surface of each of the silica particles is coated with a coating agent. The formulation according to any one of claims 1 to 8, which is for use in feed.