The Rural Voice, 2003-07, Page 49The leading edge
Guelph researchers explore
value of garlic in horses' diets
University of Guelph researchers
have thrown themselves into the
debate over the value of adding garlic
to the diet of horses.
Some advocates feel garlic's
natural antibacterial properties help
their horses, while others worry long-
term use could actually be toxic for
horses.
"It's really critical that we
investigate its usefulness to horses,"
says Professor Mike Lindinger of the
Department of Human Biology and
Nutritional Sciences, who, along with
graduate student Wendy O'Neill has
been looking at the issue. "Research is
beginning to show that garlic may
have medical benefits in humans and
other animals, and it has already been
used in developing countries."
Critics of commercial garlic
products have charged they were
ineffective. That's because garlic's
active ingredient — allicin — is often
missing from many commercial
products that are heat -dried.
Paradoxically, garlic in its pure
form can't be deemed completely
safe. It's possible that the herb's
suspected antimicrobial properties
may — with long-term use— damage
beneficial hindgut bacteria vital to the
horse's digestive system. This could
allow unfavourable bacteria to
flourish, creating imbalances in the
digestibility of forage and in the
overall health of the gastrointestinal
tract.
More important, says O'Neill,
garlic has been shown to induce a type
of anemia in dogs and sheep. In
addition, onions, a relative of garlic,
are known to have toxic effects on
horses and it's possible garlic could
effect them the same way. Before
garlic can be considered a safe
antimicrobial agent, researchers have
to investigate that potential for harm.
Once garlic's safety has been
established, the researchers will tackle
issues surrounding infectious
respiratory disease, a condition caused
by bacterial and viral infection in the
lungs. Affected horses are often
treated wjth conventional antibiotics,
but long-term use can cause digestive
complications.
During their two-year study, the
researchers are using a combination of
laboratory tests and animal studies to
determine the absorptive profile,
safety and effectiveness of garlic in
horses.
"There are so many medical
applications for garlic, but respiratory
disease is the most prevalent," said
O'Neill. "This ongoing research will
help horse owners understand whether
garlic could be beneficial and, if so,
how to use it."0
— Source: University of Guelph
Research Magazine
Chinese pigs found to be prolific breeders
In an effort to increase the efficiency of pigs, U.S. scientists have been
studying Chinese pigs since the late 1980s. They've found some interesting facts
about the Meishan (pronounced May-shawn) pigs from southern China.
Meishan males have five to seven times more follicle-stimulating hormone in
their blood than U.S. boars. The same hormone aids in the production of sperm.
Meishan male's testes were 40 per cent smaller than those of U.S. boars. The
researchers found that while a gene or genes on the X chromosome affects the
size of the male's testes, testes size in other species, such as rodents, is more
affected by genes on the Y chromosome.
The United States Department of Agriculture research lab is using Meishan's
only as an experimental model to compare other breeds because meat production
from the pigs is not desirable due to its higher fat levels. They were attracted to
Meishan's because they provide a good model for sperm production. Since 75
per cent of pigs born in the U.S. are as a result of artificial insemination,
improving sperm production would help improve efficiency.°
— Source: USDA Press Release
Bacteria could help
control methane gas
Scientists in Alberta are
experimenting with bacteria that
would help cattle farmers enhance
feed efficiency, control the
amount of fat on their animals and
contribute to Canada's Kyoto
Accord obligations.
Researchers at Agriculture
Canada's Lethbridge Research
Centre have figured -out how to
inset -bacteriocins into silage so
they can feed them to cattle.
Bacteriocins are natural antibiotics
produced by bacteria as a means
of self-defence.
The researchers idea is to
introduce bacteriocins into the
rumen of cattle where they will
attack and kill bacteria responsible
for methane production. The role
of bacteriocins was first
discovered by the dairy industry
where processors noticed that
some bacteria were better than
others at preventing food such as
sour cream from spoiling.
The primary goal of researcher
Ron Teather is to reduce cattle's
greenhouse gas emissions, but he
also expects the use of bateriocins
will lead to lower fat deposits on
animals and better feed conversion.
"Methane really is a waste of
energy and just dissipates in air,"
he said. "By shifting rumen
fermentation in a direction that
will reduce emissions, you make
more energy available to the
animal instead of losing it as gas.
And the degree to which an
animal utilizes the energy in its
feed is a measure of efficiency."
While cattle producers use
antibiotics to accomplish some of
the same tasks, bacteriocins are
specific, inhibiting only one or
two organisms, which antibiotics
are broad spectrum agents that
have undesirable side effects.
As well, bacteriocins don't
leave residues in the meat. Since
they are proteins, cattle can digest
them to supplement their nutrition
once they leave the rumen.°
— Source: Western Producer
JULY 2003 45