SBIR-STTR Award

The proposed research is intended to develop prototype bird food products that contain ground chili peppers and/or chili pepper extracts, natural sources of capsaicin that render birdseed palatable to birds but not palatable to squirrels and other rodents (U.S. Patent Application Number 7-892484). The feasibility of coating sunflower hearts with oleoresin of capsicum (lipophilic chili pepper extracts) has been demonstrated, and oleoresin coated sunflower hearts were observed to be readily consumed by birds, but not squirrels. Research is now needed to optimize the concentration and type (i.e., oleoresins vs. ground whole peppers) of chili pepper used to coat sunflower hearts, to develop a method of coating sunflower hearts within the shell, to determine the feasibility of applying a second "protective" coating to oleoresin coated seeds, and to validate a method of testing products for lack of palatability to gray squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis). Specifically, whole sunflower seeds and isolated hearts will be treated with oleoresin formulations of variable capsaicin content and mixed at different ratios with untreated millet. Each mixture will then be evaluated for palatability to birds and unpalatability to squirrels. Sunflower hearts coated with ground chili pepper of variable capsaicin content in an acceptable carrier (i.e., animal glue) will be evaluated in the same manner.

Anticipated Results:
It is expected that this work, coupled with a successful Phase II effort that will involve continued product refinement, stability testing, new product development, and extended palatability studies to include red squirrels, voles, brown rats and white footed deer mice, will lead to the commercialization of a large variety of wild and possibly domestic bird foods that incorporate chili peppers and chili extracts. The successful commercialization of new products of this nature should provide a relatively large alternative national market for domestically grown chilies, and increase the existing market for sunflower hearts, seeds and other components of bird food rodents routinely consume.

The proposed research will extend the efficacy, safety and analytical studies of prototype wild bird food products that contain chile peppers for the purpose of making these products palatable to birds but not palatable to squirrels, rats, chipmunks and other mammals. Peppers from the genus Capsicum contain "capsaicinoids" that make these peppers taste "hot" to mammals because they bind to specific, high affinity receptors on C-afferent neurons triggering neuronal transmission. Birds are not affected by capsaicinoids because they lack capsaicin receptors, and thus freely eat peppers. Phase I research was directed toward, 1) optimizing the concentration and type of chili pepper used 2) developing a coating process to attach the pepper to the seed, 3) developing a method to make whole sunflower seed unpalatable to rodents and 4) validating feeding methods using captive and free-ranging squirrels. During Phase II SSC plans to continue product refinement by analytically measuring the stability of the capsaicinoid content of the treated seeds over time, and will extend efficacy trials using gray squirrels. woodchucks, voles, and house mice, as well as environmental impact toxicity studies using European starlings, Japanese quail and rainbow trout.Applications:This research will address critical issues regarding products of :'liS nature, namely, the environmental impact on non targeted species, product stability and performance throughout the seasonal feeding cycles. and species differences in sensitivity to capsaicinoids among rodents will be measured. The success of this research should lead to the rapid commercialization of pepper coated bird feeds decreasing potentially disease carrving rodents populations around feeding areas. It should also create a new market for domestic chili s as well as increase the market for seeds and grains used in bird feed.