| 摘要 |
The present invention relates to pet food. More particularly the present invention provides a pet food comprising Epigallocatechingallate (EGCG) in a concentration of from 0.001% to 3% by weight, for example from 0.01% to 3% by weight, preferably from 0,1% to 2% by weight. EGCG is a polyphenol derived from the green tea plant Camellia sinensis. It may be added to the cat food in any form, including, e.g., green tea extracts containing varying amounts of EGCG as well as highly enriched EGCG preparations such as the EGCG preparation obtained by the process as described in EP 1,077,211. In this process EGCG is highly enriched starting from any green tea extract, e.g. green tea leaves are typically extracted with hot or cold water to form a solution containing tea catechins and caffeine. This green tea solution can be further concentrated to form either a concentrated extract solution or a dry powder. Tea extract powders are commercially available e.g. from Guizhou Highyin Biological Product Co., Guiyang, P. R. China, or Zhejang Zhongke Plant Technical Co. Ltd., Hangzhou, Zhejang, P. R. China. Suitably, EGCG is present in the compositions of the present invention in a concentration of from about 0.001 to about 3% (w/w). By adding the green tea extract, i.e. EGCG as an additive to pet food, bacteria in the oral cavities of pets can be reduced and inflammatory diseases can be suppressed since the green tea extract, i.e. EGCG has an antibacterial effect. |
