When heat saps the energy

Heat stress is increasingly becoming one of the biggest limiting factors in modern livestock farming. Rising temperatures not only affect animal welfare and health, but also lead to significant losses in performance and metabolic stress. At the same time, demands for efficiency, sustainability and the conservation of resources are increasing. Against this backdrop, functional feeding strategies incorporating plant-based active ingredients are becoming increasingly important.

Capsaicinoids from Capsicum annuum, in particular, are regarded as a promising approach for supporting animals suffering from heat stress, owing to their antioxidant, antiinflammatory and metabolism-boosting properties. They can help to stabilise feed intake, metabolic stability and animal health, even under stressful environmental conditions (…).