This study evaluated the use of a seaweed-derived product (Tasco, based on Ascophyllum nodosum) to help mitigate heat stress in beef cattle exposed to elevated temperatures. Under heat load conditions, cattle receiving Tasco showed a temporary reduction in rectal temperature and altered respiration patterns, particularly during the early stages of heat exposure.
These physiological responses indicate improved thermoregulation, suggesting that seaweed supplementation can help animals better cope with environmental stress. However, the benefits appeared to be short-term, and Tasco lowered dry matter intake in certain periods, while showing a trend toward an increase rate of fiber (NDF) disappearance.
The observed effects are likely linked to the bioactive compounds in seaweed that influence metabolic and stress-response pathways.
Williams et. al