Benefits Of Microgranulated Veterinary Premixes

Veterinary treatments aim to provide optimal clinical outcomes to restore and improve animal health and welfare. The following five parameters determine the outcome of an installed treatment protocol to a large extent: 

• Correct diagnosis
• Selection of the most appropriate active substance
• Quality of the active substance
• Formulation of the final product
• Correct dosing and administration

Veterinary products should be formulated to meet the unique needs of an animal species under all conditions. Huvepharma® has been mastering in-house fermentation processes and formulation techniques for more than sixty years, according to stringent European regulations. One example is our state-of-the-art and innovative microgranulation technology. This formulation technique ensures the active compound of veterinary premixes is encapsulated in large and equally sized microgranules. Microgranulation of our antibacterial and anthelmintic premix brands (Table 1) is different from standard powders in which the active ingredient is simply mixed with a carrier.

Table 1. Overview of Huvepharma^®'s microgranulated veterinary premixes

Microgranulation provides five significant benefits (Figure 1). 

Figure 1. Five benefits of microgranulation

1. Homogeneity

Huvepharma^® microgranulation technology provides larger particles (mostly around 400-500 µm) with a smaller variation in particle size distribution compared to standard powder formulations (Figure 2).

Figure 2. Tiamulin particle size distribution of Vetmulin^® microgranulated premix and five tiamulin-containing powder premixes, determined by laser diffraction

Hence, microgranulated premixes are evenly distributed throughout the medicated feed without any risk of demixing (Figure 3). Better homogeneity in feed results in an optimal response to the treatment as every animal receives the exact required daily dose. Underdosing can lead to a lack of efficacy and induce antimicrobial resistance, while overdosing may increase the risk of residues and some side effects. In addition, mixing uniformity also improves palatability.

Figure 3. Fenbendazole inclusion levels, determined by a validated HPLC method, in 10 samples taken at random from a feed medicated with Pigfen^® microgranulated premix. Expected content: 12.5 ppm fenbendazole, average: 12.3 ppm, coefficient of variation: 4.3%

2. Less dust content

Powder formulations contain a substantially higher number of particles smaller than 100 µm which are generally considered to be dust (Figure 4). The lower dust content in microgranulated premixes and their substantially reduced wall adhesion minimises the risk of carry-over of the active compound in the feed mill. Subsequent cross-contamination of non-medicated feed produced immediately after the medicated batch is thereby largely reduced. Furthermore, occupational safety is ensured for the persons handling the product in the feed mill.

Figure 4. Dust content (mg/100 g product) in nine tiamulin-containing premixes: Vetmulin^® microgranulated premix and eight powder formulations

3. Flowability

The superior flowability of microgranulated premixes results in less 'bridge' forming and wall adhesion in the product bags and dosing devices. This contributes to optimal convenience and sustainability for use in feed mills.

4. Stability

Active compounds are exposed to many different parameters during the pelleting process, including heat and pressure. The encapsulation of the active substance in a microgranule provides protection and ensures pelleting stability. The excellent stability of Pharmasin® microgranulated premix, even at a high temperature of 95 ^oC and a long conditioning time of 120 seconds is demonstrated in Figure 5. Ten samples of a mash feed and pellets produced from it were collected to calculate the average tylosin content following microbiological assay. The average tylosin content in the pelleted feed was expressed as a percentage of the original content in the mash feed. All obtained results were within 97-108% of the expected tylosin concentration with a low coefficient of variation (3%), indicating excellent stability in pelleted feed and during storage.

Figure 5. Average percentage of tylosin recovery (Pharmasin^® microgranulated premix) following pelleting at different steam conditioning times and temperatures

5. Bioavailability

Microgranulation enables targeted release of the active substance in the intestines for high intestinal absorption and optimal efficacy. 

Summary

Microgranulation is an advanced technology for high-quality veterinary premixes to ensure efficacy and convenience.