Cannabis sativa L. is a shared name for various strains of cannabis species. Hemp presents the botanical type of cannabis sativa, widely used for industrial and medical purposes. The common uses of hemp generally focus on its application in the pharmaceutical field, where it is used for therapeutic purposes, and in the food industry, where it is widely acknowledged for its nutritious properties. The high protein and fat concentrations in hemp seeds make them a suitable option for animal nutrition. However, there are many uses for hemp in food products for animals, and therefore, it is not clear which method of introducing hemp into animal nutrition is the most beneficial for animal products. The study by Klir et al. (2019) explores how hemp is used in animal nutrition to identify more efficient methods.
Addressing the questions requires extensive analysis of available information on the uses of hemp in animal nutrition. Therefore, the article uses a systematic data approach for its methodology, where the data from the existing scientific literature is extracted, analyzed, and reviewed. The study’s findings defined that hemp’s three commonly used ingredients in animal nutrition include hemp seeds, hempseed cake, and hemp oil. Furthermore, the study analyzed how the introduction of hemp into animal diets influenced the quality of animal products. The study defined that hemp can be used to increase the proportion of fatty acids in animal products, such as milk and eggs. For example, the introduction of 9% hempseed oil in hens’ diet increased the proportion of fatty acids in the egg yolk multiplied by 5 to 12 times (Klir et al., 2019). Alternatively, the proportion of fatty acids in milk from ewes and dairy goats increased after the introduction of hemp seeds and hempseed cake to their nutrition.
The article’s findings suggest that introducing hemp oil, seeds, and care to animal nutrition can improve the quality of animal products by increasing the proportion of beneficial fatty acids. The research provides evidence of how hemp oil could be utilized as an additive in animal nutrition for its high concentration of the necessary fatty acids. In contrast, hempseed cake and seeds could be used as a basic protein and fat source in animal nutrition.
Reference
Klir, Ž., Novoselec, J., & Antunović, Z. (2019). An overview on the use of hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) in animal nutrition. Agriculture, 25(2), 52-61. Web.