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Study: Grape seed extract may help combat heat stress

Grape seed extract supplement is found to reduce inflammation and oxidative stress in calves during a feeding trial in Turkey.

A Cute Black And White Calf In A Calf Barn At A Dairy Farm, Peek
NatalliaS | BigStock.com

Grape seed extract could prove to be a useful tool for combating heat stress in livestock operations located in warmer climates, according to a series of new papers from Bursa Uludag University in Turkey.

The papers, based on a feeding trial conducted in calves, determined that providing a grape seed extract supplement according to the calves’ weight increased total dry matter consumption and improved the average daily gain during high heat conditions. The grape seed extract also decreased the respiratory rate of heat-stressed calves, decreased cortisol and improved insulin intolerance, according to the reports, published in the journal Animal Feed Science and Technology.

Grape seed extract could offer similar benefits in other species, and is potentially widely available for inclusion in livestock diets, because it can be extracted from the remains of grapes processed for wine, juice and ethanol production, according to Hakan Biricik, a professor of veterinary medicine in the Department of Animal Nutrition and Nutritional Diseases at Bursa Uludag University.